Grocery cart full of groceries in a grocery store aisle

Feeding the future: Challenges and opportunities to tackle food insecurity in Canada

Feeding the future: Challenges and opportunities to tackle food insecurity in Canada

Synopsis
5 Minute Read

Canada ranks among the global leaders in food security, however, nearly one in five households still struggles to afford a healthy diet. This contradiction reveals how national success does not always translate into local reliability. Drawing on the Global Agri-food: Most influential nation’s ranking and real-world examples from Canada’s North to Brazil, this article explores how communities, policymakers, and industry can share responsibility to make food access fair and dependable for all Canadians.

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Zoe Wong, CPA, CA
Partner, Assurance & Accounting
Insight
Agility Insight Food and Beverage Processing

Walk into any Canadian grocery store and you’ll see shelves filled with fresh produce, packaged goods, and imports from around the world. On the surface, Canada looks like a country that has solved the problem of food security. This year’s MNP Global Agri-food: Most Influential Nations Ranking supports that impression, placing Canada in the highest performing tier among the global leaders in access to safe and nutritious food.

However, that view changes with the growing number of Canadians feeling the strain of higher grocery bills. High rankings show that Canada produces and distributes food efficiently, but they do not guarantee that everyone can afford it or that confidence in the system is consistent. Food security goes beyond abundance, by making sure that access is fair, affordable, and reliable for every household. The report shows how far we have come, but it also underscores how much further we need to go.

Canada’s paradox

The statistics capture this paradox clearly. Fewer than three percent of Canadians cannot afford a nutritious diet, which suggests broad affordability at the population level. Even so, nearly one in five households report some form of food insecurity. The contradiction reflects a deeper reality. National averages often provide a broad look, but don’t fully capture factors such as income instability, high living costs, and geographic disparities that affect access.

These pressures have intensified since the pandemic, with more households turning to food banks and widening income gaps leaving many families more vulnerable. The growing reliance on charitable supports illustrates that availability alone doesn’t guarantee affordability or stability for every Canadian family.

Public perception in the food system is also slipping. Only 47 percent of Canadians say they trust the nation’s agriculture and food sector, down from previous years. Concerns over rising prices and concentrated control in the retail market impact confidence. Even as global indicators place Canada near the top, domestic perceptions express a more complex set of challenges like the Global Agri-food: Most Influential Nations Ranking reveal.

What’s driving the gap

Inflation has played a central role. Food price growth in Canada has slowed compared to the peak of recent years, but at 3.8 percent it remains higher than in many peer countries such as France, India, China, the U.S., and the United Kingdom, according to the Global Agri-food: Most Influential Nations Ranking. Behind that figure are supply chain costs, tariffs, and persistent labour shortages that ripple through production and distribution. Among a multitude of other factors, tariffs in particular have raised the cost of imported ingredients and goods — adding to pressure on both businesses and households at the checkout.

Income disparities heighten the challenge. Fluctuations in earnings can leave some households more exposed to price swings. For many, even a slight increase in monthly food costs can push budgets beyond their limits. The result is that while Canada as a whole appears secure, many households continue to face difficult trade-offs between groceries, housing, and other essentials.

Geography can compound the problem as well. In Northern and remote communities, transportation adds significant cost, leaving households with limited choice and high prices. These communities often bear the heaviest burden, not only paying more but also having fewer options to choose from.

Canada’s policy response has faced coordination challenges. The Food Policy for Canada, launched in 2019, set a framework for aligned federal efforts towards goals such as access to nutritious food, sustainability and inclusive economic growth. However, progress has been slower compared to countries with more integrated national strategies. For example, India’s National Food Security Act underpins the Public Distribution System, the world’s largest food subsidy program. Without stronger alignment across federal, provincial and community initiatives, risks to affordability and access may persist.

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Lesson from abroad

Elsewhere, different forms of collaboration are unfolding. In Brazil, nearly $30 billion was invested in 2024 through cash transfers, school feeding programs and community solidarity kitchens, according to the Global Agri-food: Most Influential Nations Ranking. These efforts improved affordability while also building public trust. The European Union also ranks among the strongest performers on food security, with long-standing policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy that link subsidies, nutrition goals and rural development. By combining financial support with coordinated standards across member states, the EU has been able to improve both affordability and resilience.

Canada doesn’t need to copy these programs directly, but they show how national support and community-driven solutions can reinforce each other. When governments and local initiatives work in tandem, access becomes steadier and confidence in the food system grows.

Opportunities to strengthen Canada’s system

Canada is in a strong position to show that food leadership goes beyond production, extending to making healthy meals accessible and affordable for everyone. The report points to several areas where collaboration between governments, businesses, and communities can turn this potential into lasting progress.

  1. Strengthen national food strategies

A more unified approach can help close policy gaps. Canada can build on its existing food policy by setting clearer targets for affordability and access, and by ensuring collaboration across jurisdictions. Efforts to reduce interprovincial trade barriers point to how a more integrated market could improve efficiency and affordability, though progress will take time. Connecting food security with health, education and social services offers a path to more lasting results. A whole-system approach supports not only access to food but also stronger communities overall.

  1. Support innovation and small businesses

Small and medium-sized food businesses are often where fresh ideas take root and where communities feel the impact most directly. From local food hubs to technology-driven delivery models, these enterprises are piloting solutions that connect producers to households in new ways. Providing access to funding, tools and expertise can help them scale their impact, diversify supply chains and give Canadians more choice at the table.

  1. Increase transparency in retail

Market concentration is one of the biggest concerns shaping public trust. According to the Global Agri-food: Most influential nation’s ranking, the top four retailers control nearly three-quarters of grocery sales in Canada, which is one of the highest levels in the G20. The report also notes that in South Korea, independent supermarkets capture 77 per cent of grocery sales, while more than a quarter of purchases are made online. The example shows how diversity in distribution can strengthen access. In Canada, industry leaders and policymakers can work together to encourage transparency, ensure fair pricing and support alternatives that give households more choice. The recently introduced Grocery Code of Conduct also aims to improve coordination between retailers and suppliers, marking a step toward greater transparency in the food system.

  1. Leverage data for targeted support

By using data analytics to identify populations most at risk, whether by region, income level or demographic profile, industry leaders can design programs that respond to real needs. Tailoring support in this way ensures resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact and helps create solutions that are practical for communities, not just broad averages.

A shared responsibility

The way Canadians access food leaves its mark on households, communities and businesses alike. For food and beverage companies, affordability pressures change how customers shop and which brands they choose. For policymakers, gaps in access and trust show where more work is needed.

By investing in coordination, innovation, transparency and smarter use of data, Canada can build on its global standing while also easing the pressures households face at home. Canada has the land, the knowledge and the ability to feed its people. The task now is to ensure that abundance translates into fair and reliable access for every household. Achieving this will take collaboration between governments, businesses and communities, as well as a willingness to learn from peers around the world and adapt solutions to Canada’s unique context.

The Global Agri-food: Most Influential Nations Ranking confirms Canada’s strong position internationally. But real progress will be measured by whether every Canadian family can count on affordable, nutritious food — not just today, but for generations to come.

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