The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's 2024 to 2025 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
• Definitions

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 2024 to 2025.

The CFIA plays a pivotal role in positively impacting the lives of all Canadians. With a dedicated team of over 6,000 hardworking individuals, including inspectors, veterinarians, and scientists, the agency tirelessly strives to:

• safeguard food
• prevent the introduction and limit the spread of plant and animal pests, diseases, and invasive species
• facilitate international trade, including maintaining and expanding market access for our high-quality food, agricultural, and forestry products
• contribute to consumer protection and food security

These vital functions collectively contribute significantly to Canada's economy. In 2022, the agriculture and agri-food sector provided 1 in 9 jobs in the country, employed approximately 2.3 million people, and generated $143.8 billion of Canada's gross domestic product (GDP). Agri-food and seafood exports totaled $92.8 billion in 2022.

The Departmental Plan outlines the CFIA's plans to deliver on its core responsibility of safe food and healthy plants and animals. These plans emphasize the following:

• modernizing regulations and empowering stakeholders
• preventing and preparing for emergencies
• fostering collaboration and cultivating trusted relationships
• supporting an enabled workforce
• making efficient use of resources

The CFIA takes a preventative approach in all of its programs and initiatives. As the old adage says, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is especially true given the challenge of managing multiple concurrent emergencies. The CFIA is working with government partners, industry, and internationally to prevent the entry of threats such as African swine fever (ASF), foot-and-mouth disease, and canine rabies into Canada. Close collaboration at the border and on the international stage is crucial for preventing threats to plant and animal health and the introduction of fraudulent or unsafe food.

The CFIA is also ready and able to respond quickly when urgent action is needed. For instance, the CFIA continues to investigate potential cases of invasive plant pests like spotted lanternfly and respond to threats such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to protect the health of plants, animals, the economy, and to work towards mitigating the impact of these pests and diseases on our food safety and supply.

Climate change introduces new challenges globally, affecting Canada as well. The geographic ranges where plant pests and animal diseases are viable are altering, and the changing climate will have implications for where food is grown and processed. Managing these and other risks to plant and animal health and to food safety will become even more challenging, both in Canada and in the countries with which we trade.

To address emerging challenges, the CFIA takes an integrated One Health approach. One Health focuses on the connections between the health of humans, animals, plants, and their ecosystems. Using this approach, the CFIA works with domestic and international partners to manage threats, such as antimicrobial resistance, HPAI, and chronic wasting disease.

Thanks to the CFIA and the expertise of its employees, Canada is a recognized global leader in protecting food safety and plant and animal health. The CFIA continues its important work with trading partners, international organizations, and industry stakeholders to uphold and advance science-based international standards, trade practices, and regulatory cooperation to facilitate imports and exports in support of global supply chains, while also protecting the health of Canadians and our country's resources.

In recognizing the value of its employees, the CFIA is taking concrete action to combat racism, create an inclusive workplace, promote mental health and wellbeing, and recruit a diverse workforce. The CFIA is recognized as an employer of choice, in particular in the categories of Canada's Top Employer for Young People and the National Capital Region's Top Employers.

I invite Canadians to read the CFIA's 2024 to 2025 Departmental Plan to learn more about the important work the CFIA does to protect the health and safety of our food, plants, and animals to enhance the well-being of Canadians, our environment, and the economy.

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

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 CFIA's core responsibility enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment, and economy. Under the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, it contributes to the "good governance"domain, specifically "confidence in institutions" as well as "Canada's place in the world," through the administration of its renowned regulatory system and infrastructure as a competent authority in food safety, plant health, and animal health.

It also contributes to "firm growth", as measured by the number of business that open compared to the number that close, under the "prosperity" domain of the framework through technical cooperation, and science-based, transparent regulatory approaches in support of Canadian trade, investment, and supply chain resilience. This provides a more predictable and accessible trading environment for domestic products and supports employment opportunities within the country.

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to safe food and healthy plants and animals, the indicators, the results from the 3 most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024 to 2025.

