Canada names two organizations to distribute up to $20 million for local food access

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced on 23 October that Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest are the first recipients under the Community Support Stream of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund. Each organization may receive up to $10 million from a federal envelope of up to $20 million, then distribute funding through individual application rounds to eligible food banks and not-for-profit community organizations. The intended uses include acquiring and distributing food to families in need.

The arrangement makes the two national organizations intermediaries rather than describing all of the money as direct grants to households. Eligible local groups are the ultimate recipients and are invited to use the government’s recipient finder to identify which initial organization serves their area and needs. The release says both initial organizations will work through established networks with partners across every province and territory, with the aim of broad and proportionate distribution.

Food Banks Canada works with a network of more than 5,500 food banks and community organizations, according to the government release. Second Harvest is described as Canada’s largest food-rescue organization, which recovers surplus food and routes it to people and communities that need it. The government said the two organizations were selected as the initial distributors; final project funding remains subject to contribution-agreement negotiations.

The federal fund announcement is linked to the National Food Security Strategy, launched in June 2026 and backed by $3.2 billion over 10 years, according to the release. The strategy is framed around food affordability, domestic supply and stronger supply chains. This October announcement concerns the Community Support Stream’s first intermediaries and should not be read as a report that the full $20 million has already been paid or that all downstream recipients have been selected.

The program’s design combines a federal allocation with later local applications. That sequence matters for interpreting the announcement: the two national organizations are named now, while community groups must apply individually and project-specific contributions still need agreements. The release does not publish a schedule for all local application rounds, a final count of recipient organizations or a measured quantity of food to be delivered.

The government presents the stream as immediate community-level support alongside longer-term food-system measures. It says eligible organizations may use the funding to acquire and distribute food, while the wider strategy addresses underlying food insecurity and domestic self-sufficiency. These are program purposes, not evidence yet of a measured change in food-bank demand, household access or food prices.