National Plan to Boost Food Co-ops

Summary#

This bill orders the Minister of Industry to create a national strategy to help set up food cooperatives. It sets deadlines to table the strategy in Parliament and publish it online. The bill does not create new programs or funding by itself. It is a planning and reporting bill.

• Requires a national strategy to make it easier to establish food co-ops (Development and content).
• Requires consultation with provinces, industry stakeholders, and Indigenous representatives (Development and content).
• Sets a deadline: report on the strategy due within 18 months of the Act coming into force (Report (1)).
• Requires tabling the report in both Houses within the first 15 sitting days after completion (Tabling of report (2)).
• Requires online publication within 10 days after tabling in both Houses (Publication (3)).
• No direct funding, tax changes, or new regulatory powers in the text.

What it means for you#

• Households

  • No immediate change to grocery prices, services, or taxes. The bill only requires a strategy and report (Development and content; Report (1)).
  • Any future support for co-ops would need separate actions not included here.

• Workers

  • No direct changes to jobs or labour rules. Possible future effects would depend on measures, if any, adopted after the strategy (Development and content).

• Businesses and co-op organizers

  • You may be invited to take part in consultations that inform the strategy (Development and content).
  • No immediate grants, loans, or regulatory changes. The text does not specify support tools (Development and content).

• Existing food cooperatives

  • Opportunity to provide input during consultations. No direct benefits or mandates in the bill (Development and content).

• Indigenous communities

  • The Minister must consult Indigenous representatives when developing the strategy (Development and content).
  • No direct funding or programs are created in the bill.

• Provincial and territorial governments

  • Expected to be consulted by the Minister of Industry (Development and content).
  • No new legal obligations or costs are imposed by the text.

• Timing and transparency

  • Strategy report due within 18 months of the Act coming into force (Report (1)).
  • Report must be tabled in each House within the first 15 sitting days after completion (Tabling of report (2)).
  • Report must be published on the department’s website within 10 days after tabling in both Houses (Publication (3)).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable; the bill includes no direct appropriations or fees.

• No appropriations or new spending authorities appear in the text (Development and content; Report (1)-(3)).
• The bill assigns planning, consultation, and reporting duties to the Minister of Industry; administrative costs are not stated. Data unavailable.
• No changes to taxes, fees, or revenues are specified.

Proponents' View#

• A national strategy can reduce barriers to starting food co-ops by coordinating policies across jurisdictions and sectors (Development and content).
• The Competition Bureau has stated that more competition and more consumer choice in grocery markets would lead to lower prices; a co-op strategy aims to support that goal (Preamble).
• Grocery profits exceeded $6 billion in 2023; proponents argue co-ops could add competitive pressure and community ownership options (Preamble).
• Required consultations with provinces, stakeholders, and Indigenous representatives improve buy-in and policy fit (Development and content).
• Tabling and online publication set clear deadlines and transparency, which helps track progress (Report (1); Tabling of report (2); Publication (3)).

Opponents' View#

• The bill creates only a strategy and report; it sets no concrete measures, timelines, or funding to launch or scale co-ops, so near-term impact may be limited (Development and content; Report (1)).
• The 18-month window could delay action while grocery costs remain a concern; no interim milestones are required (Report (1)).
• There is no requirement to implement or fund the strategy after it is tabled; the bill imposes no follow-through obligations (Report (1)-(3)).
• Administrative and consultation costs are unknown; without a fiscal note or appropriation, resource needs and trade-offs are unclear. Data unavailable.
• The bill relies on cooperation with provinces and other stakeholders but provides no tools to resolve disagreements, which could limit the strategy’s scope (Development and content).