Canada’s Bread and Butter: A Contradictory Approach to Agriculture and Food Security

Abstract

The present major research paper offers a policy analysis of Canada’s domestic and foreign agri-food policies and discourse. It addresses this issue through the lens of food security and agricultural practices. This research studies government reports and documents, government official websites and programs, international organization or institution publications, official statistics, news articles, academic publications, and reference work. The analysis partly confirmed the initial research hypothesis: contradictions exist but do not align with the national/international divide as first thought. It finds that contradictions lie in 1) Canada's official declarations and 2) its policies and actions, both nationally and internationally. This paper also finds that these inconsistencies have important environmental and economic consequences not only for Canada but for the international agri-food system. It concludes with recommendations for Canada’s policymakers. Given the limited information available for researchers on Canada’s foreign approach to food security and agriculture, further research is crucial to paint a current and comprehensive picture, enabling the provision of valuable insights for policymakers in the future.

Keywords: agri-food system, food security, neoliberalism, Canada, policy