Whether you want to expand your operations here or source some of the highest quality services and products in the world, Ontario is fertile ground for growth and success.

Ontario's food and beverage manufacturing sector is the third largest in North America with manufacturing revenues of more than $48 billion. The sector has more than 3,000 establishments in the province, employing over 104,800 people, including global companies such as CocaCola, Nestle, Pepsico, Kellogg’s, Unilever and Kraft Heinz, and homegrown companies like Maple Leaf Foods, Dare Foods Limited and Weston Foods.

Ontario-based firms have access to superior, end-to-end supply chain solutions including processing, packaging, specialized storage and transportation, in addition to 3.6 million hectares of cropland growing over 230 agricultural commodities on 49,600 farms. The province also boasts a concentration of academic institutions with specific expertise and infrastructure dedicated to agrifood and agritech research and development.

Thanks to the continuous support of the Ontario government and to the strong commitment of the Ferrero Group, the Brantford production plant is taking another big step in our history. All these investments represent in an excellent way our industrial footprint, based on quality, innovation and efficiency. These projects are enabling us to create new jobs in our facility and also externally through our suppliers and partners within Brantford and the surrounding area.

We are very proud to be the first Ferrero plant outside Europe to process raw cocoa beans and to produce the brand new Tic Tac Gum for North America!

Fabrizio Secco, Managing Director,
Ferrero Canada Ltd.

Ontario’s Food and Beverage Manufacturing Sector by the Numbers

3rd
largest in North America. Annual sales total more than $48 billion
More than
4,500
business locations make food and beverage products in in the province, employing over 104,800 people
18%
of Ontario’s GDP by manufacturing industries, the province’s highest
Access to
1.5B
consumers across 51 countries through free trade agreements
Almost
1,500
food manufacturers, and hundreds of innovative agri-food exporters

From Ontario to the world’s table

From large cities to our smallest rural communities, thousands of food processing companies are flourishing in Ontario's moderate, four-season climate. Ontario's food production resources include ingredient manufacturers, specialty importers and other value-added processors, as well as essential services such as analytical laboratories, specialty packaging, storage and transportation businesses.

Ontario's multicultural diversity embraces more than 200 distinct ethnic backgrounds and adds to the richness of what is produced here in Ontario for consumption in the world's markets.

Ontario is home to an extraordinary breadth and depth of food industry expertise and experience. That's why many global food industry giants and tomorrow's emerging stars have invested in Ontario.

[Our] expansion..represents one of the largest rollouts of any vertical farming company in North America to date as we aim to offer local, high-quality produce to people everywhere.

Erez Galonska, CEO, Infarm

Access to Markets

Geographically, Ontario enjoys a position in the heart of North America—a cultural epicentre next to some of the largest urban centres in the world. Your products can reach the $20 trillion U.S. market, with 142 million consumers fast and fresh, thanks to Ontario's expansive transportation network that includes 4 international and 300 regional airports, 250,000 km of roads and highways, a dozen border crossings and the 6th most internationally connected airport in the world.

Ontario’s Food and Beverage manufacturers also benefit from trade agreements with 50 countries around the world, including CETA and CUSMA.

A Stable Place to Grow Your Food Business

If you are looking for the right people, Ontario offers a deep talent pool for sourcing agricultural and manufacturing personnel, including managerial and technical staff. Our province has a high-quality, publicly funded network of 24 universities and 24 colleges. As a result, 70% of Ontario adults workers have post-secondary education, more than any other country in the OECD.

What’s more, in manufacturing, the province boasts a 9.5 year average on-the-job tenure (compared to 5.5 in the U.S.) which translates to significantly lower transition and training costs.

Who's Here

  • Anheuser-Busch InBev (Labatts)
  • Archer Daniels Midland
  • Bunge
  • Cargill
  • Coca Cola
  • Grupo Bimbo
  • Ferrero
  • Kellogg Company
  • Kraft Heinz
  • Mars
  • Mondelez
  • Nestle
  • PepsiCo
  • Saputo
  • Unilever

Opportunity Grows in Ontario

Ontario is working to create business certainty and improve timelines for proponents as well as committed to cutting red tape in the food and beverage and agrifood sectors to attract global investment, expand the industry and create new jobs.

  • Provincial and Federal COVID-19 Financial Supports for Farmers provides a summary of federal and provincial support programs for Ontario's Producers. The information is current as of the publication date; however, it may be subject to frequent changes.
  • Canadian Agricultural Partnership offers cost-share funding to support farmer, processor, other businesses, sector organizations and strategic partnerships. Funding offered through the program is subject to change based on the timing of application intakes and the availability of funds.

Learn more, visit Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.