Senator Tracy Muggli talked with Farms.com editor Andrew Joseph on March 11 to provide her views on visiting and learning about how the Ontario Beef Research Centre, Guelph Food Innovation Centre, Arrell Food Institute, and Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility go about their business to help create domestic food security.
A delegation of Canadian senators conducted a full day fact finding mission on Friday, March 6, 2026, visiting several major food system organizations and research facilities across Southwestern Ontario.
The tour supported the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry’s ongoing study on domestic food security, which seeks to examine how food moves from production to processing to distribution—and where vulnerabilities remain.
The senators present for the mission were: The Hon. Mary Robinson (Chair, CSG); The Hon. John McNair (Deputy Chair, ISG); The Hon. Robert Black (CSG); The Hon. Sharon Burey (CSG); The Hon. Marnie McBean (ISG); and The Hon. Tracy Muggli (PSG).
Their itinerary included:
- the Ontario Food Terminal—Canada’s largest wholesale produce hub;
- Second Harvest—a national leader in food rescue and waste reduction;
- FoodShare Toronto—a key organization in the food rights movement;
- University of Guelph agri food research facilities, including: the Ontario Beef Research Centre (Elora); Guelph Food Innovation Centre; Arrell Food Institute; and the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility.
The goal: to see how food moves “from source to stomach,” where gaps exist, and how research and innovation can strengthen Canada’s long term food resilience.
What the Committee Learned
Following the tour, Farms.com editor Andrew Joseph spoke with Senator Tracy Muggli on March 11 to discuss what stood out for her, and how the findings will shape the committee’s work moving forward.
Seeing the full food chain—from cattle intake to national transport
Muggli emphasized how valuable it was to observe the entire system in motion—from livestock research to transportation logistics to food waste recovery.
“We really had an opportunity to see a full circle of production of food to the transport of food,” she said. “What struck me is the complexity of how we grow food… and how that actually gets to market and across the country.”
She noted that transportation challenges surfaced repeatedly as a major pressure point in Canada’s food system.
Cattle research and emissions: “You can’t imagine what we can measure”
As a Saskatchewan senator, Muggli compared the Guelph beef research station with the one affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan.
What impressed her most was the precision of emissions and intake measurement: “You just can’t even imagine that we could measure the things that we measure,” she explained, “It’s every ounce of food a cattle consumes to the emissions that happen during that cattle’s activities.”
She stressed that this research is essential for improving efficiency, supporting trade expectations for high grade beef, and reducing environmental impacts.
Why field visits matter more than testimony alone
Muggli was clear: seeing research and production firsthand changes how senators understand the issues.
“When you can see what’s happening in action, it sticks with you. You can remember it and relate it to the testimony.”
At the Guelph Food Innovation Centre, the senators saw how companies refine products, test formulations, and prepare for market—a critical step in helping Canadian producers capture more value domestically rather than exporting raw goods for processing overseas.
Controlled environments and northern food security
The Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility left a strong impression on Muggli and the committee, especially its relevance to northern and remote communities.
Muggli highlighted the potential of vertical farming, greenhouse systems, and advanced growth chambers: “This is the research that’s going to contribute to us understanding how we can do year round food production in our country. This is about food sovereignty.”
She described experiments showing how different lighting affects not only plant growth but consumer perception—a reminder that food security includes both production and market acceptance.
R&D as the backbone of Canada’s future food resilience
Across livestock, grains, controlled environments, and food innovation, Muggli returned to one theme: research must be protected and expanded.
“If we cut that off, we’re in big trouble. We have a very good system of research going that needs continued support,” related Muggli.
She pointed to parallels in Saskatchewan’s grain research, where advances in wheat genomics directly influence yields, profitability, and long term sustainability.
For now, the committee will discuss how this research being performed by these entities is key to the committee and the Canadian consumer’s understanding of how year-round food production is done in our country.
Food security in Canada is a much discussed phrase, but it’s key to note that it’s not just about growing enough food. It’s about whether Canadians—in every region, income level, and community—can reliably access healthy, affordable food produced in sustainable ways.
It’s also about whether the system can withstand shocks: climate, economic, logistical, or geopolitical. To that end, it’s why Muggli mentioned concerns about the northern climes of Canada’s population needing better food security.
That’s why the senators are looking at cattle emissions, grain genomics, food rescue, controlled environment agriculture, and processing capacity all at once. They’re all pieces of the same puzzle.