The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's 2025 to 2026 Departmental Plan

On this page

• From the Minister
• Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
  • Safe food and healthy plants and animals
  • Internal services
• Planned spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • Funding
  • Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
  • Human resources
• Corporate information
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Definition

Copyright information

Également disponible en français sous le titre :

Plan ministériel de l'Agence canadienne d'inspection des aliments 2025 à 2026

To obtain additional information, please contact:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
1400 Merivale Road
Ottawa, ON K1A 0Y9
Tel.: 1-613-773-2342
Toll free: 1-800-442-2342
TTY: 1-800-465-7735
Internet: Contact the CFIA online

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2025

Use without permission is prohibited.

Catalogue No.: A101-10E-PDF

ISSN: 2371-7386

From the Minister

As the Minister responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), I am pleased to present the CFIA's Departmental Plan for 2025 to 2026. The CFIA is a global leader in regulating animal and plant health and food safety. Every day, the agency's dedicated employees, including veterinarians, inspectors, and scientists, work hard and make science-based decisions that improve the lives of all Canadians.

The CFIA uses risk-based decision making to prioritize its efforts and focus on areas of highest risk. Collaboration across government and industry is important so that Canadians can be confident that the food they buy is safe. They can also be sure that the CFIA is helping to prevent the spread of invasive species and animal and plant diseases which can have devasting impacts for Canadian farmers and businesses.

A strong Canadian system enables market access for our high-quality food, agricultural, and forestry products which supports the Canadian economy. In 2023, the agriculture and agri-food sector employed 2.3 million people, provided 1 in 9 jobs in Canada, and generated $150 billion of Canada's gross domestic product.

The Departmental Plan sets out the CFIA's planned activities over the coming year in line with its core responsibility of safeguarding food and the health of plants and animals. These activities focus on regulatory oversight and enforcement to ensure food safety, protect animal and plant health, and support market access. The plan also demonstrates the ways in which the agency is responding to geopolitical and other trends, including evolving expectations from industry and the public, technological advancements, trade patterns, and climate change.

At the same time, the CFIA will pursue digital transformation to expand access to My CFIA online services, facilitate regulatory compliance, and improve risk management. The agency will continue to consult the public, industry, government and Indigenous partners, and other stakeholders as it modernizes its regulatory framework.

As always, the CFIA remains vigilant about detecting and responding to emerging risks to plant and animal health. This includes working with government partners to implement the Pan-Canadian African Swine Fever Action Plan and working to establish a vaccine bank for foot and mouth disease (FMD) which would help protect Canada from the emerging threat of FMD, maintain public confidence in the Canadian food supply, and help reduce the spread of the disease, should an outbreak occur. The CFIA also recognizes that adopting a One Health approach is essential to understanding the connections between humans, animals, plants, and the environment, including managing threats such as antimicrobial resistance.

The CFIA will continue to advance Canada's interests at international standard-setting bodies, such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Organisation for Animal Health, the International Plant Protection Convention, and the World Trade Organization Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. Participation will involve promoting science-based approaches, supporting predictable and transparent rules-based trade, and improving regulatory harmonization with other countries. Meanwhile, the agency will continue to collaborate on community science initiatives in Canada, such as invasive species monitoring across the country.

The plan includes internal activities, such as managing the CFIA's services, assets, and workforce. The agency will make critical investments under the real property management plan, the Laboratories Canada strategy, and the fleet electrification plan. It is also committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and enabled workforce, with action plans on anti-racism, accessibility, reconciliation, and mental health, along with a renewed focus on values and ethics.

I invite Canadians to read the CFIA's 2025 to 2026 Departmental Plan to learn about the many activities of the CFIA to safeguard food, plants, and animals, contributing to the well-being of Canadians, our environment, and the economy.

The Honourable Marjorie Michel, PC, MP
Minister of Health

Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services

• Safe food and healthy plants and animals
• Internal services

Safe food and healthy plants and animals

In this section

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Indicators, results and targets
• Plans to achieve results
• Key risks
• Planned resources to achieve results
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Description

Protecting Canadians by safeguarding Canada's food system and the plant and animal resources on which we depend, and supporting the Canadian economy through the trade of Canadian goods.

Quality of life impacts

The Quality of Life Framework for Canada was developed to measure what matters to Canadians, support evidence-based decision-making, and promote inclusive and sustainable growth. Under this framework, the CFIA's core responsibility, specifically to protect Canadians by safeguarding Canada's food system and the plant and animal resources on which we depend, contributes to:

• confidence in institutions
  • good governance
• self-rated health
  • Canada's place in the world
  • health
• waste management
  • environment

The agency's work, under the core responsibility, to support to the Canadian economy through the trade of Canadian goods domestically and internationally and maintaining or gaining market access, also contributes to:

• firm growth
  • prosperity
• gross domestic product per capita
• protection from income shocks
• employment

Indicators, results and targets

This section presents details on the department's indicators, the actual results from the 3 most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2025 to 2026 for safe food and healthy plants and animals. Details are presented by departmental result.

Table 1: Food sold in Canada is safe and accurately represented to Canadians

Table 2: Plant and animal resources are protected from diseases and pests and are safe for Canadians and the environment

Table 3: Canadian food, plants and animals and their associated products can be traded internationally

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the CFIA's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

The following section describes the planned results for safe food and healthy plants and animals in 2025 to 2026, organized by theme.

1. Rigorous oversight that fosters compliance and promotes trade

The CFIA is responsible for enforcing regulations to uphold the safety of Canada's food supply and for protecting animal and plant health systems. To achieve this, the agency is pursuing its vision for a modern regulatory framework that ensures rigorous regulatory oversight and supports industry innovation to enable competitive growth in Canada and access to international markets.

Through this work, the agency embraces the use of risk-informed oversight and leverages user-centric digital tools that aim to improve data accessibility and information-sharing. These tools promote industry compliance with regulations and optimize data management and analytics capabilities for the system as a whole. These data contribute to risk-based decision making by the agency through enhanced risk assessments, and facilitate targeted risk-informed regulatory oversight and enforcement actions across the food, animal, and plant resource systems.

With a strong Canadian foundation, the CFIA supports access to international markets for more Canadian food, plant, and animal products, contributing to the growth of Canada's agriculture industry and economy, and prosperity for all Canadians.

1.1 Modernizing the CFIA's regulatory framework

The CFIA will create a modern regulatory environment. The agency enables regulated parties to embrace innovation by offering regulatory services through digitally based tools. Using technology, the agency is also able to deliver its regulatory oversight and enforcement mandate by assessing that industry control measures are in place to uphold the safety of products for Canadians and the environment.

