CropLife Canada response to Budget 2026

CropLife Canada welcomes the federal government’s focus in Budget 2026 on strengthening Canada’s economy, improving productivity, attracting investment and building Canada’s sovereignty. CropLife Canada has been advocating for agriculture to be recognized as one of Canada’s strategic priority sectors for economic growth and we were pleased to see the budget recognize its importance, noting that Canada has “what the world wants and the foundations to build more for ourselves,” including “a world-class agricultural sector.”

Announcements like the Productivity Mega Deduction signal the government’s focus on creating an environment that attracts investment and innovation. Investments in critical infrastructure projects will support Canada’s trade diversification and growth strategy and help ensure that Canadian agricultural products can reliably get to markets around the world.

With the government’s clear recognition of the strategic importance of the agriculture and food sector it must now put additional focus on unleashing the true potential of the sector. A productive, competitive agriculture sector strengthens Canada’s economy, supports affordable food for Canadians, creates jobs and investment, and reinforces our ability to feed ourselves and supply trusted food to customers around the world.

At a time of heightened global uncertainty, Canada has a significant advantage in its ability to produce safe, high-quality food and agricultural products. Agriculture and food should have a seat at the table alongside other strategic sectors that drive Canada’s economy and support Canadian sovereignty.

But investment alone will not unlock Canada’s full economic potential.

As the government makes significant new spending commitments, it must also recognize the substantial economic returns that can be achieved through lower-cost measures, particularly regulatory modernization and reducing approval timelines.

For Canadian agriculture, reducing unnecessary regulatory burden and creating a more timely, predictable, transparent and science-based regulatory system can help accelerate access to innovation, improve farm productivity, encourage private investment and strengthen Canada’s competitiveness. The budget reaffirmed the government’s National Food Security Strategy commitments to eliminate regulatory backlogs and significantly reduce approval timelines for pesticides and seeds. Now the focus must be on implementation and measurable results.

Canada has the land, resources, scientific expertise and agricultural know-how to become a true agriculture and food superpower. Achieving that ambition means growing more, processing more and exporting more.

With strategic investments and decisive action to streamline regulatory processes, Canada can unlock the full potential of its agriculture and food sector, delivering lasting economic benefits, greater food security and stronger competitiveness for Canadians.