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

Plans to achieve results

The following outlines the CFIA's plans to achieve its 3 departmental results in 2024 to 2025 and beyond, organized by theme:

1. Modernizing regulation and empowering stakeholders

The CFIA remains committed to making updates to its regulations to support flexible, adaptable rules that allow for innovation and industry growth while upholding the safety of Canadian goods and protecting the health of Canadians.

The CFIA strives to protect food safety, accurate product representation, and plant and animal health by optimizing industry guidance and tools to promote compliance with regulations. This involves improving user-centric digital tools and services, enhancing information sharing, and embracing intelligent oversight to help support efficient service delivery.

Alongside its key partners, the CFIA will continue to establish the foundation for more Canadian food, plant, and animal products to access new international markets, helping support the growth and vitality of Canada's agriculture industry and economy.

1.1 Modernizing the CFIA's regulatory framework

The CFIA strives to create a modern regulatory environment with dynamic, responsive, and transparent regulations. The agency enables regulated parties to embrace innovation through adaptive regulatory oversight and control measures while still upholding the safety of their products for Canadians and the environment.

Advancing the agency's modernization agenda for food, plant, and animal regulatory frameworks remains a priority in 2024 to 2025, including targeted review initiatives under the Government of Canada's regulatory roadmaps for agri-food and aquaculture, digitalization and technology-neutral, and international standards. These efforts will aim to:

• update regulations to be more outcome-based and responsive to the latest advancements in science and technology
• simplify regulatory processes and use digital tools to reduce administrative burden on stakeholders
• provide greater flexibility and agility in ways 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 2024 to 2025 include:

• amendments to the Plant Protection Regulations to support the CFIA's efforts to quickly respond to threats to plant health by improving regulatory agility, strengthening compliance management, reducing administrative burden, and providing greater flexibility to stakeholders
• amendments to the Seeds Regulations to reduce overlap and redundancy, increase responsiveness to industry changes, address gaps and inconsistencies, and provide clarity and flexibility to affected regulated parties
• amendments to the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations to address the unique trade barrier within Lloydminster, by enabling the movement of safe food in the same way as in cities that are not split by provincial boundaries
• amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations to use incorporation by reference to allow food compositional standards to be maintained and updated in a transparent, timely, and efficient manner

In 2024, the CFIA will continue its review of the Safe Food for Canadians Act. This review will seek to identify:

• gaps and inconsistencies between the act and its associated regulations
• opportunities to clarify provisions that are difficult to interpret
• possible amendments, taking into consideration:
  • lessons learned from COVID-19
  • economic growth, internal trade, and market access considerations
  • support for innovation (for example, regulatory experimentation and e-commerce)

The findings of this review will be made public to Canadians in a report to Parliament in 2025.

1.2 Promoting compliance and awareness

As a regulator, the CFIA is responsible for setting rules for Canada's food, plant, and animal industries, verifying that rules are being followed, and taking action when they are not. The CFIA offers support along the path to compliance by empowering stakeholders with the necessary tools, resources, and services to understand and make informed choices in how they can meet the requirements. The CFIA also takes proactive steps to raise public awareness on priority issues to help people in Canada better understand their role in protecting Canada's plant and animal resources to build confidence in the products they purchase. These actions promote compliance, a healthy resource base, and can help create efficiencies for both industry and the agency by limiting costly corrective and response measures, protecting trade continuity, and limiting enforcement actions.

The CFIA takes a comprehensive and collaborative approach to promoting compliance and awareness using diverse tools and strategies, such as the promotion of online guidance materials, consultations and stakeholder engagement, public opinion research, and social media and advertising campaigns. For example, in 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will:

