Valuing Food: The Economic Contribution of Canada’s Food Sector

Canada’s food sector makes an enormous contribution to our national economy. We have a well-developed agriculture and agri-food system, and Canadians are better fed than ever before.

The food economy consists of all stages involved in the food value chain, from the production of food through to its preparation and ingestion. In all, the food sector is responsible for more than 9 per cent of GDP and 2.3 million jobs, roughly 13 per cent of all employment in Canada.

This report considers the underlying forces shaping food supply and demand, analyzes Canada’s current food economy footprint, and looks at our engagement in the global food economy. It concludes with a summary of major findings and their implications.

The report is designed to shed light on the food economy from the broadest possible perspective, so as to inform the Centre for Food in Canada’s (CFIC) deliberations toward a Canadian Food Strategy. It is one of two foundational projects that underpin CFIC’s work on the Strategy.