Closing the gap will require collaboration across the entire agri-food industry — from government to businesses to everyday consumers. By addressing gaps in entrepreneurial growth, navigating regulatory framework, and strategic export planning Canada can rise in the rankings and secure a prosperous future for its agri-food sector.
Global Agri-Food Most Influential Nations Ranking: Where Canada stands and how we move forward
Canada’s agri-food sector is the backbone of our economy and communities. From farm gate to consumer plate, it fuels livelihoods, supports innovation, and ensure access to fresh, sustainable food — but are we reaching our full potential?
MNP commissioned the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University to help answer critical questions — where does Canada stand in the global agri-food landscape — and are we as competitive as we can be?
Our findings uncover Canada’s strengths, opportunities, and the steps needed to secure a competitive edge on the world stage. This report is a deep dive into how we can close the gap and thrive in a dynamic, global market.
How we rank
How Canada can bridge the gap
To compete globally, Canada’s agri-food sector must address three critical areas. Together, they hold the key to unlocking our potential and securing our place as a leader on the world stage.
Entrepreneurial growth
- Expand access to capital and infrastructure investment
- Simplified regulations and targeted R&D funding
- Training programs to foster innovation and job creation
Streamlining regulatory frameworks
- Simplify complex policies to reduce barriers for businesses
- Introduce targeted grants and incentives to ease compliance costs
Strategic export planning
- Align domestic production with global market demand
- Prioritize value-added processing to increase export competitiveness
- Embrace sustainable practices to strengthen Canada’s global position
Key findings: Canada’s strengths and opportunities
Our research highlights both strengths to build on areas that can truly thrive.
1. Entrepreneurial challenges
Challenges:
- Ranked 7th (Moderate performance): Overall score for entrepreneurship
- Limited capital access
- Complex regulations
- Impact: Small businesses struggle to scale and compete globally
- Solution: Support innovation, simplify policies, and invest in skills training
2. Innovation investment gap
- Ranked 7th (Moderate performance): Investment in agri-food research and innovation
- Key Gap: Canada lags behind G20 leaders in R&D support
- Impact: Limited ability to lead transformative innovations
- Solution: Bridge funding gaps and foster collaboration between academia, government, and industry
3. Agricultural trade surplus
- Ranked 5th (High performance): Value of agri-food exports and imports
- $13.3 billion: Canada’s agricultural trade surplus in 2024
- Key Insight: Most of this comes from raw materials, with limited domestic value-added production
- Opportunity: Invest in processing to capture more value and create jobs
4. The impact on Canadians
For Consumers:
- Affordable, ethically sourced food
- Increased variety through global competitiveness
For Businesses
- Stable supply chains
- Predictable input costs
5. Grocery market concentration
- Ranked 8th (Moderate performance): Market share and influence of major agri-food retailers / concentration and coordination in supply channel
- Impact: High concentration limits competition and innovation
- Solution: The implementation the Grocery Code of Conduct that aims balance power dynamics, and create more opportunities for smaller producers
6. Food security
- Ranked 3rd (High performance): Among the most food-secure nations globally
- Strength: Advanced technologies and efficient supply chains
- Challenge: Rising costs and climate change threaten long-term resilience
7. Geography and logistics
- Challenge: High logistics costs due to Canada’s vast geography
- Impact: Rising energy prices and labor disruptions strain supply chains
- Solution: Invest in resilient infrastructure and modern supply chain technology
What’s next for Canada?
Methodology: How we ranked Canada’s agri-food competitiveness
This report is the first of its kind, evaluating G20 nations across five critical areas:
- Entrepreneurship support
- Food Security and nutrition
- Environmental sustainability
- Retail and fiscal regimes
- Trade and geopolitics
Contact us
Matt MacDonald , MBA
National Leader, Food & Beverage Processing