Fast Facts
Easy access & a quick read on labour market information highlights.
Canada’s Food & Beverage Manufacturing Industry
The food and beverage manufacturing industry is a key economic driver to the Canadian economy and the leading manufacturing sector employer.
- 280,000 Canadians employed
- Exports to over 190 countries
- 60% of production purchased domestically
- 7,250 businesses with the majority considered small to medium-sized (less than 100 employed)
- 66% of agricultural products routed to manufacturing
- Integral to Canada’s food supply chain from farm to grocery retail and foodservice
11 Subsectors of Canada’s Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry
- Animal Food Manufacturing
- Grain and Oilseed Milling
- Sugar and Confectionary Product Manufacturing
- Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing
- Dairy Product Manufacturing
- Meat Product Manufacturing
- Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging
- Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing
- Other Food Manufacturing
- Beverage Manufacturing
- Cannabis Product Manufacturing
Canadian Food and Beverage Manufacturing Businesses by Sector
Scroll over sectors to see total number of business in Canada
Total Food and Beverage Employers per Province
Scroll over provinces to see total number of employers per province
- Meat product manufacturing is the largest sub-sector followed by bakeries and tortilla manufacturing and beverage manufacturing.
- The highest concentration of businesses is in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
- Cannabis product manufacturing is the most recent sector addition to the food and beverage industry with the legalization of cannabis edibles occurring in 2019.