• develop advertising campaigns to raise awareness of key issues, including:
  • the importance of reporting invasive plant pests and diseases that threaten Canada's forests, such as spotted lanternfly, oak wilt, and hemlock woolly adelgid
  • the responsible use of antimicrobials
  • potential animal disease outbreaks like ASF and ongoing outbreaks of HPAI
  • rules that apply when buying or selling food, plant, or animal products online
  • requirements for importing pets, such as dogs, into Canada
  • truthful representation of food, including in fish and seafood labelling and traceability
• continue to strengthen its comprehensive network of partners to amplify messages around current and emerging issues, for example:
  • in an effort to prevent the introduction of ASF into Canada, the CFIA will continue to work closely with the Canada Border Services Agency to promote campaigns like "Don't Pack Pork" to educate travellers entering Canada from ASF-infected countries
• lead the development of a contribution agreement with the Canadian Council on Invasive Species that includes strengthening relations with Indigenous partners to leverage their expertise in plant health protection and raising awareness amongst people in Canada on how to better detect and report on invasive species
• support businesses as they transition to new or changing requirements, for example:
  • publishing a new suite of guidance for stakeholders transitioning to the requirements under the modernized Feeds Regulations requirements
  • developing guidance for food businesses transitioning to the new requirements under the Food and Drug Regulations for front-of-package labelling and labelling of supplemented foods
  • continue engaging with provinces and livestock associations on the proposed amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations for livestock identification and traceability
  • working with Canada Border Services Agency at Canadian port terminals to promote the CFIA's new shipborne dunnage program by providing industry and crew on incoming vessels with information and tools to help them meet the requirements and better mitigate risk to Canada's forests and plant resource base
• in partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, continue activities under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership to support businesses in developing assurance systems that help demonstrate compliance with Canadian and export market requirements (for example, food safety recognition, livestock traceability, and plant and animal health surveillance)
• conduct public opinion research on priority issues and compliance areas to identify the needs and expectations of industry and consumers and inform the development of audience-specific information

1.3 Modernizing service delivery

In support of the Government of Canada's commitment to provide Canadians with reliable, accessible, and secure services, the CFIA continues to accelerate the digitalization of its programs by modernizing its digital tools and systems to better align with industry needs and improve internal processes. In 2024 to 2025 the CFIA will:

• continue to expand access to online services by digitalizing CFIA permissions and certifications, including export and movement certificates
• replace aging systems, including those for import permits

Using the latest science and dynamic risk intelligence, the CFIA is engaging with stakeholders to modernize how it delivers certain oversight activities to focus on areas of higher risk. This approach enables both the CFIA and industry to gain efficiencies while simultaneously improving food safety for Canadians by allowing CFIA inspectors more time to focus where they are needed most. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will continue work to modernize delivery of its oversight activities, including:

• establishing the infrastructure needed to use virtual technologies in oversight activities, such as certain inspections and food control systems audits
• expanding its modernized slaughter inspection programs, such as the Post-Mortem Defect Management Program for the beef sector, which re-aligns oversight roles by enabling industry to take full responsibility for pre-screening meat products for defects prior to inspection by the CFIA
• continue working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada to address the findings of the horizontal evaluation of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program, including the increasing demands for delivery of the program, for example:
  • evaluate the outcomes of a pilot project conducted over 2023 to 2024 in partnership with the Gwa'sala 'Nakwaxda'xw Nations to explore alternative approaches for delivering the program for Indigenous food, social, and ceremonial harvest access to shellfish resources

1.4 Expanding market access and supporting trade

Canada relies on trade, and as a trusted supplier, Canadian products are sought-after around the globe. In fact, Canada exports nearly half of its agriculture production and is the fourth largest forestry exporter worldwide. In 2022, Canada's agriculture and agri-food exports, including fish and seafood products, reached almost $93 billion. In addition to its vital domestic market, Canada also relies on imports, which totaled $67.3 billion in 2022, to support its agriculture and food production in an increasingly globalized trading environment.

The CFIA works with other federal, provincial, and territorial government departments, industry, and foreign regulatory counterparts to negotiate, advance, and advocate for reliable, science-based trade in support of industry's export ambitions and Canada's import needs. In support of the Government of Canada's commitments under the Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade, the CFIA also works to address barriers and enhance internal trade within Canada.

Through its efforts to protect the health of Canadians and Canada's resources, the CFIA supports Canada's global reputation for producing safe, high-quality products and food. This work helps position Canada as a preferred supplier, supporting continued market access for Canadian goods and the Government of Canada's goal of increasing its overseas exports by 50% by 2025.

