Good morning. I'm Lori from Second Harvest. I'm the CEO. We are Canada's largest food rescue organization and a leading source of information on food waste.
We tackle food waste at the systems level through research, surplus food redistribution, education and advocacy, and our research on food waste is Canada's best resource on where, why and how much of our food that is produced for Canada is being lost or wasted across the supply chain.
We also did some great research on charitable organizations, of which there are 61,000 across this country, that are providing people with low- or no-cost food. We work with about 15,000 food businesses across every province and territory to rescue their good surplus food and distribute it to some of these charities, and we supported six million people last year with that great food that would have gone to waste.
We have a pretty unique perspective on food security, food waste and the opportunities that exist within Canada's food system, and one of the key themes emerging from this wonderful committee's work on the study is that food security extends far beyond production. We agree that while Canada produces an abundance of food, barriers related to affordability, access, distribution and food loss and waste continue to prevent many people from getting the food they need.
Addressing these challenges requires a systems-wide approach, and today I'll focus on three areas as you consider evidence for this study.
First, Canada must unlock more value within its own food system by investing in domestic processing capacity and innovation. Across Canada, we continue to export raw materials while importing higher-value processed foods. Meanwhile, industry leaders tell us that parts of Canada's food processing and co-packing infrastructure are underused and causing edible food to go to waste.
To better understand these challenges, Second Harvest has launched a national research project on Canada's food processing and co-packing capacity. The study will identify where infrastructure exists, where capacity gaps remain, where assets are underused and what barriers prevent businesses from making full use of existing facilities. It will also examine trends in exporting raw commodities and importing finished products to identify opportunities to keep more value creation in Canada. Industry stakeholders involved in the project have already told us that this is research that should have been undertaken years ago.
The research is supported by an advisory committee that includes Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, national industry associations, major food processors and Canada's largest retailers.
It is rare to see this level of alignment across the food value chain, and it underscores the importance of addressing long-standing gaps in our understanding of Canada's food processing capacity.
Second, I want to highlight how strengthening local production and processing will reduce food waste and our environmental impact. Our research shows that we waste 46.5% of all the food produced for Canada. Of that, 58 billion dollars' worth is avoidable waste of perfectly edible food. The annual CO2 emissions from this avoidable food waste are equal to the emissions of 5.6 million cars every year.
Buying locally can help reduce food waste by reducing the number of food miles travelled between farm and consumer, allowing food to arrive fresher and with a longer remaining shelf life. Shorter supply chains also reduce spoilage, damage and quality deterioration during transportation, particularly for perishable foods. By keeping food closer to where it's produced, a local food system helps ensure more food is eaten rather than wasted.
Third, I will draw from Second Harvest's experience in supporting local purchasing initiatives and food recovery programs that kept Canadian food in Canada's communities.
During the pandemic, the federal government's surplus food rescue program provided emergency funding to purchase surplus food that lost its markets when restaurants, hotels and institutions suddenly closed.
Through that program, we purchased and redistributed more than 9.4 million pounds of surplus food across every province and territory. It supported Canadian producers and food businesses facing unprecedented disruption, while ensuring that good food reached communities instead of going to waste.
Beyond the food itself, the program helped build and strengthen a national network of community organizations, distribution partners and logistics infrastructure that continues to support food recovery efforts today.
In 2022, as you all may remember, there was a market disruption that left millions of pounds of P.E.I. potatoes without a destination, so we partnered with government, growers and community organizations to purchase and redistribute 12 million pounds of those potatoes across Canada to everywhere, including rural and remote places.
In 2024, when the closure of a major fruit co-operative left apples stranded in B.C. orchards, we worked with farmers and partners to purchase and distribute more than 154,000 pounds of apples.
Initiatives like these provide a release valve after a supply chain disruption, supporting Canadian businesses in recovering value, increasing access to nutritious food and keeping more Canadian-grown food within the domestic food system.