2021 Reports 12 to 15 of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of CanadaEmergency programs helped support Canada’s food system during the pandemic in the absence of a national crisis response plan

Ottawa, 9 December 2021—Today, a report from Auditor General Karen Hogan, tabled in the House of Commons, concludes that emergency programs that were meant to reduce food insecurity and support resilience in Canada’s food processing sector during the COVID‑19 pandemic helped mitigate some effects of pandemic on elements of Canada’s food system.

The audit found that responsible departments and agencies drew on existing programs and mechanisms and engaged broadly with various stakeholders across the food sector to inform and expedite the design and development of new emergency food programs. In addition, they had many controls in place to oversee the delivery of the emergency food programs and monitor that the funding was spent as directed.

However, the audit also found a few cases where inconsistencies in program design resulted in unfair treatment of applicants and recipients across regions. Also, because of problems with data and performance measurement, the departments and agencies did not know whether the programs had achieved all of their outcomes for reducing food insecurity or supporting the resilience of food processors. They were also unable to measure gender and diversity outcomes, while contributions to sustainable development were not always clear.

“Though the government identified food as a critical infrastructure sector in 2009, it had not developed a national plan to respond to a crisis affecting Canada’s entire food system”, said Ms. Hogan. “Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada should work with its partners and stakeholders to address this gap.”

The 2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada, Report 12—Protecting Canada’s Food System is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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