For Immediate Release
Ottawa, January 28, 2026 – Yesterday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced sweeping job cuts as part of a government-wide expenditure review ordered by Mark Carney. The Agriculture Union categorically denounces these cuts, which point towards a looming food safety crisis in Canada. Our union represents roughly 4500 CFIA employees on a total workforce of nearly 6400. Employees were called into an all-staff town hall yesterday, where they learned that 1371 jobs would be cut as part of the Carney government’s austerity measures. This is a massive blow that cannot be absorbed by an already struggling agency. The Agriculture Union implores the government to change course.
“When you make cuts to food safety, the outcomes are clear. More people will get sick from preventable foodborne illnesses, more poultry and livestock will die from avian flu and other diseases, and our food production industry will suffer,” says Milton Dyck, National President of the Agriculture Union. “Our members at CFIA care for the health and well-being of plants and animals and make sure the food on your plate is safe to eat. They deserve more than these reckless cuts. Canadians deserve more.”
While the federal public service grew by 30% in recent years, staffing levels at CFIA have declined by 3% over the last decade. This while accelerating climate change is multiplying food safety risks, the Trump administration has gutted the US Food and Drug Administration, thereby throwing the quality of American food imports into doubt, and the CFIA itself admits it is ill-equipped to handle multiple emergencies at once.
“Fewer CFIA inspectors means fewer frontline workers to catch food that should be recalled,” continues Dyck. “And food recalls increased by 150% over the last decade. You can do math, and it doesn’t look good. Food safety experts have been warning us that CFIA can’t take any more hits, but the government isn’t listening. They are putting short-term savings over the health of our country.”
Canadians trust the CFIA. Recent polling shows that 82% of Canadians believe the CFIA helps ensure that food sold in Canada is safe. Moreover, 61% of Canadians feel that the CFIA should be exempt from Mark Carney cuts.
“Canadians should not be made to suffer by cutting the public services that keep us safe,” explains Dyck. “We demand that the government respect its workers, respect the public, and put food safety first.”
For media requests, please contact Aaron Lakoff, Communications Officer for the Agriculture Union: LakoffA@psac-afpc.com, 343-596-4400