Over half of food produced in Canada, or 11 million metric tons, is lost and wasted annually. At the same time, 8.7% of Canadian households were food insecure in 2018. Canada has attempted to address food waste through tax incentives for food donations and liability protection legislation. However, studies still show that Canada’s food loss and waste is worth nearly $50 billion in direct costs and over $100 billion in indirect costs.
Learn more about the legal frameworks relevant to food donation and how Canada's existing laws and policies support or hinder the country's progress.
Dive into recommendations for policymakers based on the gaps and opportunities identified in the legal guides.
Read highlights of the research findings and our high-level recommendations.
While liability protection has not been enacted at the federal level, each province in Canada as well as the Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory have passed laws to provide protection from civil liability to both companies and individuals who donate food.
Liability protection is not absolute; in most of the provinces, acting with reckless disregard or an intent to injure can still result in liability.
Canada stands among countries as one of the few that offers governmental support. The recently introduced Food Policy for Canada includes a $26.3 million fund to provide resources for the most innovative food waste reduction proposals as well as a Local Food Infrastructure Fund–a five-year,
$50 million initiative offering two different funding streams for organizations seeking to strengthen food systems and increase access to safe and nutritious foods.