Advancing the agency's regulatory modernization agenda for food, plant, and animal frameworks remains a priority in 2025 to 2026, including targeted initiatives under the Government of Canada's regulatory roadmaps for agri-food and aquaculture, digitalization and technology-neutral, and international standards. These efforts aim to:

• update regulations to be more responsive to scientific and technological advancements
• simplify regulatory processes and use digital tools to reduce administrative burden on stakeholders
• provide guidance to industry to demonstrate how to comply with regulations
• create alignment with like-minded countries to support competitiveness and innovation for Canadian businesses while continuing to maintain health and safety protections

Regulatory modernization initiatives expected to advance in 2025 to 2026 include:

• amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations to align Canada's regulations with international standards on importing pet food for non-commercial use
• amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations which will enhance livestock traceability to better prevent, prepare, and respond to disease outbreaks
• amendments to the Seeds Regulations for seed regulatory modernization to reduce overlap and redundancy, increase responsiveness to industry changes, address gaps, weaknesses, and inconsistencies, and provide clarity and flexibility to affected regulated parties

In 2025, the CFIA will also continue its review of the Safe Food for Canadians Act to evaluate its effectiveness in:

• improving food safety and consumer protection oversight across all food commodities
• having effective, streamlined, and strengthened legislative authorities across food commodities
• enhancing market access opportunities for the Canadian food industry

The findings of this review will be made public to Canadians in a report to Parliament.

1.2 Enforcing compliance and increasing awareness

As a federal regulator, the CFIA is responsible for setting rules to safeguard Canada's food, animal and plant health, and international market access, in verifying that rules are being followed, and acting when they are not. The agency ensures that regulated parties are meeting their regulatory requirements by educating them on their legal obligations, and the consequences of non-compliance.

The CFIA offers support along the path to compliance by providing stakeholders with the necessary tools, resources, and services to understand requirements. These diverse tools and strategies include the promotion of online guidance materials, consultations and stakeholder engagement, public opinion research, social media, and marketing and advertising campaigns.

The CFIA also helps people in Canada better understand their role in protecting Canada's plant and animal resources by raising public awareness on priority issues. As part of its food fraud initiative, the CFIA conducts activities to prevent, detect, and deter food fraud. This includes promoting awareness and educating consumers via advertising campaigns and social media. The agency is also targeting surveillance on higher-risk commodities and takes control measures and enforcement actions as needed when non-compliance is identified.

1.3 Delivering effective and modern services

The CFIA delivers its programs in a manner that enables regulated parties to effectively fulfil their responsibilities under Canada's food safety and plant and animal health system. In alignment with the Government of Canada's Digital Ambition to provide Canadians with reliable, accessible, and secure digital services, the CFIA continues to provide more services electronically, modernizing its digital tools and systems to better deliver on its mandate, align with industry needs, and improve internal processes.

By leveraging the latest science and risk intelligence, the CFIA is improving inspection activities to enable data-driven decision making. This approach supports greater prosperity for Canadians by enabling both the CFIA and industry to gain efficiencies and improves food safety by identifying areas that require greater oversight by CFIA inspectors.

In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• expand online services by digitalizing more CFIA permissions and certifications, including export certificates and completing digitalization of the remaining 40% of industry-facing plant permissions
• explore expanding the use of new technologies in certain inspection activities, including artificial intelligence, which could augment CFIA efficiency in delivering its oversight mandate and support decision-making
• continue to manage voluntary recognition programs for industry and producer organizations, helping producers demonstrate adherence to Canadian food safety requirements, which builds confidence in the quality and safety of their products
• progress the implementation of an updated policy for alternative service delivery, whereby external parties (for example, private sector and other orders of government) deliver programs or services on behalf of the CFIA, leading to enhanced efficiencies and innovation in program design and service delivery
• examine options to modernize and streamline its cost recovery regime by identifying opportunities for improved service delivery that support greater consistency in the application of fees
• launch a new inspection quality assurance program in meat establishments, with the potential to expand to key inspection activities across all food commodities over time
  • set to begin in April 2025, once implemented, the new program will enable the CFIA to more effectively collect and analyze data for systemic issues, facilitating key improvements in inspection processes

1.4 Expanding market access and supporting trade

Through its efforts to protect the health of Canadians and Canada's resources, the CFIA supports Canada's global reputation for safe, high-quality products and food. This work helps Canadian exporters expand into new markets while contributing to consumer protection and food security. Working closely with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Global Affairs Canada, international partners, and industry stakeholders, the CFIA facilitates trade for Canadian agricultural and agri-food products that are exported to approximately 190 countries worldwide.

In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• continue working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Global Affairs Canada, and other federal departments to address market access issues in order to gain, regain, enhance, and maintain access for important commodities, allowing Canadian producers to continue to trade in these markets
• through the Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office, continue working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Global Affairs Canada to support new and emerging opportunities in the Indo-Pacific, building Canada's relationships with foreign competent authorities and helping to position Canada as a preferred supplier in the region
• promote implementation of duty to consult obligations with Indigenous Peoples as they pertain to the CFIA's market access activities

Interprovincial trade is vital to the Canadian economy, and continued collaboration to enhance regulatory flexibility and foster innovation for interprovincial trade is crucial for supporting economic growth and regional development. The CFIA recently published amendments to the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations that support internal trade for the city of Lloydminster and is dedicated to advancing the Government of Canada's Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade, which aims to promote economic resilience and prosperity for all Canadians.

In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will work to increase awareness of and compliance with the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations as the enabler for internal trade, while identifying and addressing barriers to the expansion of markets outside of provincial and territorial boundaries. This will include supporting the expansion of domestic trade of Inuit traditional and country foods within Inuit Nunangat through work on the multi-year commitment to co-develop options for a framework to support the processing, sale, and trade of these foods, further supporting implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The Declaration builds upon the obligations arising from the Constitution Act (Duty to Consult) and the Cabinet Directive on the Federal Approach to Modern Treaty Implementation, and seeks to advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples living in Canada.

2. Preventing, preparing for, and responding to emergencies

The CFIA works to prevent emergencies related to food safety and plant and animal health and to be ready to respond in the event they do occur. In today's interconnected world, pathways for diseases and pest introduction are expanding rapidly, and threats to Canada's food, plant, and animal resources have been exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Increasingly intense and prolonged outbreaks of diseases and pests have the potential to profoundly affect the vitality of Canada's agriculture industry and strain the CFIA's response capacity.