In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will continue to facilitate science-based trade for Canadian imports and exports and enhance internal trade within Canada by:

• working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Global Affairs Canada to implement the Indo-Pacific Strategy and establish an Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office in the Philippines. This new office will facilitate and support new and emerging opportunities, build Canada's relationships with foreign competent authorities, and help position Canada as a preferred supplier in the region
• supporting the expansion of domestic trade of Inuit traditional and country foods within Inuit Nunangat by initiating 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
• developing awareness and promoting implementation of duty to consult obligations with Indigenous Peoples as they pertain to the CFIA's regulatory and market access activities
• hosting audits of food control systems by foreign competent authorities to help gain, maintain, and expand market access opportunities for Canadian products. The CFIA will continue delivering foreign systems audits and assessments to verify that imported products are safe and meet Canadian requirements

2. Preventing and preparing for 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 pests 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 like HPAI and Japanese beetle have the potential to profoundly affect the vitality of Canada's agriculture industry and put significant strain on the CFIA's response capacity.

The CFIA continues to address these growing challenges by expanding methods used to identify and assess risks and exploring new ways to deploy risk intelligence with industry and key partners. The agency will also continue to optimize the tools and resources available to support industry readiness so that Canada can be in the best position to respond when emergencies do occur.

2.1 Strengthening risk intelligence

Early detection of threats to food safety and the health of humans, plants, and animals is critical to preventing emergencies and limiting their impacts when they cannot be avoided. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will continue working with partners in government, academia, and industry to proactively identify, assess, and triage information about emerging risks. This helps the CFIA determine where to focus resources and supports industry readiness to control for new hazards.

The CFIA uses data to develop intelligence that helps identify emerging risks to food safety and consumer protection and to limit the entry and spread of harmful plant pests and animal diseases in Canada. Invasive plant pests such as spotted lanternfly, Japanese beetle, and box tree moth can have serious negative effects on local biodiversity and the health of the environment. Plant pests also present risks to critical segments of the Canadian economy, like the forestry and horticulture industries. Similarly, animal diseases like HPAI, chronic wasting disease, foot-and-mouth disease, and ASF present risks to wildlife and farmed animals.

In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will continue to build its risk intelligence for early identification of threats to food safety, consumer protection, and plant and animal health, by:

• expanding the use of risk assessment models, such as the Importer Risk Assessment, Food Import Risk Explorer, and Establishment-based Risk Assessment models, that help prioritize inspection efforts based on areas of highest risk
• assessing scientific methods, such as the use of environmental DNA that can help signal changes in plant and animal health
• leveraging a new plant pest triaging process to improve timely communication of reported pest sightings
• exploring new applications used to survey and collect information about invasive species to increase efficiencies in data collection, reporting, and information sharing
• working with the Public Health Agency of Canada to conduct integrated threat and risk assessments that will help identify emerging zoonotic threats and public health priorities

2.2 Enhancing the emergency response toolkit

The CFIA will take steps to enhance its ability to respond and support industry readiness for emergencies when they occur. This includes critical investments in tools to limit the spread of contagious diseases that threaten Canada's animal resource base, such as foot-and-mouth disease and ASF. Although Canada is currently free of these diseases, incidences are increasing worldwide. The Government of Canada has allocated $57.5 million over 5 years and $5.6 million ongoing to establish a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank and 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.

In support of the Government of Canada's commitments to respond to priority animal disease outbreaks happening around the world, the CFIA will continue collaborating with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and industry on measures to prevent and manage possible outbreaks. This requires a collaborative approach at both the national and international level, including working with livestock producers to prepare for a timely and coordinated response to limit the potential impact of an outbreak and stop its spread. The CFIA will also continue to support response efforts to manage ongoing outbreaks in Canada such as HPAI. In 2024 to 2025 the CFIA will take the following steps to enhance the emergency response toolkit:

• enrich surveillance and laboratory capacity to enable more efficient sampling and testing for animal disease detection
• implement the Canadian Animal Disease Integrated Application, a new centralized tool that will help the CFIA investigate and respond to animal disease emergencies by improving data capture, storage, and consolidation, which will enable response teams to exchange data and share information with stakeholders more efficiently
• continue to strengthen prevention and response plans in place for diseases such as ASF and foot-and-mouth disease, including:
  • establishing a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank to mitigate prolonged market disruptions to trade should an outbreak occur
  • working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to implement the Pan-Canadian ASF Action Plan, a collaborative national effort to coordinate and prioritize ASF-related prevention and preparedness work across the country
• continue to support response efforts to the ongoing outbreaks of HPAI in Canada, including:
  • providing HPAI testing and confirmation capabilities and using the data generated to help inform and strengthen response plans
  • amending the Compensation for Destroyed Animals Regulations to make updates in response to recent outbreaks to improve consistency and support disease control and eradication efforts
• establish early engagement with communities prior to outbreaks to strengthen partnerships and leverage community mitigation strategies, for example:
  • continue to build collaborative relationships with Indigenous communities affected by emergencies, including deploying an Indigenous Liaison Officer responsible for identifying response activities that may have an impact on the rights or interests of Indigenous Peoples

Taking steps to limit the introduction and spread of invasive species, plant pests, and diseases like potato wart will also remain a priority. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will:

• continue to manage potato wart response efforts on Prince Edward Island, including:
  • engaging with potato growers and trading partners to renew the Potato Wart Domestic Long Term Management Plan, working towards implementation by summer 2024
  • continuing enhanced surveillance activities, such as sampling, testing, and leveraging data collected to strengthen response plans and support market access for Canadian producers
• develop a standard incident response plan which will 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
• continue work to renew the Sidney Centre for Plant Health, an updated facility expected to begin operating in 2025, which will provide modernized diagnostic testing for regulated plant diseases
• continue to build community science partnerships that strengthen monitoring activities, such as the national box tree moth community science program and the partnership on invasive species monitoring with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq

2.3 Safeguarding market access for Canadian exports

Contagious and deadly animal diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (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, Canada's pork industry alone is worth $24 billion and contributes more than 103,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada. The vitality of these industries relies heavily on their continued ability to access international markets, which can be significantly impacted by disease outbreaks. In 2024 to 2025, 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, such as those currently in place with Australia and Brazil, to protect trade continuity for poultry products not affected by ongoing HPAI outbreaks
• take proactive measures to support trade continuity for the pork industry by negotiating zoning arrangements with trading partners such as Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, which can allow trade to continue in the event of an ASF detection within Canada

3. Strengthening scientific collaboration and international cooperation

Canada and countries around the globe are facing increasingly complex problems that pose risks to human, plant, and animal health, including antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic illnesses. Drawing on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the CFIA continues to take a more holistic, collaborative approach with Canadian and international stakeholders, government, industry, and academia, facilitating greater knowledge and information sharing and supporting essential scientific research, which is crucial to combatting these global public health threats.

Continued cooperation with Canada's international partners is also central to the CFIA's work to promote common, science-based standards for food safety and plant and animal health, which helps to combat protectionism, identify food fraud, facilitate trade, and increase the global supply of safe products.

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 2024 to 2025, key areas of scientific collaboration will include strengthening regulatory science for laboratory diagnostics, surveillance, and risk assessment, for example:

• co-leading, with the United States Department of Agriculture, the Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network to strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing between decision-makers and scientists from international high-containment laboratories
• launching the Canadian Plant Health Information System, a cloud-based platform which will provide the CFIA and partners with a central space for sharing information, integrating datasets, and performing data analytics to collectively strengthen pest prevention efforts
• 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
• partnering with Health Canada to advance new scientific methods to identify misrepresentation in food, such as adulteration and substitution
• 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
• collaborating on Indigenous science research with Indigenous Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (I-STEM) cluster and I-STEM member departments to bridge Indigenous knowledge systems into the CFIA's decision-making processes on issues that impact Indigenous communities

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

For example, in support of the Minister of Health's 2021 mandate letter, the CFIA will continue to work with partners to contribute to the responsible use of medically important antimicrobials in animals, helping to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobial treatments that people in Canada rely upon every day. The improper use of antimicrobials in humans, plants, and animals contributes to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, reducing the effectiveness of available antimicrobials for treating diseases and infections.

