The federal government has announced a $50 million investment in the Canadian Food Innovation Network through the Strategic Response Fund and Canada’s National Food Security Strategy, with the goal of helping food and beverage companies — particularly small and medium-sized enterprises — adopt advanced technologies and strengthen domestic processing capacity.

CFIN is an industry-led not-for-profit that connects food and beverage companies with expertise, partners, and technologies. The new funding falls under what the organization calls Food 4.0 — its initiative to accelerate technology adoption across the food manufacturing and processing sector.

“Canada’s food processors are working hard to keep prices in check, but many are doing it with equipment and systems that haven’t kept pace with their global competitors,” said Dana McCauley, CEO of CFIN. “With the Government of Canada’s support, we can help our food sector produce more here at home and compete with the best in the world.”

With the investment, CFIN expects to support more than 200 SMEs, expand its national network to 20,000 members, facilitate up to $200 million in follow-on investment, and create approximately 300 new jobs. Since its founding in 2021, the organization has supported more than 104 projects valued at approximately $43.4 million and facilitated over $140 million in follow-on investment.

The announcement is part of Canada’s National Food Security Strategy, launched in June 2026 and backed by $3.2 billion over ten years. The strategy aims to strengthen domestic food production, reduce reliance on imports, and make the food system more resilient and competitive — with innovation and advanced technology adoption as central pillars.