To address these growing challenges and strengthen its emergency management capabilities and risk intelligence, the CFIA is expanding methods used to identify and assess risks and exploring new ways to gather intelligence and data. This includes working with industry and key partners in Canada and internationally. The agency will also continue to optimize the tools and resources necessary to make data-based decisions that support industry readiness and positions Canada to respond effectively to emergencies if or when they occur, such as outbreaks of plant pests like spotted lanternfly, which can devastate vineyards and thus affect wineries.

As part of its readiness efforts, the agency will continue to work with stakeholders to establish a FMD vaccine bank in Canada and to prevent and prepare for the possibility of the introduction ASF in Canada.

Emergency management requires a collaborative approach to effectively control disease spread and limit the impacts of an outbreak. In support of the Government of Canada's commitments to respond to priority disease outbreaks, the CFIA will continue working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and industry on measures to manage outbreaks of diseases like HPAI, multinucleate sphere unknown (MSX) disease, and dermo.

2.1 Detecting and taking action on emerging risks

Early detection and quick action to mitigate threats to food safety, plants, and animals is critical to preventing illness and the spread of diseases and pests before they can evolve into large-scale emergencies. The CFIA works to proactively identify and manage hazards that threaten the health and safety of Canada's people, animals, plants, and the strength of key Canadian industries. Using surveillance and a variety of scientific measures, including laboratory diagnostics and modelling, the CFIA assesses potential risks to help target its resources to the areas where they can deliver the greatest benefit. This allows the CFIA to respond more efficiently when serious risks are detected. The CFIA also works with foreign competent authorities to help Canada's trading partners meet Canada's food safety standards and prevent unsafe food from entering the marketplace.

The CFIA will continue to work with partners in government, academia, and industry to proactively identify, assess, and triage information about emerging threats, with a focus on high-risk areas, including antimicrobial resistance, potential hazards in imported food, and the growing spread of harmful plant pests and aquatic animal diseases.

In 2025 to 2026, to help detect and mitigate threats to food safety, the CFIA will:

• develop and field test a new artificial intelligence tool that will predict microbial hazards in imported shrimps, helping the CFIA anticipate food safety risks and manage them proactively
• continue to facilitate safe access to imported food while protecting people in Canada from the potential risks posed by foods not prepared under the Canadian food safety regulatory regime
  • the CFIA uses control measures such as foreign food safety audits and assessments and foreign establishment verifications that proactively identify and address food safety and quality issues before food products arrive in Canada

The agency will also work to mitigate risks with the potential to affect human, plant, and animal health and wellbeing. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• work with partners to address emerging public health threats, including promoting responsible use of antimicrobials in animals, which is critical to combatting antimicrobial resistance and preserving the effectiveness of treatments that Canadians rely on daily
• continue to respond to risks, such as canine rabies, related to the trade of animals commonly kept as pets, including strengthening import measures
• follow a One Health approach to explore enhanced measures to protect people and animals in Canada from prion diseases like chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
• in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, provincial governments, academia, and industry partners, continue measures to investigate and control outbreaks of aquatic animal diseases such as MSX disease and dermo, which can have profound impacts on the economic viability of the Canadian oyster sector
  • to support this work, the CFIA will continue to deliver risk assessments, conduct regular and outbreak-related surveillance activities, and provide science advice to support evidence-based decision-making and response
• leverage existing digital tools to streamline how it collects, analyses, and prioritizes public reports of suspected plant pests, which will support better surveillance, enabling quicker detection and response times for high-risk pests like Asian longhorned beetle and spotted lanternfly
• build on existing community science and Indigenous partnerships that help the CFIA monitor for incursions of high-priority plant pests by exploring opportunities to launch new partnerships in more remote areas, with a focus on high-risk pests like Japanese beetle and spotted lanternfly

2.2 Enhancing the emergency management toolkit

The CFIA takes steps to enhance its ability to respond and support industry readiness for emergencies when they occur. This includes critical investments in initiatives to limit the spread of contagious diseases that threaten Canada's animal resources, such as FMD and ASF. Although Canada is currently free of these diseases, incidences are increasing worldwide. The economic impacts of a potential FMD outbreak in Canada are estimated to between $20.9 billion and $65.2 billion depending on the mode of introduction and extent of spread. The Government of Canada has allocated $57.5 million over 5 years and $5.6 million ongoing to establish a FMD vaccine bank and develop response plans, and up to $19.8 million over 3 years for ASF to support prevention and preparedness efforts and to mitigate impacts on trade continuity in the event these diseases are detected in Canada.

Timely and coordinated emergency management requires a collaborative approach to effectively control disease spread and limit the impacts of an outbreak. In support of the Government of Canada's commitments to respond to priority animal disease outbreaks, the CFIA will continue working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and industry on measures to manage outbreaks of diseases like HPAI. For example, the HPAI Vaccination Task Force, formed in 2023, will continue bringing together insights from veterinarians, experts from academia, industry, and government to study the challenges and opportunities of a potential HPAI vaccination program in Canada and inform the CFIA's decision-making.

In 2025 to 2026 the CFIA will enhance the animal emergency response toolkit by:

• focusing surveillance and laboratory capacity to enable more efficient sampling and testing for animal disease detection
• advancing work on a potential HPAI vaccine policy to address gaps in the use and availability of approved vaccines in Canada
• continuing to strengthen prevention and response plans in place for diseases such as ASF and FMD, including:
  • supporting industry preparedness through the development of a FMD response plan and FMD vaccine bank to control and ultimately eliminate an outbreak should the disease be detected in Canadian animals
  • implementing the Pan-Canadian ASF Action Plan with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, a collaborative national effort, to coordinate and prioritize ASF-related prevention and preparedness work across the country
• fostering new and building upon existing collaborative relationships with Indigenous communities affected by emergencies through the CFIA's Indigenous Liaison Officers who will engage with communities to identify response activities that may have an impact on the rights or interests of Indigenous Peoples
• modernizing and integrating new datasets in the Traceability National Information Portal, bringing together up to 14 different livestock information systems to provide one-stop access to up-to-date accurate data to effectively support animal disease control and surveillance activities, and verify compliance with livestock identification and movement reporting
• continuing important collaborations with Animal Health Canada and the Canadian Council of Chief Veterinary Officers to advance initiatives related to emergency preparedness, emerging animal health risks, emergency operations, stakeholder engagement, information exchange and communications

