CAMBRIDGE – The Canadian and Ontario governments are investing up to $5 million, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), to help small businesses in the agriculture and food industry enhance their food safety systems and stimulate growth.
Through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative, funding will be provided to eligible food processors, producers and service providers to improve food safety systems, adopt new food safety and traceability equipment, technologies and standards and provide related training to employees. This funding will also enable operators to respond to market and consumer demands and grow their business.
Food industry businesses with fewer than 100 employees at the site of proposed projects are eligible for support through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative.
This investment will help achieve goals laid out in the Grow Ontario Strategy including strengthening the stability and competitiveness of the province’s agri-food supply chain. Ontario’s food safety systems are key to the industry’s growth. This initiative will help smaller businesses build consumer confidence, and enable growth by supporting investments to detect, prevent and mitigate food safety risks and adopt new standards.
“It is vitally important that our farmers and food processors have access to the latest tools and resources they need to continue to produce their top-quality goods,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment in technology and equipment upgrades will help folks prevent and quickly address food safety risks and keep their operations on the cutting edge.”
“Our government is committed to working with smaller businesses in Ontario’s agriculture and food industry to help them ensure food safety so they can increase sales and expand,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Investments through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative will allow smaller food businesses to improve their operations so they can grow and compete in Ontario and outside our borders.”
Projects supported through this initiative will include development or improvement of food safety or traceability programs, upgrades to food safety or traceability equipment and technology upgrades, assessments by qualified third-parties, or implementation of internationally or nationally recognized food safety programs, such as first-time certification audits.
The announcement was well-received by industry leaders. Chris Conway, the Chief Executive Officer, Food and Beverage Ontario said it is necessary for food and beverage operators adapt to a quickly changing marketplace.
“Food and beverage processing is the largest manufacturing sector by employment in Ontario and over 90 per cent of the over 4,000 companies in Ontario are small businesses,” said Conway. “This announcement supports the sector by improving food safety systems, equipment, standards and training. In turn, this will help food and beverage operators adapt to market and consumer needs as well as grow their businesses.”
Kevin Schinkel, President, Meat and Poultry Ontario said that advancing food safety systems is an ongoing process.
“We commend the federal and provincial governments for their partnership and support,” said Schinkel. “This investment will build resiliency in our food system by supporting businesses advancing their food safety systems. This is good news for everyone.”
Successful projects are eligible to receive 50 per cent of eligible costs, in cost-share funding, up to a maximum of $75,000 per project. Applications for the initiative will be accepted starting Aug. 21, 2024. The application period will remain open until 11:59 p.m. EST, Dec. 1, 2025, or until the budgeted funds have been fully allocated, whichever comes first.
The Sustainable CAP is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
