Canada and Ontario Strengthening Province’s Agri-Food Industry
Article Published July 4, 2025
Article Source: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1006152/canada-and-ontario-strengthening-provinces-agri-food-industry
Provincial and federal governments investing $4.4 million to support small agri-food businesses, expand export opportunities and increase food safety
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TORONTO – The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $4.4 million under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to help small businesses in the agri-food industry grow their businesses and enhance their food safety and traceability systems. This funding will support 90 projects across the province through Ontario’s Food Safety and Growth Initiative, which helps protect workers and businesses by ensuring the industry can continue to thrive, respond to market and consumer demands and keep workers on the job.
“Our producers and processors work hard to make sure our food meets the highest standards for safety and quality,” said the Honourable Heath MacDonald, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This great initiative is helping them adopt the latest technologies in traceability and food safety so they can respond to consumer demands, grow their operations, and put more money back into their pockets.”
“Ontario’s agri-food industry produces world-class food products and our government is making investments to help local businesses grow their operations, create jobs and increase their exports,” said Trevor Jones, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “The Food Safety and Growth Initiative will help Ontario to further increase and diversify our agri-food exports to new markets, while strengthening the long-term competitiveness and growth of our local agri-food champions during this time of economic uncertainty.”
Under the initiative, eligible food processors, producers and service providers can receive up to $75,000 per project to improve food safety systems, adopt new food safety and traceability equipment, technologies and standards and provide related training to employees.
Examples of projects include:
Vision Greens Inc., in Welland, is receiving up to $75,000 to purchase and install water filtration systems that will treat the water reaching their plants and increase food safety.
Shefa Meats, in Toronto, is receiving up to $74,684 to hire third-party consultants to improve their traceability program, install a barcoding system to increase traceability of products and expand their customer base.
West Grey Premium Beef Inc., in Durham, is receiving up to $75,000 to purchase and install new clipping and packaging equipment and third-party services to update food safety programs to increase traceability and food safety of product and meet customer demands.
Sustainable CAP is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
Quick Facts
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness delivers the Food Safety and Growth Initiative. Funding through the program, combined with cost-shared investments by the sector, is expected to generate approximately $15.5 million in total industry food safety enhancements.
Projects supported through this initiative include developing or improving food safety or traceability programs, upgrades to food safety or traceability equipment and technology upgrades, food or traceability assessments by qualified third-parties, or implementation of internationally or nationally recognized food safety programs, such as first-time certification audits.
Food industry businesses with fewer than 100 employees at the site of proposed projects were eligible for support through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative.
For more information about OMAFA programs and services, contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) at 1-877-424-1300 or at ag.info.omafa@ontario.ca.
Quotes
"We appreciate the ongoing strong support from the provincial and federal governments for food and beverage processing. As the largest manufacturing sector by employment in Ontario, we comprise over 4,000 companies and 90 per cent are small businesses. This ongoing support will continue to improve food safety systems, equipment, standards and training. This also helps processors adapt to customer and market needs while growing their business."
- Chris Conway
CEO, Food and Beverage Ontario
"We commend the federal and provincial governments for their partnership and support. This investment will build resiliency in our food system by supporting businesses advancing their food safety systems. This is good news for everyone."
- Gerhard Metzger
Chair, Meat & Poultry Ontario