Equipping our workforce and stakeholders with tools to support responses to plant health threats, including the introduction and spread of invasive species, plant pests, and diseases will also remain a priority. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• continue to manage potato wart response efforts, including:
  • supporting the implementation of a new national potato wart response plan to replace the existing Potato Wart Domestic Long Term Management Plan
  • continuing enhanced surveillance activities, such as sampling, testing, and leveraging data collected to strengthen response plans and support market access maintenance for Canadian producers
• develop a standard incident response plan to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of plant pest response by creating a nationally consistent process to prepare, respond, recover, and collaborate when plant health emergencies occur

2.3 Safeguarding market access for Canadian exports

Contagious and deadly animal diseases like BSE, HPAI, and ASF present risks to beef, poultry, and pork industries in Canada and around the world. As the third-largest pork exporter worldwide, the pork industry contributes an estimated $24 billion to the Canadian economy and contributes more than 103,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada. The value of Canadian beef exports has increased in recent years, exceeding $6 billion in 2023, and Canada produced poultry and egg products are worth $6.8 billion. The vitality of these industries relies heavily on their continued ability to access international markets, which can be significantly impacted by disease outbreaks. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• implement updates to Canada's BSE surveillance program which will support Canada's World Organisation for Animal Health-designated negligible-risk status for the trade of beef products
• continue working to establish new zoning arrangements to protect trade continuity for poultry products not affected by ongoing HPAI outbreaks
• continue negotiating ASF zoning arrangements with trading partners in an effort to minimize trade disruptions for the pork industry in the event of an ASF detection in Canada

3. Strengthening scientific collaboration and international cooperation

Scientific cooperation and collaboration are essential for advancing knowledge, making data-driven decisions, addressing global challenges, and delivering the CFIA's mandate. The CFIA expands its regulatory science, best practices, expertise, and know-how by leveraging networks, collaborations, and technology transfers with public health and scientific partners domestically and internationally. This cooperation promotes diverse perspectives, scientific transparency, and expertise to tackle complex issues.

By collaborating with other countries' competent authorities, the CFIA helps advance international regulatory and science-based initiatives and improve food safety and plant and animal health systems worldwide. The CFIA also works to enhance foreign competent authorities' understanding and knowledge of the Canadian sanitary and phytosanitary regulatory framework to facilitate bilateral trade.

3.1 Advancing scientific cooperation and collaboration

Collaboration with academia, community scientists, Indigenous partners, science-based organizations, other government departments, and international counterparts supports the CFIA's work to advance scientific research and harmonize methods aimed at protecting Canada's food, plant, and animal resources. In 2025 to 2026, key areas of scientific collaboration will include strengthening regulatory science for laboratory diagnostics, surveillance, and risk assessment, for example:

• co-chairing, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network to strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing between decision-makers and scientists from international organizations responsible for high-containment laboratories
• leveraging networks such as Clean Plant Health, National Research and Education, and CANARIE to support data and digital resource sharing with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientists and collaborators in academia and globally
• collaborating through the Canadian Plant Health Council, which connects partners from federal and provincial governments, industry, academia, and other stakeholders, on priority areas, such as plant health surveillance, biosecurity, and emergency management
• advancing a multi-year study in collaboration with the Norwegian Veterinary Institute to better understand the process of how CWD develops in reindeer, its potential impact on livestock or humans, generate new evidence to refine diagnostic methods for detecting CWD in live animals, and predict how CWD might impact Canadian caribou populations should they ever become infected
• continuing implementation of the CFIA's Open Science Action Plan to encourage greater transparency and information sharing of scientific research with Canadians, including developing tools to support the application of Open Science principles and prioritizing releases of the agency's scientific and research data

The CFIA is working with partners in Canada and abroad to apply a One Health lens to many issues encompassed by its mandate. The One Health approach recognizes that the health of humans, plants, animals, and the environment are all connected and that efforts to address serious global health issues benefit from strong coordination and collaboration between professionals in these fields.

Collaborations with federal partners, other levels of government, international organizations, academia, industry, and other Canadian stakeholders provide the opportunity for the CFIA to leverage resources, share ideas, and advance science for the betterment of plant and animal health, food safety, and public health in Canada and beyond its borders. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will continue working closely with One Health partners in Canada and around the world to address complex and evolving issues affecting animal, plant, human, and environmental health by continuing partnerships with federal, provincial, and territorial laboratories, including the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Systems, which are key to rapid and efficient delivery of the CFIA's regulatory efforts, including surveillance, diagnostics, and outbreak response.

3.2 Promoting science-based approaches and international standards

The CFIA collaborates with other countries through a variety of international fora to promote science-based initiatives, support predictable and transparent rules-based trade, improve regulatory harmonization, and address common issues. The agency also contributes to the development of international rules and standards that are based on science and enhance safety, fairness, and predictability in the international trade of food, plant, and animal products. To further this work, in 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• lead Canada's participation in the International Plant Protection Convention, the North American Plant Protection Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health to promote science-based standards that protect against threats to plant and animal health, while facilitating trade
• co-lead, with Health Canada, Canada's participation in the Codex Alimentarius Commission to help shape the science-based international standards and rules for food safety, consumer protection, and fair practices in food trade
• lead Canada's participation at the World Trade Organization's Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to safeguard Canada's trade interests and advocate for the adoption of rules-based international trade related to food safety and plant and animal health
• co-lead, with Global Affairs Canada, negotiations of sanitary and phytosanitary obligations in Canada's free trade agreements, which aim to protect human, animal, and plant health while facilitating trade and preventing unjustified trade barriers
  • the CFIA will support negotiations with Indonesia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Ecuador
• lead Canada's participation in the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants to develop strong and effective intellectual property rules and standards, supporting investment and innovation in plant breeding
• deliver workshops, participate in information sharing, and host international delegations to enhance foreign competent authorities' knowledge and understanding of Canadian requirements
• provide technical cooperation on animal health, plant health, and food safety to other countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific region, by sharing best practices, delivering training on Canada's regulatory systems, and clarifying Canadian import requirements
• continue working with the U.S. and Mexico to implement and review sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, including opportunities to reduce regulatory burdens on industry while maintaining and improving food safety and the protection of animal and plant health

These efforts will also include work on key human, plant, and animal health issues, such as:

• continuing to develop and implement short and long-term strategies for strengthening Canada's dog import requirements, including measures to align with trading partners and international standards, to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful diseases, such as dog rabies, that negatively affect human and animal health
  • the CFIA will also remain active in responding to proposed legislation that would impact the export of dogs to the U.S.
• supporting implementation of Canadian commitments on antimicrobial resistance identified through the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement, G7 Health, Agriculture and Canadian Veterinary Officer communiques, the political declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance, and other relevant international fora

