Canada’s Food and Energy Security Is Now a Matter of National Survival

Canada’s Food and Energy Security Is Now a Matter of National Survival by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East Canada is one of the most resource-rich countries on Earth. We possess vast agricultural lands, abundant fresh water, enormous reserves of oil and natural gas, world-class uranium deposits, rare earths, hydroelectric capacity and growing renewable-energy potential. Yet Canadians continue to face rising grocery bills, vulnerable supply chains, regional energy shortages and uncertainty about whether our governments understand the strategic importance of the resources beneath our feet and on our farms. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, including the expanding conflict involving Iran, have delivered a warning that Canada cannot afford to ignore. Food and energy security are no longer ordinary economic policy files. They are essential components of national security, economic sovereignty and social stability. The war in Ukraine demonstrated how quickly war can disrupt global supplies of grain, fertilizer, natural gas and oil. Ukraine had long been one of the world’s most important grain exporters, while Russia and Belarus were major suppliers of fertilizer and energy. The conflict disrupted production, damaged transportation infrastructure and forced countries to compete for essential commodities. The consequences were felt far beyond Europe. Higher fertilizer, fuel, shipping and insurance costs eventually reached Canadian farms, processing plants, supermarkets and household budgets. The lesson was clear: even a food-exporting country such as Canada is not insulated from international shocks. The conflict involving Iran and the wider instability of the Middle East have reinforced that lesson even more dramatically. The Strait of Hormuz, not the “Street of Hormuz,” is a narrow maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. It is one of the most important energy corridors in the world. Around one-quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade passed through the Strait in 2025, and alternative routes have only limited capacity. A significant share of internationally traded liquefied natural gas also depends on this passage. The current war and shipping disruptions around Iran have shown how easily this strategic chokepoint can be threatened. Vessel traffic has been severely affected, insurance and transportation risks have increased, and oil markets have reacted sharply to renewed fighting. A prolonged closure or serious restriction of the Strait of Hormuz would affect much more than gasoline prices. Oil and natural gas are embedded throughout the modern food system. Farmers require diesel for tractors, combines and irrigation equipment. Natural gas is essential to the production of nitrogen fertilizer. Energy is needed to operate greenhouses, barns, food-processing plants, refrigeration systems, trucks, trains and grocery stores. When energy becomes more expensive or unreliable, food inevitably becomes more expensive as well. Canada should be better protected than most countries. We are a major energy producer and agricultural exporter. Nevertheless, our ability to move resources across our own country remains inadequate. Eastern Canada can still be exposed to imported energy, while Western Canadian producers face transportation constraints and limited access to overseas markets. This is an unacceptable strategic contradiction. Canada produces more than enough energy to meet its needs, yet insufficient pipelines, refining limitations, regulatory uncertainty and regional political disputes continue to weaken national resilience. Energy security does not mean abandoning environmental responsibility. It means recognizing that reliable energy must come before economic activity can occur. Canada needs a balanced energy strategy based on oil, natural gas, nuclear power, hydroelectricity and economically sound renewable generation. Our conventional resources will remain essential for decades, particularly for heavy transportation, agriculture, aviation, manufacturing and national defence. Canadian oil and natural gas are also produced under higher environmental, labour and transparency standards than supplies from many authoritarian regimes. Canada should therefore build the infrastructure required to move Western energy eastward and to export liquefied natural gas and other resources to democratic allies. Every shipment of Canadian energy that replaces dependence on hostile or unstable suppliers strengthens both our economy and the security of our partners. Nuclear energy must also become a central pillar of Canadian policy. Canada possesses uranium, engineering expertise, an established nuclear industry and experience with CANDU technology. Ontario’s nuclear fleet has demonstrated the value of dependable, low-emission baseload electricity. Small modular reactors may eventually provide additional options for remote communities, industrial projects and regions seeking reliable power. Food security requires the same strategic seriousness. Canadian farmers are efficient and productive, but they face high costs for fertilizer, machinery, fuel, seed, crop protection, labour and financing. Farm Credit Canada projected that Canadian crop producers could spend approximately $22.5 billion on imports in 2026, with fertilizer alone approaching $10 billion. Governments must stop treating farmers as an unlimited source of new regulatory obligations. Environmental improvements should be pursued through research, incentives, modern technology and cooperation and not through measures that undermine production or make Canadian agriculture uncompetitive. Canada must also protect prime farmland from uncontrolled urban expansion. Once productive agricultural land is paved over, it rarely returns to cultivation. Provinces and municipalities need stronger policies to preserve farmland while directing new housing and industrial development toward appropriate locations. Domestic food processing is equally important. Canada exports large quantities of raw agricultural products but often imports more expensive processed goods. Expanding Canadian slaughterhouses, mills, canneries, cold-storage facilities and food-manufacturing plants would create jobs and shorten supply chains. The federal government’s recently announced National Food Security Strategy includes support for year-round production, greenhouses, vertical farming and domestic processing. These are constructive measures, but they must complement and not replace traditional farms and open-field agriculture. Canada also needs strategic reserves of essential goods. Governments should examine whether emergency stocks of fuel, fertilizer, seed, veterinary medicines and selected food staples are sufficient for a prolonged crisis. Hospitals maintain emergency supplies. Armed forces maintain ammunition and equipment. A serious country should also prepare for disruptions to the systems that feed and power its population. Critical infrastructure must be protected against cyberattacks, sabotage and foreign interference. Pipelines, ports, electrical grids, railways, food-processing facilities, telecommunications systems and water networks are all potential targets in a period of geopolitical confrontation. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are not distant events without consequences for Canadians. They are reminders that international stability can deteriorate rapidly and that strategic dependencies can become national vulnerabilities almost overnight. Canada has the resources to feed itself, power itself and help sustain its allies. What it lacks is not capacity, but coordinated political determination. Food and energy security must become permanent national priorities. Our objective should be straightforward: Canadian families must have access to affordable food; Canadian farms and industries must have reliable energy; and Canada must never become dependent on unstable or hostile foreign powers for the essentials of national life. In an increasingly dangerous world, sovereignty begins with the ability to keep the lights on, the economy moving and food on the table.