Canada Invests $50 Million in Food Innovation Network to Boost Domestic Processing and Technology Adoption
Minister Mélanie Joly announced a $50 million investment in the Canadian Food Innovation Network on October 15, 2026, in Peterborough, Ontario. The funding aims to help small and medium-sized food enterprises adopt advanced technologies, create approximately 300 new jobs, and expand CFIN's national network to 20,000 members.
On October 15, 2026, Minister Mélanie Joly announced a $50 million investment in the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) during an event in Peterborough, Ontario. 
The funding is delivered through the Strategic Response Fund (SRF) and supports Canada’s National Food Security Strategy.
The investment is designed to help food and beverage companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), adopt automation, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing, and other advanced technologies. These efforts aim to strengthen domestic food-processing capacity, improve productivity for processors, and enhance supply chain resilience against global trade shifts and climate change.
With this funding, CFIN is expected to support more than 200 SMEs and expand its national network to 20,000 members. The organization also anticipates facilitating up to $200 million in follow-on investment as a result of the initiative. The investment is projected to create approximately 300 new jobs and support over 450 total full-time equivalent positions in the agri-food sector.
CFIN is an industry-led not-for-profit organization established in 2021 to stimulate innovation in the Canadian food sector. Since its founding, CFIN has built a network of more than 9,500 members and supported more than 104 projects valued at approximately $43.4 million. 
This announcement follows the launch of Canada’s first-ever National Food Security Strategy by Prime Minister Mark Carney on June 11, 2026. That strategy is backed by $3.2 billion in investments over 10 years.