Key risks

The CFIA prevents, prepares for, and responds to risks that threaten the safety and reliability of Canada's food supply system, and to plant and animal health. The CFIA is finalizing its 2024 to 2027 Corporate Risk Profile, which will guide prioritization of risks and help the CFIA incorporate risk considerations into planning and decision making. In line with this Corporate Risk Profile, key risks for 2025 to 2026 include:

Risk: Shifts in the global trading environment

Shifts in global trade disrupt the normal pattern and volume of exports. The continued growth of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is heavily reliant on global trade as Canada is one of the world's largest food exporters. The agri-food sector is a significant contributor to the Canadian economy as $99.1 billion in agriculture and food products were exported in 2023. Shifts in the global trade environment may pose risks to Canada's economy and its ability to expand market access and support trade, arising from factors such as supply chain disruptions and increased prevalence of animal and plant diseases and plant pests. Other types of trade risks include geopolitical changes that affect traditional trading regimes, global conflicts, trade protectionism, and increasingly complex non-tariff barriers hindering the established science and rules-based trading system.

Examples of the CFIA's risk responses:

• implementing strategies to prevent market disruptions and safeguard trade continuity
  • establishing an FMD vaccine bank to mitigate prolonged market disruptions to trade should an outbreak occur
  • maintaining and establishing zoning arrangements to protect trade continuity from emerging or ongoing animal diseases
• providing technical expertise, in partnership with other federal government departments and industry, to facilitate the opening, re-opening, expansion, and maintenance of markets
• participating in international standard-setting bodies to influence the development of science-based standards that improve predictability, facilitate trade, and support the Canadian economy
• collaborating with the U.S. and Mexico to implement and review sanitary and phytosanitary requirements

Risk: Climate change

Changing weather patterns and extreme weather events increasingly threaten the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector. Rising air and ocean temperatures, seasonal changes, and extreme weather events increase the risk of introducing harmful pathogens to food, such as bacteria, parasites, or viruses, which can cause illness. These environmental conditions also increase the prevalence, types, and geographical distribution of pests and diseases that affect plant and food production, forests, and ornamental plant species. For example, insects like spotted lanternfly prefer warmer climates and may spread further northward due to rising temperatures. This poses a large threat to Canada's environment and grape, tree fruit, wine, and ornamental nursery industries.

Climate change also contributes to increased incidence of animal disease. For example, warming sea temperature may lead to the spread of aquatic animal diseases like MSX disease in oysters. Environmental degradation caused by climate change has also pushed wild animal populations into smaller geographical areas and increased their contact with farmed animals and people. These conditions are the ideal environment for the spread of diseases and create the potential for zoonotic diseases to emerge in Canada.

These conditions can lead to increased demand on the CFIA to predict and respond to foodborne pathogens, plant pests, and animal diseases that can impact human, plant, and animal health, and the Canadian economy. Additionally, severe weather events may hasten the deterioration of critical CFIA infrastructure, affecting the agency's ability to provide timely inspection and laboratory services.

Examples of the CFIA's risk responses:

• updating the agency's climate change risk and vulnerability assessment by considering new scientific information, using artificial intelligence to challenge the CFIA's identification of risks, and conducting a foresight exercise to anticipate cascading effects of climate change and identify adaptation measures
• integrating climate change considerations into its policies, strategies, and planning through the Cabinet Directive on Environmental and Economic Assessment
• enhancing climate data accessibility, knowledge, and expertise by utilizing risk analysis tools and collaborative platforms to share and receive data on pest management and biosecurity
• collaborating with other federal departments, provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, and industry on how to best manage and predict emerging risks and vulnerabilities
• implementing the Greening Government Strategy through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, committing to transition to net-zero carbon, and climate-resilient operations
• operationalizing the CFIA Sidney Centre for Plant Health, which will improve the agency's capacity to respond to climate related plant pests and diseases incursions
• assessing how interconnected impacts could be managed through a One Health approach

Risk: Multiple concurrent emergencies

Increased global trade, climate change, and associated factors (including environmental degradation, natural disasters, and warming global temperatures) have increased the frequency and scale of serious animal diseases and plant pests worldwide. As a result, there is a growing likelihood that the CFIA will be required to respond to outbreaks of diseases that are more transmissible, infect a wider range of species, occur more frequently, and are larger in scale. This poses greater risks to human, plant, and animal health and welfare than ever before. Key threats include plant pests like spotted lanternfly and emerald ash borer, and animal diseases like ASF and FMD. Animal diseases that pose risks to human health include dog rabies and prion diseases such as CWD. Additionally, the CFIA continues to respond to a multi-year outbreak of HPAI, affecting poultry, wildlife, and domestic mammals and people, and could present risks of further interspecies transmission, potentially leading to economic impacts in new livestock sectors and more significant public health consequences for Canadians.

In isolation, outbreaks of high-risk diseases and pests may strain the CFIA's resources and ability to maintain typical service delivery. The potential for multiple emergencies to occur concurrently could impede delivery of essential services.

Emergencies not within the scope of the CFIA's mandate, including climate events, natural disasters, and human disease outbreaks, also pose significant risks.

Examples of the CFIA's risk responses:

• developing tools and strategies in collaboration with key partners to confirm that roles and responsibilities for large-scale, multi-jurisdictional responses are clear and that necessary resources are available
• leveraging intelligence gathered from recent plant and animal health responses to refine emergency management preparedness and approaches
• examining options for federal vaccination strategies for certain highly transmissible animal diseases and implementing a FMD vaccine bank to better mitigate potential outbreaks
• prioritizing resources to sustain capacity for managing concurrent emergencies while maintaining delivery of its mandate, such as food safety inspections, import inspections, and export certification activities
• maintaining strong domestic and international partnerships to share intelligence on emerging risks, improve tactics for identifying and assessing risks, and find new ways to use risk intelligence effectively

Risk: Loss of public trust in the CFIA as a regulator and credible source of information

The rising trend of reduced trust in government, recent high-profile food recalls, online misinformation on food safety, and large-scale outbreaks of animal diseases, may contribute to reduced trust in the CFIA as a regulator and credible source of information. Public opinion research shows that an increasing number of consumers cite concerns over decreasing transparency about food ingredients, manufacturing practices, price inflation, and reduced concern for organizational responsibilities and accountabilities. Over time, these perceptions could erode trust in food producers, create concern about ways food-related science can be manipulated, and cast doubt on the strength and adaptiveness of the food safety regulatory system.

