Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

What Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute does

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) is an independent, non-profit policy think tank founded in 2004 and headquartered at 960 Carling Avenue, Central Experimental Farm, Building 60, Ottawa, Ontario. Registered as a Canadian charity (BN 852563972RR0001) and constituted under federal laws, CAPI leads, catalyzes, and coordinates independent strategic and policy analysis on emerging Canadian agri-food issues, engages stakeholders in dialogue, and advances public policy. The organization operates without proprietary technology products; its work is structured around convening, applied policy research, and content dissemination rather than a software platform.

CAPI's principal offerings include an Ag Policy Connection podcast co-produced with RealAgriculture, the annual CAPI Exchange Conference (with the 2026 edition scheduled for October 6-7 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa), a recurring Ag Policy Exchange webinar series, a multi-cohort Doctoral Fellowship Program (three cohorts completed 2020-2024), the PLAN (Policies for Land Use, Agriculture, and Nature) research initiative, and an extensive resource library of 229+ publications including research reports, discussion papers, and annual reports. Distribution is bilingual through capi-icpa.ca, supplemented by Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and email newsletter. The organization does not develop technical products; its outputs are knowledge and convening artifacts backed by a network of Distinguished Fellows, Senior Research Fellows, Doctoral Fellows, and a ten-member volunteer board of directors.

CAPI's business model is a non-profit funding stack. The organization does not sell products or services and charges no fees for publications, webinars, or events. Revenue is sourced from federal government grants (notably Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership's AgriCompetitiveness Program), charitable donations, and corporate partnerships/sponsorships including the RBC Foundation through RBC Tech for Nature. Customer segments served include federal and provincial government policymakers, the agri-food industry across the value chain (producers, processors, industry associations), academic and research institutions (including the University of Guelph and Arrell Food Institute), and the general public as a horizontal audience for food system information.

Name

Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

Legal name

Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

Website

https://capi-icpa.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) is an independent, non-profit policy think tank founded in 2004 in Ottawa that produces independent policy analysis, research reports, webinars, a podcast, and convenes stakeholders across Canada's agri-food sector, funded by government grants, donations, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Policy Research

NAICS

International Affairs (92812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAD

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPADAJAG

Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Food Security & Nutrition Programs

SECONDARYBPADAEAG

Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

SECONDARYBPADAMAJ

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Trade & Economic Development

Keywords

• Agri-food policy analysis
• Stakeholder convening
• Policy research publications
• Think tank research
• Public policy dialogue

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: CAPI was founded in 2004 with an initial grant from the federal government and continues to receive funding through partnerships with government agencies such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under programs like the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership's AgriCompetitiveness Program.
2. Charitable Donations: CAPI is a registered charity (BN 852563972RR0001) that accepts donations from individuals and organizations. The organization collaborates with public and private partners to promote strategic solutions for the agri-food sector.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: CAPI receives support through partnerships with organizations such as the RBC Foundation, and various industry partners that sponsor events and research initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) is an independent, non-profit policy think tank that leads, catalyzes, and coordinates strategic and policy analysis on emerging Canadian agri-food issues, engages stakeholders in structured dialogue, and advances public policy. Its deliverables include independent research reports, discussion papers, policy recommendations, webinars, the Ag Policy Connection podcast, the annual CAPI Exchange Conference, and a Doctoral Fellowship Program that mentors emerging thought leaders in agri-food policy.

Product overview

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) is a policy think tank, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of research publications, webinars, podcasts, conferences, and fellowship programs focused on advancing policy solutions for Canada's agri-food sector. The core offerings include the Ag Policy Connection Podcast (produced with RealAgriculture), the annual CAPI Exchange Conference, the CAPI Webinars series, the Doctoral Fellowship Program, and the PLAN (Policies for Land Use, Agriculture, and Nature) research initiative. These are interconnected knowledge and dialogue products designed to foster discussion on emerging agri-food issues, with research reports and publications serving as foundational content that informs webinars and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ag Policy Connection Podcast: Podcast produced in partnership with RealAgriculture, hosted by Kelvin Heppner, interviewing key stakeholders in the agriculture and agri-food sector on policies that have shaped Canadian agriculture.
• CAPI Exchange Conference

Products and services

• Ag Policy Connection Podcast
• CAPI Exchange Conference
• CAPI Webinars (Ag Policy Exchange)
• Doctoral Fellowship Program
• Research Resources and Policy Publications

