Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada

Building a stronger, more competitive Canada

Food, health, and consumer product manufacturers are essential to Canada’s economy, healthcare system, and everyday life. FHCP works with governments across the country to ensure policy decisions strengthen our sector’s ability to deliver safe, affordable, and innovative products to Canadians.

Through ongoing engagement with federal and provincial ministers, officials, and legislators, we advocate for policies that lower costs, improve competitiveness, and reinforce the resilience of Canada’s manufacturing and supply chains.

In advance of the federal budget, FHCP submitted recommendations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance outlining how Canada’s food, health, and consumer products sector can help drive economic growth, improve affordability, strengthen supply chain resilience, and support domestic manufacturing. Together, these recommendations reflect practical policies that would help create a more productive, competitive, and resilient sector while supporting the products Canadians rely on every day. Read FHCP’s 2026 pre-budget submission here.

Our Advocacy Priorities

Canada faces rising costs, global trade uncertainty, labour shortages, and increasing competitive pressures. FHCP’s advocacy focuses on five interconnected priorities that support affordability, strengthen domestic manufacturing, drive innovation and investment, and build long-term economic resilience.

Securing a stable renewal of CUSMA and North American trade

Canada’s food, health, and consumer products sector depends on integrated North American supply chains for ingredients, packaging, manufacturing inputs, and finished products. A stable trade environment is essential to protecting affordability, supporting investment, and ensuring Canadians continue to have access to essential goods.

As the 2026 review approaches, FHCP is advocating for policies that protect duty-free trade, avoid tariffs on essential products and manufacturing inputs, and strengthen North American food and health security. Efficient cross-border trade will help reduce costs, reinforce supply chain resilience, and support Canada’s competitiveness.

Cutting red tape to enable innovation and speed to market

Outdated regulations and internal trade barriers increase costs, delay innovation, and limit access to essential products. Modern, risk-based regulatory frameworks aligned with global standards will improve competitiveness and strengthen supply chains.

FHCP advocates for streamlined approvals, greater alignment with trusted international regulatory decisions, and regulatory modernization that considers economic growth alongside health and safety. These reforms will help reduce unnecessary burden, encourage investment, improve consumer access, and strengthen affordability and choice.

Strengthening productivity through investment and innovation

Canada’s productivity challenges are limiting growth, investment, and competitiveness across the manufacturing sector. Policies that encourage companies to invest, modernize, innovate, and scale are essential to strengthening Canada’s economy and supporting high-value jobs.

FHCP supports measures that improve the investment climate, modernize tax and innovation incentives, and encourage investment in manufacturing infrastructure, equipment, and technology. These actions will help manufacturers expand domestic production, improve efficiency, and strengthen Canada’s long-term economic resilience.

Investing in domestic manufacturing and supply chain resilience

Canada has significant strengths in agriculture, food production, consumer goods, and consumer health, but greater investment is needed to expand domestic manufacturing capacity and reduce reliance on imported finished products. Strengthening Canada’s manufacturing base is critical to affordability, food security, and economic resilience.

FHCP advocates for investments in food processing capacity, transportation infrastructure, workforce development, and supply chain modernization. Strengthening domestic manufacturing and logistics networks will improve reliability, support economic growth, and ensure Canadians continue to have access to essential products.

Advancing a practical circular economy

FHCP members are committed to sustainability and are investing in innovation, redesign, and recovery systems to reduce packaging waste and support a circular economy. Achieving environmental goals, however, requires practical, coordinated policies that maintain affordability and competitiveness.

FHCP supports regulatory alignment across jurisdictions, efficient Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks, and strategic investment in recycling infrastructure. A coordinated national approach will reduce duplication, strengthen recycling systems, support environmental progress, and help ensure Canada remains competitive for manufacturing and innovation.

Advocacy