The CFIA is also working to respond to the increasing and significant human and animal health risks, such as dog rabies, related to the trade of animals commonly kept as pets. In 2022, the CFIA received $20.5 million in funding over 4 years to strengthen import measures and safeguard public health and animal welfare.

In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will continue working closely with One Health partners in Canada and around the world to address these and other complex and evolving public health issues by:

• working with Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to support implementation of the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, including access to alternatives to using antimicrobials in animal and plant production that could be transmitted through the food chain
• continuing partnerships with federal, provincial, and territorial laboratories, including the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network, in support of HPAI response efforts
• 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
• taking action alongside Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, and provincial partners to reduce human and environmental exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals" that are harmful to human health and the environment, by implementing an interim standard for their use in commercial fertilizers

3.2 Promoting science-based approaches and international standards

The CFIA collaborates with other countries to promote international regulatory and science-based initiatives that support predictable and transparent rules-based trade, improve regulatory harmonization with other countries, and address common issues. To further this work, in 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will:

• co-lead, with Global Affairs Canada, negotiations of sanitary and phytosanitary obligations in Canada's free trade agreements to prevent and address unjustified trade barriers
• co-lead, with Health Canada, Canada's participation in the Codex Alimentarius Commission to promote the development of international standards and rules for trade based on science
• lead Canada's participation in the International Plant Protection Convention, the North American Plant Protection Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health to develop science-based standards that protect against threats to plant and animal health, while facilitating trade
• represent Canada's trade policy interests at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to enhance collaboration with likeminded countries, steer progress on key trade policy topics, and promote Canada's interests
• contribute to the forthcoming WTO Trade Policy Review of Canada to enhance transparency of Canada's sanitary and phytosanitary regulatory regime
• deliver workshops, participate in information sharing, and host foreign delegations to enhance foreign competent authorities' knowledge of Canadian requirements
• provide technical assistance on animal health, plant health, and food safety to other countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific region, through sharing of best practices, delivering training on Canada's regulatory systems, and clarifying Canadian import requirements
• continue working with the United States and Mexico to implement the sanitary and phytosanitary chapter of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, including exploring opportunities to reduce regulatory burdens on industry while maintaining and improving food safety and the protection of animal and plant health

Key risks

Risk: Shifts in the global trade environment

What the CFIA is facing

Shifts in the global trade environment may pose risks to the CFIA's ability to deliver on its mandate due to:

• natural disasters or emergencies
• geopolitical changes that affect traditional trading regimes
• changing consumer trends, such as increased online shopping and demand for sustainable packaging
• new and evolving trade policy directions from trading partners, including an increasing focus on the environment and sustainable food production
• global conflicts, protectionism, and increasingly complex non-tariff barriers to trade hindering the established science and rules-based trading system

Examples of the CFIA's risk responses:

• working with international standard-setting bodies to promote the adoption of science-based standards that improve predictability, encourage innovation, and support the economy
• launching multi-media campaigns to educate Canadians on risks associated with e-commerce
• providing technical expertise, in partnership with other government departments and industry, to facilitate the opening, re-opening, expansion, and maintenance of markets

Risk: Climate change

What the CFIA is facing

Climate change impacts the delivery of the CFIA's mandate by:

• increasing the prevalence, types, and geographical distribution of pests and diseases that affect plant and food production, forests, and ornamental plant species
• increasing the prevalence and types of animal and microbial food-borne diseases
• increasing numbers of severe weather events which impact food safety, animal health and welfare, and plant health; affect the CFIA's ability to provide timely inspection and laboratory services; and hasten the deterioration of critical CFIA infrastructure

Examples of the CFIA's risk responses:

• identifying adaptation measures to address risks and vulnerabilities prioritized in the Preliminary CFIA Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
• enhancing climate data accessibility, knowledge, and expertise by developing analytical platforms, data analysis, and modeling algorithms, with a focus on ensuring data is utilized and targeted to support the needs of the users
• collaborating with other federal departments, provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, and industry on how to collectively manage prioritized risks and vulnerabilities
• supporting the development and implementation of tools to ensure that climate change considerations are applied to the agency's program and policy development
• assessing how interconnected impacts could be managed through a One Health approach

Risk: Multiple concurrent emergencies

What the CFIA is facing

While previous emergencies tended to be localized and smaller, the past few years have shown that the agency needs to be able to manage multiple concurrent emergencies.