Quantifiable outcome

• Multi-phase initiative to shape a more coherent and effective agri-food innovation system in Canada
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• RealAgriculturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRealAgriculture is CAPI's primary media partner for the Ag Policy Connection podcast and Ag Policy Exchange webinar series. The partnership involves co-producing and co-hosting policy discussions featuring key stakeholders in the agriculture and agri-food sector. The podcast explores policies that have shaped Canadian agriculture.
• Agriculture and Agri-Food CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership's AgriCompetitiveness Program. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supports CAPI's policy dialogue initiatives, doctoral fellowship programs, and public trust initiatives. The Ag Policy Connection podcast was funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
• Centre for Agri-Food BenchmarkingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPI partners with the Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking for the annual CAPI Exchange conference and to discuss the National Index on Agri-Food Performance. The partnership focuses on evidence-based decision-making and sustainability outcomes in the agri-food sector.
• CSA GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSA Group collaborated with CAPI and RealAgriculture on the Ag Policy Exchange webinar 'The Future of Soil Health Measurement in Canada: Why Standardization Matters.' The collaboration focused on soil health measurement and reporting standardization.
• Canadian Centre for Food IntegritysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for webinars on consumer behavior and food system topics. The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity collaboration included the 'Industry Implications of Evolving Consumer Behaviour' webinar, funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the AgriCommunication Program.
• Small Scale Food Processors AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPI hosted a joint webinar with the Small Scale Food Processors Association on 'Empowering Women in Agri-Food' exploring challenges faced by women food entrepreneurs and initiatives to overcome industry barriers.
• Arrell Food Institute (University of Guelph)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPI partnered with the Arrell Food Institute to host regional workshops on 'Barton Forward: Optimizing Growth While Enhancing Natural Capital' in Guelph, Ontario. The partnership brings together academic and policy expertise on agri-food growth and sustainability.
• Greenbelt FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPI featured the Greenbelt Foundation's report 'Ontario's Greenbelt: The Key to Food Security in the Greater Golden Horseshoe' as part of the 'Visioning the Future of the Greenbelt' webinar series. The collaboration highlights farmland protection and food security issues.
• Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPI collaborates with international policy forums including GFFPI for webinars such as 'Finding Common Ground in a Divided World,' bringing together perspectives from farm policy institutes in multiple countries to address global agricultural challenges.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arrell Food Institute (University of Guelph): Arrell Food Institute is a Canadian food-focused research and policy institute at the University of Guelph that convenes stakeholders around agri-food innovation, sustainability, and food system transformation. It is a listed CAPI partner and is the closest academic food-policy think tank peer in the Canadian market.
• Canadian Centre for Food Integrity: The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity is a not-for-profit dedicated to building public trust in the Canadian food system through research, consumer research, and stakeholder engagement. It overlaps directly with CAPI's public trust and food system policy work and is a listed CAPI collaboration partner.
• Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking: The Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking develops performance measurement frameworks including the National Index on Agri-Food Performance for the Canadian agri-food sector. It directly partners with CAPI on the CAPI Exchange Conference and aligns on evidence-based benchmarking, making it a near-direct peer.
• Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI): The Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation is an international consortium of agricultural policy institutes that collaborate on webinars and policy dialogues, including with CAPI on initiatives such as 'Finding Common Ground in a Divided World.' It operates in the same niche of multi-stakeholder agricultural policy convening at a global scale.

Broad incumbents

• C.D. Howe Institute: The C.D. Howe Institute is a leading Canadian independent policy think tank producing research across trade, monetary policy, and sectoral economics. A CAPI Senior Research Fellow also serves as a Visiting Fellow there, and it is structurally comparable as a Canadian non-partisan policy research house but covers broader economic policy rather than agri-food specialty.
• Conference Board of Canada: The Conference Board of Canada is a large independent applied research organization producing economic and policy research across sectors including agri-food. It overlaps with CAPI on Canadian policy research and convening but is much broader in scope and serves a wider mandate.
• Farm Foundation (US): Farm Foundation is an independent US agricultural policy think tank that convenes stakeholders and produces research on agricultural economics, trade, and innovation. It is functionally analogous to CAPI in mandate and convening model but operates in the United States at a larger established scale.

Emerging players

• Agri-Food Economic Systems, Inc. Agri-Food Economic Systems is a Canadian agri-food economic research consultancy founded by Al Mussell, who also serves as a CAPI Senior Research Fellow. It complements CAPI's research output by providing deep economic analysis on trade and supply chains, making it a partial-overlap niche peer rather than a full direct competitor.
• Protein Industries Canada: Protein Industries Canada is a Canadian agri-food innovation super-cluster focused on plant-based protein and value-added agriculture. It overlaps with CAPI's agri-food innovation mandate but operates as a commercialization-focused cluster with funded industry programs rather than as a neutral policy convener.

Others

• Farm Credit Canada (FCC): Farm Credit Canada is a Crown corporation providing financial services to Canadian agriculture and is linked to CAPI via FCC's VP of AgExpert serving on CAPI's board. FCC is not a direct competitor but rather an ecosystem participant and potential sponsor/partner for agri-food innovation and policy dialogue, with strong influence over producer-facing policy perspectives in Canada.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CdnAgriFood
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCS7iI14u_o5jG74zeZyudWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CdnAgriFood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-agri-food-policy-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute