Press Release: Federal Cuts at AAFC threaten Canada’s Public Plant Breeding and Food Sovereignty

February 2, 2026

Ottawa, January 23, 2026 – Recent federal reductions at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), resulting in the loss of hundreds of positions, will have major implications for Canada’s public plant breeding programs and the country’s food sovereignty. These programs are foundational to Canada’s agricultural sector, supporting the development of resilient crops and the long-term independence of Canada’s seed system.

Key research centres in Lacombe (AB), Swift Current (SK), Indian Head (SK), Guelph (ON), Nappan (NS), and Quebec City (QC) have been significantly affected, with some facing complete closure. These stations are central to producing regionally adapted, globally competitive, and publicly accessible crop varieties, maintaining breeder seed, and generating the long-term research and scientific data that underpin Canada’s seed security and agricultural resilience.

“Public plant breeding serves the Canadian public interest,” said Jessica Wood, Executive Director of SeedChange. “It develops crop varieties that meet the real needs of farmers and that help communities mitigate the effects of climate change. Cuts risk erasing decades of publicly funded agriculture research – depriving farmers of essential resources and infrastructure needed to grow climate-resilient, regionally adapted crops.”

“Researchers at the Swift Current, Indian Head, and Lacombe research stations have been essential for generating the data and scientific knowledge that underpin Western Canada’s seed system,” said Sarah Preston, Prairie Regional Program Manager at SeedChange. “They host long-term trials, conduct specialized organic research, maintain breeding lines, and produce the information farmers rely on to make decisions about which varieties and best practices are best suited to their regions. Cutting these positions creates a brain drain that weakens Canada’s public research capacity and makes it harder to rebuild in the future.”

“When public plant breeding is scaled back, farmers are forced to shoulder the cost and risk of developing new varieties themselves,” said Hugo Martorell, Quebec Regional Program Manager at SeedChange. “They must fill the gaps with their own time, money, and land, without the long-term support, infrastructure, or data that public programs provide. This shift threatens the resilience of our agricultural sector and undermines our capacity to adapt to climate change and maintain a strong, independent seed system.”

These cuts directly undermine Canada’s food sovereignty. Public plant breeding ensures that farmers can access diverse seeds and maintain control over what they grow. Without these programs, farmers become more dependent on corporate-controlled varieties, and our ability to produce resilient, locally-adapted food for Canadians is weakened.

SeedChange is calling on the federal government to prioritize and reinvest in public plant breeding and organic research programs, and to ensure that, should cuts go ahead, a structured transition is in place to safeguard existing research, seed inventories, and publicly funded land. Maintaining strong public plant breeding programs is critical to protecting Canada’s food sovereignty, climate adaptation, and biodiversity, while ensuring that Canadian farmers can remain competitive without increased dependence on proprietary seed systems.

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About SeedChange
SeedChange is a Canadian nonprofit organization advancing seed diversity, public plant breeding, and farmer-led innovation to support organic, climate-resilient, and equitable food systems across Canada.

Media Contact:
Jacqueline Stein
Communications Manager
SeedChange
jstein@weseedchange.org