The agency has confirmed 587 job cuts while unions say austerity measures could weaken food safety inspections, research, and emergency response capacity.

It’s not yet known what effect, if any, sweeping job cuts at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) could have on the future of Seed Regulatory Modernization, as federal employees were informed this week that hundreds of positions will be eliminated across the agency.

The Agriculture Union, which represents roughly 4,000 CFIA employees out of an agency workforce of nearly 6,400, said staff were called into an all-employee town hall meeting yesterday and told that 1,371 positions would be affected by employment transition measures, with 587 jobs to be cut outright.

CFIA has since confirmed the 587 job cuts.

The job reductions are part of a broader federal expenditure review ordered by Prime Minister Mark Carney, which the union characterized as austerity measures that will hit frontline food safety operations.

“This is a massive blow that cannot be absorbed by an already struggling agency,” the union said in a statement, urging the government to reverse course.

Budget Targets Hundreds of Millions in CFIA Savings

The cuts come amid major savings targets laid out in the federal government’s 2025 budget, which directed CFIA to find $235 million in savings over four years, along with $80.5 million in ongoing savings.

The budget says that, to meet savings targets of up to 15 per cent over three years, CFIA will reduce overlap and duplication, scale back non-core research activities to focus on priority diagnostic methods, and consolidate lab services to focus on essential testing and avoid costly capital upgrades. It also points to investments in secure digital platforms and digital export certification intended to increase efficiencies and support exporters.

PIPSC Calls for Public Scrutiny, Warns “Efficiency” Framing Masks Serious Risk

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) also raised alarm over the cuts, saying decisions being made in the name of efficiency are eroding Canada’s capacity to prevent foodborne illness, respond to disease outbreaks, and protect domestic and international food systems.

“These cuts don’t just affect public servants — they affect every Canadian who eats,” said Sean O’Reilly, president of PIPSC. “When you strip away food safety research, inspection capacity, and emergency coordination, you increase the risk that disease or contamination goes undetected until people are already sick.”

PIPSC warns that CFIA has faced chronic staffing shortages for more than a decade, even as the agency’s workload has increased — a situation the latest reductions would worsen.

“Thousands of food processing plants in Canada have never been inspected,” said O’Reilly. “Inspectors are already struggling to keep up with the facilities they’re responsible for today. Expecting fewer staff to do more inspections is simply unrealistic. In the event of a major outbreak, it spells disaster.”

According to PIPSC, the cuts represent the loss of nearly one million hours of food safety and inspection expertise every year.

“CFIA has already trimmed the fat – then they cut muscle. These cuts are to the bone,” O’Reilly said. “They put the entire food safety system, and the economy it supports, at risk.”

Sector Worth Over $100 Billion, Union Says CFIA Capacity Is Critical

PIPSC argues the cuts threaten not only public health, but Canada’s economic security. The union notes that Canada’s food and agriculture sector is worth over $100 billion annually, while federal investment in CFIA is roughly $1 billion — a ratio it describes as an essential and high-return public investment.

“This is one of the best investments Canadians make,” said O’Reilly. “Why would we cut food safety when it protects lives, livelihoods, and our economy — especially when Canada is looking to diversify its trading partners?”

The Agriculture Union similarly argued that the agency has already been operating under strain for years.

While the federal public service has expanded by 30 per cent in recent years, the union said CFIA staffing has declined by three per cent over the last decade. That reduction, it argued, comes at a time when climate change is increasing the likelihood of food and animal health emergencies.

The union also raised concerns about Canada’s reliance on food imports, noting that the Trump administration has reportedly reduced capacity at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, potentially affecting oversight of products entering Canada.

In addition, the union cited CFIA’s own warnings that it is not equipped to handle multiple emergencies simultaneously.