Farmers harvest grain crops near Irricana, Alta.Chris Bolin/The Globe and Mail
Arlene Dickinson is an investor, author and TV personality. She is a member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Canada-U.S. relations.
Food security is now the world’s top priority. Demand is exploding, capital is flowing and Canada has the resources to lead. Yet unless we move quickly, and now, others will take the markets that should be ours.
I just returned from three weeks in Japan, Thailand and Singapore on what I called a solo, self-funded trade mission. No entourage, no delegation. Just me, an investor in food and health, looking to understand Asia’s opportunities firsthand.
The contrast was stark. In Singapore, I cleared fully automated customs in minutes: digital, seamless, efficient. And then I thought of Canada and our slow approvals, outdated systems, endless bottlenecks. We’re not just behind, we’re rapidly losing ground.
Asia made one thing clear. Food security isn’t policy, it’s survival. Governments and companies are racing to secure safe supply. Canada should naturally be their first call.
We have the land, water, reputation and safety standards to feed billions. Yet we’re barely noticed. We’re seen as a bulk commodity supplier at best, while markets across the Pacific sit wide open.
Opinion: Why is Canada falling behind in agriculture and food production?
Other countries are selling more than food, they’re selling trust. New Zealand sells “New Zealand milk.” Australia sells “Australian beef and beef products.” Their national brands travel with every product. Canada hasn’t built that brand. Our food is respected but not recognized.
Because we’re stuck in a commodity mindset, we’ve ignored where the real value lies: processing, co-packing, branding, retailing. That’s where reputations and profits grow. That’s where jobs are created. That’s what we’re leaving on the table.
I kept hearing the same message: “Canada is too hard.” Too slow to approve exports, too fragmented to present one voice, too difficult to partner with. Our diplomats and trade commissioners understand the urgency. The problem is right here at home.
Our agri-food system is underresourced, approvals drag on for years and entrepreneurs drown in costly red tape. Meanwhile, competitors race ahead with digital tools, real-time traceability and modernized regulations.
Asia is awash in capital, waiting to be deployed into food and health ventures. Billions that could be invested in Canada are going elsewhere because of our high costs, slow processes and uncompetitive policies. Every lost deal means lost jobs, lost exports and lost growth.
Asia’s middle class is booming, driving demand for healthy foods, packaged meals, elderly nutrition and premium pet food. These are exactly the categories Canadian entrepreneurs can win in, if we would just let them scale.
Here’s what Canada must do now:
- Build a national agri-food brand. Make “Canada” synonymous with safe, premium, innovative food.
- Treat food security as a national priority.
- Modernize the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Approvals must take months, not years.
- Back entrepreneurs. Give small and mid-sized companies real support to scale globally.
- Cut costs. Fix transport and regulatory bottlenecks ASAP.
- Attract global partnerships. Position Canada as the trusted partner of choice.
- Invest in processing. Keep the jobs and the value here.
- Speak with one voice. Fragmentation keeps us weak.
I didn’t wait for Ottawa to send me. I went myself. And what I saw convinced me Canada has everything it takes to lead, but only if we act.
Agri-food isn’t a side story. It’s thousands of jobs, exports and significant economic growth. It’s a chance to feed Canadians and billions more. But we won’t seize it inching forward while others sprint.
The world trusts Canada, but trust without speed, brand and unity won’t win the future.
Food security is the world’s top priority. The opportunity is open now. The demand is here now.
In the end, we can’t eat oil, cars or code. Yet that’s where we keep putting all our focus.
Time is running out. The world is waiting. Will Canada show up?