November 4, 2025 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) welcomes the federal government’s continued recognition of the agri-food sector’s importance to Canada’s economic and food security in Budget 2025, including new tax credits, productivity-supporting measures, and investments in trade-enabling infrastructure. These initiatives are essential to spur investment, improve competitiveness, and ensure companies can meet growing domestic and international demand. 

We are also encouraged to see the government commit to addressing greenwashing provisions in the Competition Act – an important step to ensure companies are not discouraged from investing in sustainability. 

However, FBC-ABC is disappointed in the absence of an announcement on a Domestic Processing Fund, a commitment made by the Liberal Party in the last federal election. The previously promised $200 million was already insufficient given the scale of capital needs across Canada’s 8,800 food and beverage manufacturing facilities. FBC-ABC has called for a $2 billion, five-year fund to strengthen Canada’s capacity to turn what we grow into the food we eat, sell, and export. This support is critical to strengthen supply chain resilience and capturing more value at home. 

As Canada’s largest manufacturing employer and the largest component of the country’s manufacturing GDP, the food and beverage manufacturing industry employs more than 322,000 Canadians, generates nearly $120 billion in annual revenue, and exports $60 billion in agri-food products each year. Our industry doesn’t just fuel the economy – it feeds Canadians. 

We also seek clarity on how the federal 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan will impact food and beverage manufacturers. Foreign workers are essential to operations across the country – particularly in rural and remote regions – and play a crucial role in ensuring Canada’s food security. We appreciate recognition of this reality and look forward to working with government to ensure future immigration policies support the stability of our workforce and supply chain. 

We are encouraged by the proposed one-time measure to create clear pathways to permanent residency for up to 33,000 work permit holders in 2026 and 2027. This is an important step to retain experienced workers who are vital to our operations, and we look forward to further details. 

FBC-ABC will continue to advocate for policies that enhance competitiveness, address chronic labour shortages, reduce regulatory burdens, and support innovation in our industry. 

About Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC): 
Food and Beverage Canada is the national industry association representing Canada’s domestic food and beverage manufacturers. FBC-ABC works with members, provincial and regional associations, and government to advance policies that support a competitive industry that provides safe, high-quality food for Canadians and global markets. 

Media contact: 
Kristina Farrell 
CEO, Food and Beverage Canada 
613-322-9235