From Trump Tariffs to Patient Trays: Healthcare’s Role in National Food Security
Webinar
Policy
Food Security
Health Care Innovation
Procurement
The Trump administration’s new tariffs on Canada could send shockwaves through our food system – and put even more pressure on health care’s already strained budgets.
Canadian hospitals, long-term care homes, and health facilities spend billions on food every year. The “Buy Canadian” mantras are resounding and have significant potential for impact when championed by big anchor institutional players.
Nourish Executive Director Hayley Lapalme engaged special guests in a webinar on March 18, 2025 exploring the immediate strategies to respond to the tariffs – and the broader opportunities to rethink how healthcare designs menus, invests in food, builds resilience, strengthens local supply chains, and protects our nation’s food security.
If healthcare leaders don’t act now, we risk greater costs, less control, and deeper reliance on an unstable global system. But if we step up, Canadian health care can be a catalyst for a stronger, more independent Canadian food system – and harness the opportunity of the crisis to catalyze shifts in menus and purchasing that will deliver better health outcomes for people and planet.
Speakers:
- Jason Baillargeon, Director, Food Policy Divison, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Dave Kranenburg, Founder and CEO, Green Circle Food Hub
- Tia Loftsgard, Executive Director, Canada Organic Trade Association
- Brenda MacDonald, Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Services, Nova Scotia Health Authority
- Josh Smee, Chief Executive Officer, Food First NL
Host:
- Hayley Lapalme, Executive Director, Nourish
Target Audience:
- Healthcare leaders
- Food service teams
- Policy makers
- Canadian food industry
- Academics