The Government of Canada is investing $162.6 million in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) over the next five years and $40 million per year on an ongoing basis.
"Our Government is investing in the CFIA so that Canada continues to have the best food safety system in the world, with the best science to protect our natural resources and tools that help businesses keep up with the pace of trade," said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. "It will help CFIA digitize their services and issue export certificates in a timely manner. It also means CFIA will have the tools necessary to guard our natural resources and agriculture sector from the threat of foreign pests and diseases."
This funding will increase the CFIA's inspection, surveillance and oversight programs within Canada to respond to the detection of new food pathogens, invasive species and animal diseases that threaten Canada's agricultural and natural resources.
CFIA digital services will also be expanded so that more Canadian exporters and importers can benefit from efficient and automated tools for risk management and inspection.
This investment represents approximately a 5% increase to CFIA's annual budget.
The CFIA operates 13 diagnostic and research laboratories across Canada, and has a workforce of just over 6,000 staff which includes highly specialized veterinarians, inspectors, and regulatory scientists. In fiscal year 2019-20, the CFIA's overall budget was $820 million.
This new funding will support the CFIA in four key areas:
- Export Certification to Support Market Access
- Oversight of Imports
- Domestic Oversight and Surveillance
- Digitization
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