Once a month, we partner up with LobbyIQ to update our readers on recent movements in the federal lobbying landscape in Ottawa. We provide separate coverage for each channel, defined by the most relevant industries, organizations, institutions, and subject matters.

Key Takeaways — Agri-Food

• Lobbying activity totalled 91 meetings in July 2026, down from a 12-month average of 217.9.
• The biggest moves were in Crop production and Poultry and egg production.

Section A: The Themes Hidden in July 2026 Data

Food Security Strategy Boosts Capital Investment and Farm Transfers

The federal government's new National Food Security Strategy promises billions for domestic processing and competition, including dedicated funds for equipment upgrades and analysis of intergenerational farm transfers. These actions coincide with recent lobbying efforts by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to Finance Canada calling for permanent accelerated capital cost allowances and expanded farm rollover provisions, as well as advocacy from the Fruit & Vegetable Growers of Canada to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, to strengthen investment and succession in Canadian agriculture.

📎 Carney food security strategy promises billions to boost competition ...

AAFC Plan Signals Funding Restraint Amid Reduced Lobbying

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's 2026–27 Departmental Plan sets a tone of fiscal restraint, with anticipated spending cuts and program wind-downs outside the department’s core mandate. This comes as lobbying activity in agricultural science, fertilizer, and livestock sectors—reflected in recent meetings by Fertilizer Canada, CropLife Canada, and the Canadian Agri-food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)—has trended downward, coinciding with reviews or sunsetting of key federal supports.

📎 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's 2026–27 Departmental Plan

Supply Chain Modernization and Traceability Commitments Align with Labour Lobbying

Federal strategies now feature explicit commitments to traceability systems, supply chain upgrades for independent grocers, and year-round fruit and vegetable availability. These moves align with stakeholder lobbying by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association at the House of Commons, the Fruit & Vegetable Growers of Canada with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Nutrien Ltd. at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for expanded temporary foreign worker pathways and supply chain support, particularly in produce and input logistics.

📎 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Section B: Lobbying Activity by Industry

This section compares, by NAICS industry, the lobbying activity in Ottawa last month to its historical average.

Lobbying activity across this channel totalled 91 meetings in July 2026, down from a 12-month average of 218. The most active industry was Crop production, while Agricultural science and products fell below its recent baseline.

On the quieter side, Crop production had 58 meetings, down from an average of 107, Pork and other animal production had 1 meetings, down from an average of 4, Cattle ranching and farming had 7 meetings, down from an average of 26, Poultry and egg production had 3 meetings, down from an average of 26, Agricultural science and products had 13 meetings, down from an average of 28, and Dairy cattle and milk production had 9 meetings, down from an average of 27.

Section C: Lobbying by Industry for the Past Year

To contextualize, we show each industry's lobbying activity over the past 12 months. The combined view from Section B and C shows you whether recent differences are persistent trends or a break from the norm.

Top Industry Residual Trends for 2026-07

↳ Cattle ranching and farming has been trending downward in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Cattle ranching and farming displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Crop production has been trending downward in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Crop production displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Poultry and egg production has been trending downward in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Poultry and egg production displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Pork and other animal production displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Agricultural science and products has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Agricultural science and products displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

Section D: Lobbying Activity by Organization

In this section, we see the organizations with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity.

On the quieter side, Chicken Farmers of Canada, National Cattle Feeders' Association, Canadian Cattle Association, Canadian Produce Marketing Association, and Fertilizer Canada all pulled back from their usual pace.

Section E: Lobbying of Government Institutions in the Past Month

Every time an organization lobbies, there is a government official representing a government institution at the other side of the table. This section shows the industry-institutions pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity. Below that, we show the corresponding organization-institution pairs.

Industries → Government Institutions

Organizations → Government Institutions

The busiest industry → institution corridors this month:

↳ Crop production → Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC): 16 meetings (avg 28, -43%).

↳ Crop production → House of Commons: 11 meetings (avg 34, -68%).

↳ Crop production → Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED): 10 meetings (avg 7, +41%).

The busiest organization → institution corridors this month:

↳ Canola Council of Canada → Global Affairs Canada (GAC): 5 meetings (avg 3, +46%).

↳ Canadian Agri-food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) → Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED): 5 meetings (avg 3, +58%).

Section F: Industry and Organization Lobbying by Subject in the Past Month

All lobbying activity is tagged with a "subject matter". This section shows the industry-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity, and below it the organization-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month.

Industries → Subjects

Organizations → Subjects

The busiest industry → subject corridors this month:

↳ Crop production → Agriculture: 58 meetings (avg 104, -44%).

↳ Crop production → International Trade: 41 meetings (avg 77, -47%).

↳ Crop production → Economic Development: 32 meetings (avg 48, -34%).

The most active organization → subject pair was Canola Council of Canada → Environment with 16 meetings.

Section G: Last Month's Most Lobbied Politicians and Civil Servants

This section presents a list of the politicians and civil servants who took the most meetings with key industry players last month.

Most Lobbied Individuals by Sector

Most Lobbied Individuals by Organization

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by sector) this month were Crop production → Christina Dailley (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)), Crop production → Matthew Smith (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)) and Cattle ranching and farming → Kody Blois (House of Commons).

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by organization) this month were Canadian Agri-food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) → Christina Dailley (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)), Canadian Agri-food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) → Cansu Koc (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)) and Canadian Cattle Association → Kody Blois (House of Commons).