B.C. risks falling behind provinces like Ontario on food security and agri-food investment if it doesn’t move quickly to boost agricultural production, business leaders warn.

Prime Minister Mark Carney made food security a cornerstone of his recent affordability announcement, not just by expanding the GST credit but with measures to boost domestic food production such as allowing producers to fully write off greenhouses.

Ottawa also announced a new National Food Security Strategy, and $150 million towards a Food Security Fund.

The shift is exposing how unprepared B.C. is to seize those federal dollars, said Bridgitte Anderson, president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

“This is an enormous opportunity for British Columbians,” Anderson said in an interview.

“The federal government has made it clear that we need to increase local food processing for a number of reasons. Food inflation is expected to rise again this year after several years of increases. We’re looking at structural weaknesses when it comes to local food processing.”

The emphasis on domestic agricultural production has ramped up since U.S. President Donald Trump began threatening tariffs last year.

Other provinces have moved faster and more deliberately.

Ontario has attracted around $1.5 billion in food processing investment since 2024 for everything from soy milk powder, to xanthan gum to ice cream.

Alberta has pulled in more........

© BIV