Canada’s new food security strategy invests in technology but overlooks the people who help farmers use it

July 31, 2026 - 02:57

Ottawa's newly announced National Food Security Strategy comes with a $3-billion price tag, promising to reshape how the country grows and distributes food. The plan funds big-ticket items like greenhouses, food terminals, and processing plants. What it does not fund, however, is the network of advisors who actually help farmers use that infrastructure.

Agricultural extension workers, often called farm advisors, are the people who translate new technology into practical know-how. They show a farmer how to calibrate a high-tech irrigation system, or how to manage soil health under a new greenhouse roof. Without them, a $10-million processing plant can sit idle while producers struggle to meet its quality standards. The strategy, critics say, mistakes hardware for solutions.

The funding gap is not new. Over the past three decades, Canada has steadily cut public extension services. Provincial programs have shrunk, and private consultants have filled some of the void, but not evenly. Small and remote farms, especially Indigenous and northern operations, often get left out. The new strategy does little to reverse that trend.

Meanwhile, the government points to innovation hubs and digital tools as ways to spread knowledge. But farmers in rural areas with spotty internet or limited time to scroll through online modules need a person on the ground. A database does not replace a conversation.

The strategy also overlooks the aging workforce of existing advisors. Many are nearing retirement, and there is no clear pipeline to train the next generation. Investing in concrete and steel without investing in human capacity risks building a food system that looks modern on paper but cannot adapt when the next pest, drought, or market shock arrives. For now, farmers are left to figure out the rest on their own.