More recently, the ability of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to address multiple emergencies has come under question. If not addressed, these challenges threaten the nation’s food security over the coming two years. The agency is already under fire for huge missteps. Last year a listeriosis outbreak and the continuing threat of avian flu exposed the system’s vulnerability. Experts say Ottawa’s move is putting Canada’s food safety in jeopardy. That worry comes from a federal budget that requires deep cuts and an over-reliance on the fruits of American agriculture.
This comes a year after the CFIA had to manage a huge listeriosis outbreak due to plant-based beverages. This outbreak caused 15 hospitalizations and three deaths, underscoring the agency’s difficulty in getting a handle on foodborne illness.
In addition to listeriosis, the CFIA has been tackling avian flu, which poses a substantial threat with a mortality rate of approximately 52% when it infects humans. The agency has acted with great aggressiveness to control the disease. They did this by rolling out rigorous testing standards for imported goods, as seen by the recent Salmonella outbreak involving Iranian pistachios.
This year the CFIA was already under the biggest public criticisms it had ever known. In particular, they managed an incredibly difficult emotional situation surrounding the culling of an infected herd of ostriches in British Columbia. Police then followed with a brutal, occupation-style, occupation of the farm. This move came after months of successful blocking by protestors who were directed by far-right organizations.
Yet, despite these challenges, the CFIA is under budgetary pressure from the upcoming 2026 federal budget, which has pledged to cut down on corporate redundancies. These cuts will result in less lab space and fewer scientists on staff, worsening the agency’s troubles in responding to multiple concurrent threats at once.
The CFIA’s corporate risk assessment for 2024-2027 is already sounding alarms about risks that might further jeopardize food safety in Canada. To accomplish this, the agency has plans to spend about $118 million in the next five years incorporating artificial intelligence into its operations. Worries remain as to whether and how this technology will be able to address some of the challenges we’re facing now.
“When governments are cutting back funding and personnel but our disease risks are going up, and the expectations internationally for what we do are going up, it’s not a good combination.” – Scott Weese
In light of these developments, experts agree that the challenges posed by new diseases are one more wildcard that can complicate matters.
Canada has made a choice to rely on American farmers and processors to feed its people. If cuts are made to the CFIA, it would put federal food safety standards across the country at great risk.
“The CFIA is increasingly worried about being able to handle multiple situations at once at precisely the moment when they can be expected to have multiple situations to handle.” – Lawrence Goodridge
In light of these developments, experts note that the complexities of emerging diseases add another layer of difficulty.
“Where it gets even worse is when you get an emerging disease, because the playbook isn’t there,” – Scott Weese
As Canada continues to rely heavily on American farmers and processors for its food supply, any cuts to the CFIA could have dire consequences for food safety standards across the nation.
