General

Canada lags in food production

Exports fall while dependency on imports increases

A new report by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute concludes that Canada is in need of a significant overhaul of its agricultural policy in order to compete in global markets and keep Canadians fed. Canada was once the third largest exporter of food, but has fallen behind countries like Brazil and China after exports fell by 9 per cent and imports rose by 2 percent in 2009. CAPI recommends that Canada double agricultural exports to $75-billion and produce 75 per cent of its own food by 2025. Gaëtan Lussier, former agriculture minister and CAPI’s chair, said “if Canada does not change the way we look at agri-food development, we will be losers for a long time.” Canada’s agriculture industry is a core sector of the economy that generates two million jobs and accounts for 8.2 per cent of GDP.

The Globe and Mail

Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

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