The Government of Canada has launched the Food Link Fund, a $1 billion programme to improve how food moves from farms and processors to shops and communities. It is a central part of the country's National Food Security Strategy, which is backed by $3.2 billion over ten years.
The fund has two parts. The Food Terminal Fund will support building and expanding wholesale food terminals and distribution centres, the markets where farmers, food businesses and independent retailers buy and sell. The government says such terminals can increase competition by offering an alternative to distribution systems controlled by large retailers.
The Food Hub Program will help create and expand regional food hubs that give producers access to storage, processing, packaging, transport and distribution. Eligible projects include cold storage, transport equipment, processing and packaging systems, digital management tools and upgrades to existing buildings.
"Strong food supply chains help get more affordable high-quality food to Canadians, no matter where they live," said Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. "The Food-Link Fund will help build the infrastructure we need to move food more efficiently, open new markets for producers, and give independent grocers more options."
Applications open on 14 October and close on 11 December 2026. Applicants must first send an expression of interest; projects that fit the programme will then be invited to submit a full proposal.
For farmers, especially smaller producers who struggle to reach large buyers, more wholesale terminals and regional hubs mean more places to sell and more shared cold storage and processing close to the farm.
Photo: SimonP / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Farms.com
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