Canada is having a familiar conversation about food affordability, especially pertaining to beef prices. As beef imports rise and trade discussions continue, much of the public debate focuses on getting prices down quickly for consumers. Affordability matters, especially at a time when many households are feeling stretched. But focusing only on short term price relief risks overlooking a larger issue that has long-term consequences.

Canada already relies on imported beef for roughly 30 percent of the beef available to Canadian consumers, with imports playing an especially important role in processing and ground beef during periods of tight supply. At the same time, Canadian producers are in the early stages of rebuilding the national herd after years of drought and disruption. Herd rebuilding takes time by nature. Decisions made today may take years to show up as additional supply.

In that context, imports are often presented as a straightforward solution. If prices are high, more imports should help. But imports are already elevated, and beef prices remain high because demand is strong and supply across North America is tight. Short term increases in imports may offer the appearance of relief, but they do little to address the underlying challenge of how Canada maintains a stable and resilient food system over time.

The bigger question is not whether Canada can access cheaper beef in the short term. It is whether we are prepared to protect and strengthen our ability to produce food at home over the long run. Increased short term beef imports reduces the incentive for Canadian beef producers to increase herd sizes, turning a short-term problem into a long-term one.

Canada has a natural fit for beef production. Large areas of grassland cannot be converted to crops or housing, but they are well suited to grazing. These landscapes support rural communities, environmental stewardship, and food production under strong standards for animal health, traceability, and sustainability. Once this productive capacity erodes, rebuilding it is difficult, slow, and costly.

Native grasslands are an endangered ecosystem that provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. These systems need ruminants to graze and maintain these ecosystems. By having cattle on grasslands, we preserve these endangered ecosystems and the species that inhabit them, support their health, keep carbon on the ground and provide a high-quality protein.

Food security is about more than availability at a single point in time. It is about reliability and resilience. Greater reliance on foreign supply increases exposure to disruptions beyond our control, whether geopolitical, environmental, or economic. Recent global shocks have made clear how fragile food systems can become when resilience is sacrificed for short term efficiency.

If this is the problem, then the solution is not simply more trade or more imports. The solution is sustained investment in domestic productivity and innovation.

Canada has a strong track record of improving agricultural productivity, but there remains significant opportunity in the beef sector. Advances such as genomic selection have driven major gains in efficiency and animal performance in other livestock systems, and similar progress is possible in beef. At the Global Institute for Food Security, work is already underway to support the Canadian beef industry by helping to develop innovative genomic tools that strengthen decision making, animal health, and resilience. These gains take time, and they require patience, but over the long term they strengthen competitiveness without lowering standards.

Productivity improvement also extends beyond genetics. Investment in forage development, grazing management, and integrated crop and livestock systems can improve resilience during drought. Innovation in animal health, data use, and herd management can reduce risk and improve consistency across regions. These are not quick fixes, but they are the foundations of long-term affordability.

This is where governments and industry need to stay aligned. Short term measures aimed at visible price relief may be appealing, but they do not build productive capacity. Supporting research, innovation, and adoption of productivity enhancing tools does. Strengthening domestic production is the most reliable way to stabilize supply and moderate price volatility over time.

Canadians want affordable food, but they also care about where their food comes from and whether Canada can continue to feed itself in an increasingly uncertain world. These goals are not in conflict if we take a longer view. Cheap beef today should not come at the cost of food security tomorrow. Investing in domestic productivity and innovation may not deliver immediate results, but it is the most durable solution. If we are serious about long term affordability, resilience, and sustainability, this is the path that keeps Canada’s food system strong for generations to come.