The CFIA is currently addressing:

• HPAI, which has required an intensive, rapid national response
• potato wart, which has required significant efforts to protect market access as well as potato-producing areas that are free of this pest
• the potential introduction of ASF, which is spreading at an alarming pace around the world
• ongoing issues such as chronic wasting disease, hemlock woolly adelgid, box tree moth, flighted spongy moth complex, Japanese stilt grass, and Japanese beetle
• preparations for, and response plans to, new plant pest and disease incursions, such as oak wilt and spotted lanternfly

Emergency response capacity is also affected by:

• extreme weather events, such as floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts, which may affect the availability of local staff and their wellbeing
• employee illness, burnout, and stress from increased intensity of emergency responses

Examples of the CFIA's risk responses:

• leveraging intelligence gathered as a result of the HPAI and potato wart responses to refine emergency management preparedness and approaches
• collaborating with key partners to ensure that roles and responsibilities for large-scale, multi-jurisdictional responses are clear and that necessary resources are available
• exploring ways to maintain sustainable capacity to manage concurrent emergencies while continuing other elements of the CFIA's mandate, such as food safety inspections, import inspections, and export certification activities, by proactively optimizing program delivery, resources, and tools to support emergency responses and employee well-being
• maintaining strong domestic and international partnerships to exchange intelligence about emerging risks, including expanding tactics for identifying and assessing risks and exploring new ways to deploy risk intelligence information for maximum benefit

Related government priorities

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

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CFIA's program inventory is available on GC Infobase.

Internal services

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 2024 to 2025.

Supporting an enabled workforce

The CFIA supports the Government of Canada's call for an inclusive and accessible workforce and is committed to investing in its people so they have the skill set, tools, and resources to effectively achieve their goals and perform the functions of their jobs. This includes recruitment and retention strategies that encourages diversity while fostering mental health and well-being, as well as enhancements to tools and services that support delivery of the agency's mandate and priorities. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will:

• renew its mental health strategy to ensure that the commitments reflect the current needs of its employees
• continue recruitment efforts for personnel critical to the delivery of the agency's mandate, such as veterinarians
• create new opportunities for students at the British Columbia Provincial School for the Deaf and encourage members of the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community to apply for jobs at the Burnaby Laboratory
• continue to offer a project management competency development program to develop project managers with the right skills, competencies, and experience to manage CFIA projects of all sizes and complexities

The CFIA recognizes the importance of continuous improvement and adapting its workplace policies and processes to make sure it fulfills its mandate in a proactive manner. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will seek opportunities to:

• update the CFIA's security plan to respond to changes in the risk environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic
• onboard additional CFIA programs to new and modern digital platforms such as My CFIA and the Digital Service Delivery Platform
• modernize the agency's Laboratory Information Management System to harmonize and optimize sample tracking across the CFIA's laboratory network
• continue to provide effective communications for Canadians through the use of public environment intelligence and data to support the agency's activities and keep the public well-informed on how to protect themselves, animals, and plants from unsafe food products, animal diseases, or invasive species
• automate planning of the CFIA's inspections through the application of a work tasking logic model that prioritizes areas of higher risk
• continue outfitting employees with modern digital bundles to support a seamless hybrid work environment

In 2024 to 2025, in accordance with the Accessible Canada Act and the Clerk's Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, the agency will work to:

• implement the Anti-Racism Action Plan
• implement the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) Career Navigation Program and official languages training for BIPOC employees
• implement, monitor, and report on actions outlined in both the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plans and the Accessibility Plan
• foster ongoing partnership with the I-STEM cluster to enhance reciprocal relationships that strengthen cultural competency and respect for Indigenous approaches to environmental stewardship among employees

Managing services and assets

The CFIA performs regular evaluations of its programs, policies, and initiatives to support informed decision-making and enhance performance and accountability. Upcoming planned evaluations of CFIA programs include food import controls in 2024 to 2025 and emergency preparedness and management for animal diseases in 2025 to 2026.

