The Indigenous Agriculture and Food Development and Growth Designated Program

Deadline: the designated Program will end on March 31, 2028.

The purpose of the Indigenous Agriculture and Food Development and Growth Designated Program is to improve Indigenous peoples’ participation in the Sector and removing barriers to participation in the Sector.

Eligible Activities

The following activities are eligible to be undertaken under the Indigenous Agriculture and Food Development and Growth Designated Program, including any Initiative established thereunder:

1. Building Indigenous organization/community capacity to understand agri-food opportunities and barriers;
2. Building on and establishing new relationships to leverage existing resources and networks;
3. Developing and implementing practices, purchase equipment, adopt technologies and automation to improve agri-food outcomes for Indigenous businesses and communities;
4. Agri-food assessments, advisory services, audits, planning activities and installation of existing, new or upgraded technology, equipment and software systems to support Indigenous-identified agri-food priorities;
5. Purchasing of structures or equipment that contribute to increased Indigenous participation in the sector or that increases local food supply, which may include modifications, additions or retrofits to a building for agri-food production, storage or processing;
6. Educating and training activities, including Indigenous-led, to increase awareness and improve agri-food knowledge/agri-food capacity building;
7. Indigenous knowledge sharing, including the provision of honoraria to those Indigenous individuals sharing their knowledge;
8. Research to fill knowledge gaps and offer recommendations on how best to address agri-food priority areas;
9. Pilots, demonstrations, pre-commercialization and commercialization of innovative technology, processes and equipment;
10. Surveilling, monitoring and risk assessments to identify emerging trends and develop best practices;
11. Commercialization of techniques, equipment or processes that improve agri-food business productivity, including resource efficiencies;
12. Developing policy and programs as well as co-ordination and evaluation related to Indigenous agriculture;
13. Operation and/or maintenance costs that reduce barriers to entry;
14. Tailored awareness-building content for Indigenous farmers and processors with considerations made for Indigenous youth;
15. Communicating success stories that build public trust and improve understanding of the Sector’s successes related to Indigenous Peoples’ agricultural successes; and
16. Any activity set out in:
    1. A Recipient’s Transfer Payment Agreement or a Vendor’s Service Level Agreement, or
    2. Any Designated Program Guidelines for the Indigenous Agriculture and Food Development and Growth Designated Program or any Initiative Guidelines for any Initiative established under the Indigenous Agriculture and Food Development and Growth Designated Program,

provided that activity falls within the purpose of the Indigenous Agriculture and Food Development and Growth Designated Program.

Eligible Persons

Indigenous Peoples are eligible to participate in the Indigenous Agriculture and Food Development and Growth Designated Program, including any Initiative established thereunder.