Momentum for federal school food programs had grown:

• Liberals: Committed $1 billion over five years toward a national nutritious meal program.

• NDP: Promised $1 billion over four years for a national school nutrition program.

• Bloc Québécois: Supported federal investment in Québec’s school food programs.

• Conservatives: Their platform was silent on school food, though provincial governments had supported programs.

• Greens: Had advocated for a national school lunch program in 2019 but did not include it in their 2021 platform.

Despite rising food insecurity affecting one in seven Canadians during the pandemic, no party offered a cohesive plan:

• Conservatives: Proposed greenhouse expansion but not comprehensive strategies.

• Liberals: Conflated food waste reduction with food security, relying on charitable models.

• Greens: Advocated for food sovereignty but linked food waste to food insecurity.

• NDP and Greens: Included basic income proposals as part of economic security measures.

No party explicitly endorsed the right to food, though:

• Liberals: Supported the right to housing but did not mention food.

• Greens: Used rights-based language across commitments.

• NDP: Highlighted systemic racism and Indigenous food sovereignty.

• Temporary Foreign Workers: All parties proposed reforms for pathways to permanent residency, with differences in scope and restrictions.

Critical issues remained in Northern food insecurity:

• NDP: Committed to Indigenous food sovereignty and Nutrition North reform.

• Liberals: Partnered with Inuit to improve food security but lacked transformative action.

• Conservatives: Pledged vague improvements to Nutrition North.

• Greens: Proposed Arctic farming and local food initiatives.

Election platforms addressed agriculture inconsistently:

• All Parties: Supported supply management and compensation for trade impacts.

• Liberals and Conservatives: Aimed to reform Business Risk Management (BRM) for farmers.

• Greens: Advocated replacing 30% of food imports with domestic agriculture.

• Pesticides: Bloc proposed an inquiry into industry links; Liberals promised transparency reforms.

Health-focused commitments varied:

• Liberals: Planned to restrict marketing unhealthy foods to children and introduce front-of-package labeling.

• Greens: Supported healthy eating per the Canada Food Guide and a 10% tax on sugary drinks.

• Most parties failed to link food systems and health outcomes.