CAN: FVGC announces election priorities for 2025

As sweeping US tariffs and threats of annexation push Canada to a tipping point, the fruit and vegetable sector – deeply reliant on cross-border trade – stands among the most vulnerable.

The Canadian fruit and vegetable sector is essential to domestic food security and to Canada's agricultural economy. With 97 percent of farms being family-owned and operated, the sector is a driving force for both economic growth and the stability of rural communities.

However, with 47.5 percent of Canada's fruit and vegetable production, and 91.5 percent of total exports destined for the United States, the sector is vulnerable to cross-border trade disruptions and irritants.

Unlike other agricultural sectors, fruit and vegetable production is particularly vulnerable to trade disruptions due to the perishability of its products, labor-intensive requirements, and complex supply chains that depend on stable relationships and consistent market access.

With one in five Canadian households struggling with food insecurity, food bank use at record highs, and US tariffs threatening to upend Canada's fruit and vegetable sector, protecting and growing the ability to feed Canadians and help feed the world must be a clearly articulated priority of all parties vying for support in this election.

Between now and April 28, when Canadians head to the polls, all federal parties and their leaders must articulate their vision and plans for growing resilience and competitiveness — the FVGC believe that it must start with a clear acknowledgment of the need to make food security a national priority.

The FVGC recommends applying a food lens to policymaking, fixing a frayed safety net, securing trade competitiveness for Canada's fruit and vegetable sector, ensuring labor stability for Canada's fresh produce sector, and providing access to a range of effective crop protection tools.

Food production cannot be treated as an afterthought. Every policy decision, from taxation and labor regulations to trade and infrastructure, has the power to strengthen or weaken the food system. Federal leaders who understand this reality and are ready to act are needed.

This election is a critical moment to reaffirm a shared commitment to growing more of what is eaten at home. Canada can build a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable fruit and vegetable sector by prioritizing food sovereignty, strengthening agricultural safety nets, and ensuring that growers can access the labor and tools they need.

Now is the time for bold leadership. The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada urge all parties and candidates to commit to practical, forward-looking solutions that will protect the ability to feed Canadians—today and for generations to come.

You can download the FVGC's election priority document at the link here.