Key Takeaways
- Food security is intrinsically linked to national security, yet Canada’s defence planning largely overlooks the food system.
- Approximately 10 million Canadians experience food insecurity, a figure projected to rise and viewed by hunger‑relief CEOs as a threat to resilience and sovereignty.
- Canada relies heavily on imports (30 % of total food, 80 % of fruit, 60 % of vegetables) and just‑in‑time supply chains that can sustain local populations for only 1‑3 days.
- The community food sector—food banks, hubs, gardens, cooperatives, farmers’ markets, and related social programs—forms a vast, under‑funded “hidden food network” that outnumbers traditional grocery stores four‑to‑one.
- These localized systems provide immediate relief, diversify supply chains, support local producers, reduce waste, deliver wraparound services, and act as critical last‑mile infrastructure during crises such as COVID‑19.
- To treat food as national‑security infrastructure, Canada should: formally designate community food assets as critical infrastructure; expand funding mechanisms like the Local Food Infrastructure Fund; align procurement policies with regional sourcing; reform competition policy to curb retail concentration; and embed food considerations in future Defence Industrial Strategies.
National Security and the Overlooked Role of Food
Canada confronts overlapping crises—affordability pressures, environmental strain, geopolitical trade shocks, and sovereignty threats—yet the foundational link between food security and national defence remains under‑appreciated. When a substantial share of the population cannot reliably access adequate nutrition, the country’s overall resilience, safety, and sovereign capacity are weakened. Recognizing food as a security issue shifts the conversation from charitable relief to strategic investment in the nation’s ability to feed itself under stress.
The Growing Scale of Food Insecurity
Recent data indicate that roughly 10 million Canadians—about one‑quarter of the population—face food insecurity, a number expected to climb. Leaders of Canada’s largest hunger‑relief organizations warn that this growing inability to secure food threatens national resilience and sovereignty. The urgency is amplified by current global disruptions, which expose how fragile food systems can become when supply chains are strained.
Policy Gaps: Defence Strategy Ignores Food
In January 2024 the federal government announced a national food security strategy aimed at boosting domestic production and affordable access. A month later, the Defence Industrial Strategy was released, conspicuously omitting any reference to food, despite highlighting “securing supply chains for key inputs and goods” as a pillar. Experts argue that this omission leaves strategic autonomy over food‑system supply chains unexamined and unprotected, undermining the very resilience the defence strategy seeks to ensure.
Food Sovereignty as the Next Security Frontier
Commentators in Policy Options and leaders such as the co‑founder of the Council of Canadian Innovators contend that food sovereignty must be regarded as the “next frontier” of national‑security investment. Agri‑food scholars and investment groups echo this view, urging Canada to leverage sustainable agri‑food resources, technological innovation, and export capacity to build a more secure and self‑reliant food system.
Why a Multi‑Pronged, Multi‑Scaled Approach Is Essential
Investment alone cannot solve the problem; benefits must reach Canadian communities, dinner tables, and backyards. A comprehensive strategy should treat community food systems as critical, multi‑use infrastructure that bolsters civilian wellbeing, economic opportunity, and national security simultaneously. Embedding food resilience across scales ensures that domestic production, export strength, and local accessibility reinforce one another.
Defining Community Food Infrastructure
Community food infrastructure encompasses far more than food banks. It includes food hubs, social/solidarity supermarkets, community pantries, kitchens, gardens, cooperatives, farmers’ markets, urban agriculture projects, and small‑scale retailers that operate outside the mainstream industrial supply chain. Increasingly, settlement agencies, health centres, after‑school programs, and faith‑based groups serve as additional food access points, creating a dense, decentralized network.
The Hidden Food Network: Scale and Impact
A 2022 Second Harvest report reveals that community‑based food initiatives outnumber traditional grocery stores approximately four‑to‑one, yet they lack a centralized database or coordinated impact tracking. Though each node may be modest, collectively they form a resilient web that diversifies and shortens supply chains, provides culturally appropriate food, stores and redistributes surplus, supports local producers, diverts waste, and creates value‑added pathways for excess food.
Beyond Food: Wraparound Services and Equity
Many community food organizations deliver essential wraparound services—health care, social support, entrepreneurial training, and employment assistance—that address the root causes of inequity. By filling gaps left by market withdrawal from low‑income neighbourhoods, these institutions not only alleviate hunger but also foster community cohesion and economic empowerment, reinforcing the social fabric that underpins national resilience.
Localized Networks as Crisis Buffers
In scenarios of border closures, energy disruptions, or transportation breakdowns, localized food networks act as shock absorbers, maintaining some continuity of supply when national systems falter. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, municipalities such as Toronto relied on the community food sector as “last‑mile” infrastructure to distribute emergency provisions. Similar mobilizations occurred nationwide, prompting cities and regions to re‑evaluate their role in strengthening local food assets.
From Charity to Strategic Infrastructure
Despite their prevalence and proven utility, community food assets remain chronically underfunded and framed merely as emergency relief. This perspective obscures their dual function: meeting immediate needs while building systemic resilience and contributing to national security. To correct this, food systems must be integrated into infrastructure planning, emergency preparedness, and defence policy at multiple scales.
Policy Recommendations for a Secure Food Future
Key actions include: formally designating community food hubs, regional distribution networks, storage facilities, commercial kitchens, cold‑storage units, and refrigerated transport as critical infrastructure; broadening eligibility and capital funding for programs like the Local Food Infrastructure Fund; aligning public procurement—such as for the National School Food Program, hospitals, and other government institutions—to prioritize regional sourcing; reforming competition policy to curb excessive retail concentration and support cooperative, public, and community‑owned enterprises; and ensuring that food considerations appear in future iterations of the Defence Industrial Strategy.
Conclusion: Feeding the Nation Is Defending the Nation
A sovereign nation must be capable of feeding itself; resilient, equitable regional food systems and empowered communities are indispensable pillars of that sovereignty. By recognizing and investing in community food infrastructure as strategic, multi‑use assets, Canada can strengthen its ability to withstand shocks, reduce dependence on fragile global supply chains, and uphold the security and wellbeing of all its citizens. The path forward demands coordinated action across federal, provincial, municipal, and community levels—transforming food from an afterthought into a cornerstone of national defence.