Canada to launch $1 billion Food-Link Fund under national food security strategy

Traders Union
All News
Financial News
Canada launches Food-Link Fund

Highlights

Canada will launch a $1 billion Food-Link Fund to support competition in food distribution infrastructure and enhance efficiency from producers to consumers.
The fund consists of a Food Terminal Fund for wholesale terminal development and a Food Hub Program for regional hubs, with applications open from October 14 to December 11, 2026.
Ottawa expects the investments to improve food supply chain resilience, expand affordable food access, and reduce reliance on large retail distribution networks.

Funding structure and application timeline

As reported by the Government of Canada, the Food-Link Fund is set to support stronger competition in food distribution by financing infrastructure that helps move food more efficiently from producers to consumers.

The program includes two streams. The Food Terminal Fund will back the development and expansion of wholesale food terminals, which give farmers, food businesses and independent retailers a centralized place to sell and source products outside supply systems controlled by large retailers. The Food Hub Program will support the creation and expansion of regional food hubs, helping producers access storage, processing, distribution and market connections.

The official application intake period opens on October 14, 2026, and runs for eight weeks until December 11, 2026. Applicants must first submit an Expression of Interest, and projects that align with the fund's objectives will be invited to file a full proposal.

Expected impact on Canada's food supply chain

The federal government says the fund is designed to strengthen food distribution infrastructure, improve links between producers and markets, and build a more resilient and competitive food system across Canada.

For consumers, the initiative is intended to widen access to affordable food and support more local supply in communities nationwide. For producers and independent retailers, the planned investments aim to open additional routes to market and reduce reliance on distribution channels dominated by large retail groups.

In our earlier article, Bangladesh’s $300 million IDA-backed Emergency Support for Food Security Project was outlined as a financing package aimed at keeping fertiliser supplies available for smallholder farmers during key planting seasons. The report detailed the credit’s main terms and how the project would be implemented through the Finance Division in coordination with sector agencies to support food security objectives through agricultural inputs.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.