The case for a food lens at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency

Policy decisions made in Ottawa rarely stay on paper —they ripple through farms, greenhouses, and packing sheds across the country. And it’s not just agriculture policy that impacts growers. Most often it’s policies with roots that are far removed from agriculture that have the greatest impact.

That’s why the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) has been advocating for a food lens to be applied to all federal policymaking, an approach that would ensure agriculture and food security are fully considered in all policy development. 

The use of a food lens in federal policymaking is predicated on the assumption that food security and growing a more resilient agriculture sector to support it are seen as a national priority by the Government of Canada. 

For the first time in years, there were recent commitments in the May Speech from the Throne that give us reason to believe that supporting food security and a stronger agriculture sector may have moved up the Government’s agenda. Most telling, however, may be the Liberal Government’s 2025 platform specifically calling for change at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) by promising to consider food security within all regulatory decisions.