The Ontario and Canadian governments are investing up to $5 million as part of a five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) – up 25 per cent from the previous agreement – to help stimulate growth and enhance food safety systems for small businesses in the agriculture and food industry.
The Food Safety and Growth Initiative will provide funding for eligible food processors, producers and service providers to improve food safety systems and adopt new food safety and traceability equipment, technologies and standards.
The Sustainable CAP will help Canada continue to find success as a global leader in sustainable agriculture, economically, environmentally, and socially. It will also help enable the food sector to be innovative, productive, and internationally competitive, continuing to feed the country and the growing global population.
“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.”
Successful applicants could receive up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $75,000 per project, with a maximum of two approved projects through the initiative.
Applicants must be primary producers, processors, or service providers in the agriculture or food sectors, with fewer than 100 employees in that location. Applications will be open from August 21, 2024, to December 1, 2025, or when funding has been fully committed, whichever comes first.
For more information on this initiative, please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/food-safety-and-growth-initiative.