Decreased public trust and confidence in the CFIA as a regulator and credible source of information may create risks for consumers. If confidence in CFIA as a public institution erodes, Canadians may choose not to follow requirements and best practices for food safety and plant and animal health. This may cause some Canadians to engage in dangerous food safety practices or unknowingly contribute to the spread of animal or plant diseases and pests. For example, misinformed consumers may not follow public advice related to food recalls or may engage in risky e-commerce practices such as purchasing food from sources that do not follow Canada's regulations for food safety.

Examples of CFIA risk responses:

• promoting openness and transparency through proactive and timely public communications to reduce misinformation and raise awareness of the agency as a credible source of information, including its ongoing commitment to Open Science initiatives through regularly publishing scientific data and information to help improve transparency, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing
• consulting on issues of interest to Canadians and industry
• monitoring current and emerging risks while planning mitigation strategies as part of the CFIA's food fraud initiative
• leveraging public opinion research to help the CFIA better meet the needs of Canadians and stakeholders and maximize the effectiveness of its communications
• conducting marketing and advertising campaigns to promote awareness of regulations and best practices, such as informational campaigns on the difference between food best before and expiration dates

Planned resources to achieve results

Table 4: Planned resources to achieve results for safe food and healthy plants and animals

Complete financial and human resources information for the CFIA's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

The CFIA is committed to ensuring that its policies, programs, and initiatives are developed and informed by a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) framework. In 2025 to 2026, the agency will be in the fourth year of its 4-year data collection strategy. The goal of the strategy is to collect GBA Plus demographic data and establish credible qualitative and quantitative information to better inform decision-making and support monitoring and reporting requirements. To encourage the application of GBA Plus within the agency, the CFIA will continue to promote resources, including events, workshops, training, guides, and other tools that support conducting GBA Plus.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The CFIA is dedicated to safeguarding food, animals, and plants, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment, and economy. Through the continued delivery of its mandate, the CFIA contributes to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to promote human health and environmental protection.

Through continued delivery of the CFIA's mandate, the agency supports the following SDGs:

• SDG 2 "zero hunger", by monitoring food product compliance, protecting food production from plant diseases, pests, and invasive species, supporting food security through the control of terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases, and investigating and managing food recalls
• SDG 3 "ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages", through the agency's ongoing work to protect Canadians from diseases that may be transmitted from animals to humans
• SDG 6 "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all", by enforcing accurate labelling of fertilizer and supplement products through the Fertilizers Regulations
• SDG 10 "reduce inequality within and among countries", by advancing implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and application of the GBA Plus analytical process in the development and administration of its initiatives, regulations, programs, and services, which will promote equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome
• SDG 12 "responsible consumption and production", by improving its environmental practices through maximizing waste diversion, transitioning its light-duty fleet to zero-emission vehicles, increasing clean electricity use, and strengthening its green procurement criteria
• SDG 13 "climate action", by implementing the Greening Government Strategy through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, committing to transition to net-zero carbon and climate-resilient operations, including advancing Canada's National Adaptation Strategy and implementing the agency's Real Property Management Strategy
• SDG 15 "protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss", by working to manage invasive species that threaten Canada's plant and animal resource base

More information on the CFIA's contributions to Canada's Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Safe food and healthy plants and animals is supported by the following programs:

• Setting Rules for Food Safety and Consumer Protection
• Food Safety and Consumer Protection Compliance Promotion
• Monitoring and Enforcement for Food Safety and Consumer Protection
• Permissions for Food Products
• Setting Rules for Plant Health
• Plant Health Compliance Promotion
• Monitoring and Enforcement for Plant Health
• Permissions for Plant Products
• Setting Rules for Animal Health
• Animal Health Compliance Promotion
• Monitoring and Enforcement for Animal Health
• Permissions for Animal Products
• International Standards Setting
• International Regulatory Cooperation and Science Collaboration
• Market Access Support

Additional information related to the program inventory for safe food and health plants and animals is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

In this section

• Description
• Plans to achieve results
• Key risks
• Planned resources to achieve results
• Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Plans to achieve results

The following areas of focus highlight the key results the CFIA plans to deliver for its internal services in 2025 to 2026.

Valuing and investing in the workforce

The CFIA supports the Government of Canada's goal of creating a more inclusive and accessible workforce. The agency is focused on equipping its people by providing tools and resources to develop their skills and succeed in their roles. The agency is committed to implementing recruitment and retention strategies that emphasize diversity and prioritize mental health and well-being. These efforts involve targeted strategies that support the delivery of the agency's mandate and priorities. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• continue recruitment efforts for personnel critical to the delivery of the agency's mandate, such as veterinarians
• advance a learning framework for CFIA inspectors to strengthen development and training, and align with evolving regulations, procedures, and technology
  • includes development of new digital tools and processes designed to help inspection staff more easily identify required training and equips managers to efficiently track training requirements and schedules
• continue collaboration with the 15 federal departments and agencies that make up the interdepartmental Indigenous Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (I-STEM) Cluster to bridge Indigenous knowledge systems, foster reciprocal relationships with Indigenous partners, and work within the federal STEM space to educate and train public servants

In addition to providing services in support of its mandate and core responsibility, the agency remains committed to advancing initiatives in accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, Pay Equity Act, the Clerk's Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, and renewed focus on values and ethics. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will:

• continue progress on its Accessibility Plan by identifying recruitment barriers for persons with disabilities
  • this includes developing a staffing inventory for persons with disabilities while leveraging existing programs, such as career fairs for students and recent graduates with disabilities, and collaborating regularly with organizations such as LiveWorkPlay, which support inclusive opportunities for persons with disabilities
• continue taking steps to address the systemic barriers that affect employees who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour (BIPOC) by advancing a dedicated program for BIPOC employees to obtain a project management certification, a pilot project to promote career advancement opportunities, and continuing the BIPOC official languages training program
• continue to support the agency's Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan by updating human resource polices and guidelines to support employment equity, promoting inclusive hiring for underrepresented groups, and providing more resources to external applicants on the CFIA staffing process
• continue development of a pay equity plan, expected to be published by March 2026

Managing services and assets

The CFIA relies on an extensive network of employees, equipment, buildings, and laboratories across Canada with specific areas of scientific expertise in animal and plant health, foreign animal diseases, and food safety. To advance research, innovation, and collaboration, the agency operates a network of 13 laboratories and 134 offices across Canada. The agency also maintains an inventory of fleet vehicles, which help support inspection staff in delivering the CFIA's mandate. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will work to improve the strategic management of its assets by:

• continuing implementation of the agency's long-term Real Property Strategy, which was developed based on a comprehensive review of the agency's existing real property portfolio, condition of its assets, planning, processes and governance, and recommendations for improvements
• supporting the Government of Canada's office reduction plan by reducing office space and costs while maintaining effective program delivery by completing a workplace modernization project at the CFIA's national headquarters
• continuing advancements on the fleet electrification plan to align with the net-zero targets outlined in the federal Greening Government Strategy by focusing on procuring more zero- emission and plug-in electric vehicles as outlined by the Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Service and Procurement Canada

The CFIA recognizes the importance of enhancing its information technology (IT) tools to better equip its workforce to do their jobs effectively and efficiently, which in turn supports overall efficiency of the agency's programs and services. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will work to reduce administrative burden and streamline internal processes for its workforce, by:

• testing new digital tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, which uses artificial intelligence to enhance productivity
• improving infrastructure for inspections by providing on-site access to digital tools
• modernizing identity management and improving account management practices to reduce security risks

The agency is dedicated to using artificial intelligence responsibly to enable employees to enhance scientific, operational, and regulatory work for Canadians. In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA will continue work to advance a clear Artificial Intelligence Strategic Roadmap, which will identify and help manage risks related to ethical concerns, data privacy, and security. This strategic roadmap will aim to promote transparency and guide new policy development.

The CFIA is continuing work to evolve its current Data and Analytics Strategy and to mature its data management and analytics programs. The CFIA is also developing a modern cloud-based data and analytics platform which can replace its increasingly obsolete data tools and infrastructure.

Key Risks for Internal Services

In addition to the key risks related to safe food and healthy plants and animals, the CFIA has identified 2 risks related to its internal services. These risks are also identified in the CFIA's Corporate Risk Profile:

Risk: Delayed technical and physical infrastructure modernization

As the pace of business and technological advancements increase, CFIA stakeholders are under pressure to adapt and the CFIA needs to be ready to meet changing administrative and technical needs. Aging physical and IT infrastructure and limited funding may contribute to inefficient business service delivery. Limited modernization and funding are in part due to shifting priorities to address emerging issues or respond to emergencies. In the event CFIA IT platforms cannot be replaced or renewed in a timely manner, it may lead to internal and external business disruptions. Furthermore, limited modernization of data-enabled services and decisions may lead to reduced productivity and less effective decision-making. These disruptions have the potential to drive related CFIA risks, such as loss of public trust in the CFIA as a regulator.

Insufficient investment in aging infrastructure poses a significant risk of unplanned building or equipment failures, which could lead to facility shutdowns or downtime. Such disruptions would interrupt critical CFIA activities, including supporting trade, enabling science-based decision-making, conducting surveillance to protect Canada's plant and animal resources, and safeguarding food.

Examples of CFIA risk responses:

• adopting strategies to promote digital transformation and modernize the agency's digital services and data management plans, including:
  • aligning with the 2023 to 2026 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service
  • developing the CFIA 2025 to 2028 Data and Analytics Strategy
  • refreshing the CFIA Digital Strategy
• improving digital tools such as the Digital Service Delivery Platform to enhance usability for CFIA inspectors and client-service delivery
• continuing to implement recommendations under the agency's Real Property Management Plan to improve the asset condition of the agency's facilities, including addressing climate impacts by enhancing facility resilience and sustainability
• continuing partnership with Laboratories Canada to modernize CFIA laboratory facilities with advanced equipment and carbon-neutral, green operations

Risk: Challenges in maintaining a diverse, inclusive, enabled workforce

As a science-based organization, employing highly trained, specialized employees is essential to the delivery of the agency's mandate. CFIA employees include veterinarians, laboratory scientists, inspectors, food, plant, and animal experts, policy analysts, IT specialists, and more. Critical staffing shortages in several of these specialized areas may impact the CFIA's capacity to deliver key programs and services. Difficulties in maintaining a diverse workforce arise from factors such as low recruitment of veterinarians, disabled persons, and BIPOC persons. Building a diverse and inclusive workforce is central to improving efficiency, breaking systemic barriers, enhancing teamwork, gaining new perspectives, and encouraging creativity.

Examples of CFIA risk responses:

• progressing the CFIA's Accessibility Plan by identifying recruitment barriers for persons with disabilities and applying an accessibility lens to update staffing policies, procedures, guidance and tools
• collaborating with employment organizations such as LiveWorkPlay to support hiring of persons with disabilities
• continuing career development opportunities for BIPOC employees, such as launching a pilot program to promote opportunities for career advancement for BIPOC employees through sponsorship
• continuing a veterinarian recruitment program to fill jobs across Canada, particularly in small rural communities in Quebec, Ontario, and the western region
• enhancing Indigenous perspectives in federal science through ongoing partnership with the I-STEM Cluster to develop reciprocal relationships that strengthen cultural competency, respect for Indigenous approaches to environmental stewardship, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into federal science and decision-making

Planned resources to achieve results

Table 5: Planned resources to achieve results for internal services this year

Complete financial and human resources information for the CFIA's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024 to 2025.

The CFIA is dedicated to awarding contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. In 2022, the agency developed a Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Businesses (PSIB) Action Plan, outlining its goal to meet and exceed the mandatory minimum of 5% annually. This will be achieved through effective procurement planning, identifying potential set-aside opportunities, applying conditional or voluntary set-asides to procurements, and continuing to educate and provide tools and guidance to promote contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses.

In 2025 to 2026, the CFIA plans to continue to strengthen opportunities for Indigenous Peoples through its procurement process by leveraging provisions available in the federal PSIB policy. Along with the ongoing implementation of the PSIB Action Plan, the CFIA is enhancing its reporting capabilities to identify opportunities, address gaps, and meet the plan's targets.

The following table shows how the CFIA plans to award 7% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year.

Table 6: Percentage of contracts planned and awarded to Indigenous businesses

Planned spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the CFIA's planned spending and human resources for the next 3 fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2025 to 2026 with actual spending from previous years.

