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 294 meetings in April 2026, up from a 12-month average of 195.1.
• The biggest moves were in Crop production and Poultry and egg production.
• Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Canola Growers Association were more active than usual.

Section A: The Themes Hidden in April 2026 Data

Federal Food Security Push Mirrors Lobbying Surge

The federal government's roll-out of its National Food Security Strategy in June 2026 closely coincides with a marked increase in agri-food lobbying from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture targeting advanced input access, capital cost policy, and farm succession reforms in April through meetings with the House of Commons and Senate of Canada. The strategy’s support for domestic processing, farm inputs, and succession aligns directly with major industry and lobbyist asks made earlier in the spring by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture before both the House of Commons and Senate of Canada.

📎 2025-26 Departmental Plan: At a glance · Inside the Carney government's "bold" food security strategy: a ...

Renewed Ag Policy Talks Echo Lobbying on Risk and Succession

The July 2026 Halifax Statement, launching negotiations on Canada’s next agricultural policy framework, comes amid intense lobbying from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Canola Growers Association before the House of Commons and Finance Canada for changes to risk management programs and tax treatment of farm transfers. Policy makers’ focus on AgriStability, regulatory modernization, and broader farm rollover eligibility mirrors the issues raised in high-volume April lobbying efforts from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Cattle Association with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

📎 Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture ... - Newswire

Innovation Barriers Highlighted as Lobbyists Push for Faster Approvals

A key June 2026 policy statement found that regulatory and investment roadblocks are holding back agri-food innovation, directly paralleling spring lobbying by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Senate of Canada for streamlined technology approvals and targeted infrastructure funding. The policy debate over Canada’s ag-tech ‘missing middle’ comes as industry advocates, including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in meetings with the House of Commons, press for faster market access and a dedicated agriculture infrastructure stream.

📎 June 2026 Canada’s Agriculture and Food Innovation Statement and ...

Sectoral Headwinds Spur Lobbying for Input Security and Regulatory Relief

Persistent economic instability and global trade challenges, highlighted throughout early 2026, coincide with an industry-wide call, led by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Fertilizer Canada, for stronger risk management and input security. The wave of April lobbying by these organisations before the House of Commons and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for accelerated capital cost allowances, expanded Advance Payments, and a critical farm input strategy appears tied to these broader sectoral anxieties.

📎 Ag Policy Exchange: 2026 outlook on Canadian agriculture and agri-food

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 294 meetings in April 2026, up from a 12-month average of 195. The most active industry was Crop production, while Poultry and egg production rose above its recent baseline.

The industries with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Crop production logged 159 meetings, up from an average of 97, Pork and other animal production logged 10 meetings, up from an average of 4, Poultry and egg production logged 47 meetings, up from an average of 24, and Agricultural science and products logged 38 meetings, up from an average of 24.

Dairy cattle and milk production had 14 meetings, down from an average of 21.

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 2026-04

Crop production saw lobbying run notably above expected levels in April 2026.

↳ Crop production has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

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

↳ Poultry and egg production has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Poultry and egg 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.

↳ Pork and other animal production has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

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

↳ Dairy cattle and milk production has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Dairy cattle and milk production 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.

The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Canola Growers Association, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency COB Egg Farmers of Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada, and Nutrien Ltd..

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 → House of Commons: 59 meetings (avg 33, +79%).

↳ Poultry and egg production → House of Commons: 26 meetings (avg 12, +124%).

The busiest organization → institution corridors this month:

↳ Canadian Federation of Agriculture → House of Commons: 22 meetings (avg 4, +439%).

↳ Canadian Egg Marketing Agency COB Egg Farmers of Canada → House of Commons: 16 meetings (avg 4, +300%).

↳ Canadian Cattle Association → House of Commons: 12 meetings (avg 7, +82%).

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: 153 meetings (avg 95, +61%).

↳ Crop production → International Trade: 99 meetings (avg 73, +35%).

↳ Crop production → Economic Development: 66 meetings (avg 44, +49%).

The busiest organization → subject corridors this month:

↳ Canadian Canola Growers Association → Agriculture: 40 meetings (avg 14, +187%).

↳ Canadian Canola Growers Association → Economic Development: 40 meetings (avg 13, +210%).

↳ Canadian Federation of Agriculture → Agriculture: 36 meetings (avg 7, +427%).

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 → Lawrence Hanson (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)), Crop production → Heath Macdonald (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)) and Crop production → Kody Blois (House of Commons).

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by organization) this month were Chicken Farmers of Canada → Aaron Fowler (Global Affairs Canada (GAC)), Chicken Farmers of Canada → Aaron Fowler (Global Affairs Canada (GAC)) and Cereals Canada Inc → Derek Bunkowsky (Canadian Grain Commission (CGC)).