In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will review its approach to alternative service delivery, a means to partner with external parties (for example, private sector and other orders of government) to provide programs or services on behalf of the CFIA. Alternative service delivery arrangements can be a useful mechanism for both industry and the CFIA, offering efficiencies and innovation in program design, flexibility, and access to specialized expertise.

The CFIA works in a network of 13 laboratories across Canada with specific areas of scientific expertise in animal and plant health, foreign animal diseases, and food safety. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will continue to progress the 25-year Laboratories Canada strategy to strengthen federal science by creating world-class innovative and collaborative science research centres across the nation. New and updated laboratories equipped with modern technology will help the Government of Canada remain at the cutting edge of research and regulatory enforcement. This includes a modern, collaborative, and connected plant health research network with optimum processing of genomics data, inter-departmental collaborations over a high speed network, and advancements for critical research for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector.

In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA expects to complete and begin implementation of a long-term real property plan and strategy for the agency. The plan will be 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.

The CFIA will continue to make progress on the fleet electrification plan to align with the net-zero targets outlined in the federal Greening Government Strategy. In 2024 to 2025, the agency will take advantage of modernized reporting tools to optimize usage and identify where reductions or zero emissions replacements are feasible for Crown vehicles. The CFIA will also continue efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by ensuring that newly acquired vehicles meet the criteria outlined by the Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Service and Procurement Canada.

Large language models are a type of artificial intelligence that can read, summarize, predict, and generate text, images, audio, and other forms of content based on knowledge extracted from massive datasets. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will explore applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, including use of large language models to:

• process and analyze vast amounts of text data quickly and effectively
• facilitate interaction between humans and machines through Natural Language Interaction to enhance customer support through chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated responses, in an effort to improve user experiences

To enhance the delivery of programs, the CFIA continues to partner with small Canadian businesses through the Innovative Solutions Canada program to provide funding for the development of innovative technologies. Once commercialized, these innovations will provide additional tools to protect the safety of Canada's food and the health of its plants and animals. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA will commit $1.3 million to launch new challenges, continue funding ongoing challenges, and test new prototypes related to food safety and food security.

Related government priorities

Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

The CFIA is committed to award a minimum of 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year starting in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. The CFIA has developed a Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Businesses Action Plan, which outlines how the agency expects to deliver on the 5% target each year through effective procurement planning and identification of potential set aside opportunities; applying conditional or voluntary set asides to procurements, with limited exceptions; and by continuing to educate, provide tools and guidance, and promote contracts being awarded to Indigenous businesses. In 2024 to 2025, the CFIA plans to further increase opportunities for Indigenous Peoples through its procurement process by leveraging provisions available in the federal PSIB policy. In addition to carrying out the PSIB Action Plan, the CFIA will enhance its reporting capabilities to identify opportunities to address gaps and meet the plan's targets.

The following table shows how the CFIA plans to award at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year.

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 2024 to 2025 with actual spending from previous years.

Spending

The following table shows information on spending for each of the CFIA's core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous 3 fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.

The following table shows information on spending for each of the CFIA's core responsibilities and for its internal services for the upcoming 3 fiscal years.

Funding

The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.

Figure 1: Departmental spending 2021 to 2022 to 2026 to 2027

Description for Figure 1: Departmental spending 2021 to 2022 to 2026 to 2027

Fiscal year	Total	Voted	Statutory
2021 to 2022	824	696	128
2022 to 2023	1,008	751	257
2023 to 2024	1,089	784	305
2024 to 2025	856	710	146
2025 to 2026	797	654	143
2026 to 2027	784	642	142

Estimates by vote

Information on the CFIA's organizational appropriations is available in the 2024 to 2025 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the CFIA's operations for 2023 to 2024 to 2024 to 2025.

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.

A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available at the CFIA's website.

Human resources

The following table shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the 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.

The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the CFIA's core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for 2024 to 2025 and future years.

Corporate information

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.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government-wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.

This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.

Definitions