In this section

• Spending
• Funding
• Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
• Human resources

Spending

This section presents an overview of the department's planned expenditures from 2022-2023 to 2027-2028.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 7: 3-year spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Table 7 presents how much money the CFIA spent over the past 3 years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2022 to 2023 actual expenditures	2023 to 2024 actual expenditures	2024 to 2025 forecast spending
Safe food and healthy plants and animals	823,938,068	877,330,418	866,378,056
Subtotal (s)	823,938,068	877,330,418	866,378,056
Internal services	184,507,382	201,991,068	197,602,580
Total (s)	1,008,445,450	1,079,321,486	1,063,980,636

Analysis of the past 3 years of spending

Increased spending in 2023 to 2024 is primarily due to statutory compensation payments related to the HPAI outbreak, and operating expenses attributed to the HPAI emergency response.

More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.

Table 8: Planned 3-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Table 8 presents how much money CFIA's plans to spend over the next 3 years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2025 to 2026 Planned Spending	2026 to 2027 Planned Spending	2027 to 2028 Planned Spending
Safe food and healthy plants and animals	737,075,981	651,927,892	651,036,423
Subtotal	737,075,981	651,927,892	651,036,423
Internal services	179,768,983	172,812,074	172,783,452
Total	916,844,964	824,739,966	823,819,875

Analysis of the next 3 years of spending

Planned spending in 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028 is decreasing primarily due to the sunsetting of various initiatives.

More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.

Funding

This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.

Graph 1 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2022-2023 to 2027-2028.

Text description of Graph 1

Text description of graph

Fiscal year	Total	Voted	Statutory
2022 to 2023	1,008,445,450	751,063,349	257,382,101
2023 to 2024	1,079,321,486	805,973,698	273,347,788
2024 to 2025	1,063,980,636	799,487,786	264,492,850
2025 to 2026	916,844,964	755,765,678	161,079,286
2026 to 2027	824,739,966	669,997,554	154,742,412
2027 to 2028	823,819,875	669,101,448	154,718,427

Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a 6-year period

Spending from 2022 to 2023 through 2024 to 2025 is higher, primarily due to statutory compensation payments related to the HPAI outbreak and operating expenses attributed to the HPAI emergency response. Spending on HPAI continued in 2023 to 2024, with increases year-over-year mainly attributed to collective bargaining and the Sidney Centre for Plant Health. Planned spending in 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 is less than in previous years primarily due to the sunsetting of various initiatives.

For further information on CFIA's departmental appropriations, consult the 2025 to 2026 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the CFIA's operations for 2024-2025 to 2025-2026.

Table 9: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ended March 31, 2026 (dollars)

Table 9 summarizes the expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers for 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026. The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

Financial information	2024 to 2025 forecast results	2025 to 2026 planned results	Difference (Planned results minus forecasted)
Total expenses	1,103,648,000	1,047,423,000	56,225,000
Total revenues	53,000,000	53,000,000	0
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	1,050,648,000	994,423,000	56,225,000

Analysis of forecasted and planned results

The CFIA is anticipating a 5% decrease in total expenses in 2025 to 2026 compared to 2024 to 2025. This change is mainly due to various sunsetting programs and anticipated lower animal health compensation payments for the HPAI outbreak.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated Notes for 2025 to 2026, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, is available on CFIA's website.

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned human resources from 2022-2023 to 2027-2028.

Table 10: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 10 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents, for CFIA's core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous 3 fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2022 to 2023 Actual full-time equivalents	2023 to 2024 Actual full-time equivalents	2024 to 2025 Forecasted full-time equivalents
Safe food and healthy plants and animals	5,559	5,602	5,463
Subtotal	5,559	5,602	5,463
Internal services	1,189	1,251	1,180
Total	6,748	6,853	6,643

Analysis of human resources over the last 3 years

The CFIA's FTEs increased in 2023 to 2024 mainly due to operating expenses attributed to the HPAI emergency response and various new initiatives. The forecasted decrease in FTEs in 2024 to 2025 is associated with the sunsetting of funds.

Table 11: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 11 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents, for each of the CFIA's core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next 3 years.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2025 to 2026 Planned full-time equivalents	2026 to 2027 Planned full-time equivalents	2027 to 2028 Planned full-time equivalents
Safe food and healthy plants and animals	5,175	4,732	4,730
Subtotal	5,175	4,732	4,730
Internal services	1,036	1,020	1,020
Total	6,211	5,752	5,750

Analysis of human resources for the next 3 years

Planned FTEs in 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028 are decreasing primarily due to the sunsetting of various initiatives.

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Marjorie Michel

Institutional head: Paul MacKinnon

Ministerial portfolio: Health

Enabling instrument: Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act

Other assigned statutes:

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act
• Food and Drugs Act
• Safe Food for Canadians Act
• Fertilizers Act
• Plant Breeders' Rights Act
• Plant Protection Act
• Seeds Act
• Health of Animals Act
• Feeds Act

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1997

Organizational contact information

Mailing address

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
1400 Merivale Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0Y9
Canada

Telephone: 1-800-442-2342 / 1-613-773-2342

TTY: 1-800-465-7735

Website: inspection.canada.ca

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the CFIA's website:

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based Analysis Plus

Information on the CFIA's departmental sustainable development strategy can be found on the CFIA's website.

Federal tax expenditures

The CFIA's Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.

This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Definitions

List of terms

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Competent authority (Autorité compétente)

A government agency or department that has jurisdiction to perform legislated functions. This includes any person or organization that has the legally delegated or invested authority, capacity, or power to oversee and enforce the international movement of products or other things regulated under their authority.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3 year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department's core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department's actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person's collective agreement.

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

Is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Using GBA Plus involves taking a gender- and diversity-sensitive approach to our work. Considering all intersecting identity factors as part of GBA Plus, not only sex and gender, is a Government of Canada commitment.

government priorities (priorités gouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2025 to 2026 Departmental Plan, government priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government's agenda in the most recent Speech from the Throne.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where 2 or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)

For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada's commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.

non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Non-budgetary authorities that comprise assets and liabilities transactions for loans, investments and advances, or specified purpose accounts, that have been established under specific statutes or under non-statutory authorities in the Estimates and elsewhere. Non-budgetary transactions are those expenditures and receipts related to the government's financial claims on, and obligations to, outside parties. These consist of transactions in loans, investments and advances; in cash and accounts receivable; in public money received or collected for specified purposes; and in all other assets and liabilities. Other assets and liabilities, not specifically defined in G to P authority codes are to be recorded to an R authority code, which is the residual authority code for all other assets and liabilities.

One Health (une seule santé)

A multisectoral and multidisciplinary collaborative approach to addresses shared health threats that recognizes the interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.

performance (rendement)

What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department's programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department's core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A consequence attributed, in part, to a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department's influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.