Canada possesses the necessary resources; what it lacks is cohesion. Published on October 16, 2025, and updated recently, this article highlights Canada’s rise from 11th to 7th in the Global Agri-Food Most Influential Nations Ranking 2025. This advancement is promising and reaffirms what many in the industry already recognize: Canada is a reliable supplier with a sophisticated food economy.
However, the celebration should be tempered. Beneath this progress lies a troubling pattern of missed opportunities, including an innovation system that seldom scales, a domestic market dominated by a few major players, and policies that leave many Canadians behind.
The report from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, in collaboration with MNP, reveals a familiar contradiction. Canada excels at generating innovative ideas but struggles to translate them into commercial success.
Despite over 320 agri-food tech start-ups raising more than $3 billion, private R&D investment has plummeted by 37% since 2023. This decline poses a significant risk, as Canadian innovators often find themselves in the “valley of death” between proof-of-concept and commercialization.
In the U.S., venture capital helps bridge this gap, while Europe benefits from programs like Horizon Europe to maintain momentum. In Canada, however, fragmented initiatives and inconsistent policies leave entrepreneurs largely unsupported. Without a stronger public-private partnership focused on commercialization, our best ideas may thrive elsewhere.
On paper, fewer than 3% of Canadians are unable to afford a nutritious diet, but in reality, nearly one in five experiences food insecurity. Factors such as inflation, weak supply chains, and inadequate local infrastructure are diminishing access to affordable food, especially in northern and remote areas. Trust in the food system has also declined, with only 47% of Canadians expressing confidence in the agriculture and food sector—a significant drop that reflects growing frustration over price transparency and retail concentration.
A nation that exports tens of billions in food products should not struggle to maintain trust in its own food system.