It is the year of strategies for the Carney government.
Defence, artificial intelligence, electricity, and now food. In almost every major area of economic policy, Ottawa has a strategy, a framework, a plan, or a roadmap. Some of that is understandable. Canada is facing a different world than it was even a few years ago. Trade is less predictable, supply chains are more fragile, and Canadians are feeling the pressure every time they pay their bills.
Last week, the federal government released its National Food Security Strategy, a $3.2 billion plan aimed at making food more affordable, increasing competition in the grocery sector, producing more food at home, and cutting red tape across the agricultural supply chain.
It is not hard to see why this issue landed near the top of the agenda. Grocery prices have become one of the clearest symbols of Canada’s affordability crisis. No matter your income, no matter where you live, everyone has noticed that the weekly grocery bill has gone up.
The polling backs this up. A recent Abacus Data poll found that the cost of living remains the top issue in the country, with 66 percent of Canadians ranking it among their top three concerns. Food prices are not the whole cost of living story, but they are one of the most visible parts of it.
The food bank numbers are even more stark. According to Food Banks Canada, there were nearly 2.2 million visits to food banks in March 2025, the highest number ever recorded. Food bank usage has doubled since March 2019 and was 5.2 percent higher than in 2024.
That should make everyone stop for a moment. Food banks were never meant to become a pressure valve for working Canadians who simply cannot keep up with the rising cost of basics. Yet that is increasingly where we are.
The government’s strategy tries to tackle the problem from several directions at once. It includes $1 billion for new and expanded food terminals and food hubs, intended to help independent grocers buy and move products without relying as heavily on the large retail chains. It also includes new funding for domestic food processing, support for greenhouses and vertical farms, and efforts to speed up approvals for seeds, feed, fertilizer, and veterinary products.
The grocery competition piece matters. Canada’s grocery market is highly concentrated, and that has been well documented by the Competition Bureau. Its retail grocery market study found that most Canadians buy groceries from stores owned by a handful of major players. The Bureau’s conclusion was blunt: Canada needs more grocery competition.
Helping independent grocers matters because many have to buy products through the same large companies they are competing against. That means higher costs, tighter margins, and fewer real choices for consumers. Food hubs and terminals will not magically cut everyone’s grocery bill next week, but they could help build a more competitive system over time.
The strategy also moves beyond the grocery aisle and into the field. Canada is one of the world’s great agricultural countries, but too often we export raw products and import higher value processed goods back. If Canada wants a more resilient food system, it needs to grow more here, process more here, and make it easier for Canadian producers to get their products onto Canadian shelves.
That is where regulatory reform comes in. The commitment to speed up approvals around seeds, feed, fertilizer, and veterinary products is a good step. Farmers and food producers do not need more slogans. They need a system that moves at the speed of investment, production, and seasonal reality.
The challenge, as always, is execution.
Governments are very good at releasing strategies. They are less good at delivering results that people can actually feel. Too often, the announcement is treated as the achievement, the press conference becomes the policy, and the strategy document ends up being the final product.
That cannot happen here.
Toronto has explored city-run grocery stores, while New York City has committed to public grocery stores as part of its affordability agenda. For some, that is the kind of bold thinking needed when the private market is not delivering enough competition. For others, the moment government-run anything enters the chat, alarm bells go off.
That concern is fair. Government is not exactly known for being nimble, creative or fast. But the bigger point is that people are looking for new ideas because the status quo is not working well enough.
The federal strategy should be treated as a starting point, not the final answer. More competition is good. Local production incentives are good. Reducing unnecessary regulation is good. Helping independent grocers compete is good. But none of it matters if the system does not move, if farmers are not meaningfully involved, or if Canadians do not see relief over time.
The food security strategy is a good start. Now the government needs to prove it can turn another strategy into results.
Daniel Perry is the Director of Federal Affairs at the Council of Canadian Innovators, leading national advocacy and engagement efforts. With experience in consulting and roles at the Senate of Canada, Queen’s Park, and the Canadian Criminal Justice Association, Daniel has helped political leaders and clients across various sectors achieve their public policy goals. A frequent media contributor and seasoned campaigner, Daniel holds a Master of Political Management from Carleton University.
