From Promise to Plate: Yukon’s Five Per Cent Local Food Goal Starts Now

The Yukon Agricultural Association challenges buyers, retailers, and institutions to shift just five per cent of food purchasing to local producers by the end of 2025.

WHITEHORSE, YUKON — The Yukon Agricultural Association (YAA) is calling on government, grocery, and foodservice buyers to take meaningful action toward a more resilient northern food system. The first step is clear and achievable: sourcing five per cent of all government food purchases from Yukon-grown products by the end of 2025.

The Yukon government has set a target to source 10 per cent of its food from local producers, but this remains a recommendation, not a requirement. Less than one per cent of the government's annual food budget is spent on Yukon-grown food.

In April, CBC News reported that the territory supplies food for government-run facilities such as hospitals, schools, jails, and continuing care homes. Between 2021 and 2025, more than $9.6 million was spent through a national food service company. In contrast, only $124,000 was spent on locally produced goods from 2021 to 2024.

This gap between policy and practice is striking. While millions flow to national suppliers, local producers receive just a fraction of that support. To put it in perspective, the YAA spent nearly $30,000 on local food during just two events held between November and July. That is nearly a quarter of the total the Yukon government spent on local food over three years.

To help close that gap, the YAA is calling for a more immediate and realistic milestone: five per cent by the end of 2025. The goal would be backed by practical tools to support procurement leads and decision-makers.

While this target is directed at public institutions, the Association is also encouraging foodservice operators, retailers, and everyday Yukoners to take a closer look at where their food comes from and who it supports. Choosing local helps Yukon producers build stability, grow their operations, and invest in the long-term health of the territory’s food system.

“Every meal is a choice. We can keep importing food from thousands of kilometres away, or we can invest in growing agriculture right here at home,” said Cain Vangel, president of the Yukon Agricultural Association. “Northern food security isn’t just about reducing imports. It means building a thriving local agricultural economy that supports today’s farmers and creates real opportunities for the next generation. It is about long-term resilience, succession, and building a legacy of self-reliance in the North.”

The YAA’s call to action aligns with the Yukon Food Security Network’s phased procurement targets — five per cent in 2025, 10 per cent in 2026, and 15 per cent in 2027, it reflects a growing consensus that tangible shifts in procurement are needed to turn policy into progress.

“This is about more than policy. It is about creating stable markets, supporting next-generation farmers, and building a more sustainable food system for the long term,” said Vangel. “Shifting just five per cent of what we buy toward local food keeps food dollars in Yukon, builds resilience and gives producers a stable market. It will make a meaningful difference for communities and for Yukon’s future. With only months left in 2025, we need to act.”

Yukon producers say a five per cent commitment would offer more than just symbolic support — it would provide the predictability and confidence needed to grow.

“A five per cent procurement commitment might not sound like much, but compared to the less than one per cent we see today, it would change everything," said Alan Stannard, an egg producer based in Whitehorse. “It gives us the confidence to go to banks, invest in equipment, grow more food, and hire staff knowing there’s a stable buyer on the other side. We want to feed Yukon, but we need Yukon to meet us halfway.”

About the Yukon Agricultural Association

The Yukon Agricultural Association (YAA) represents farmers, producers, and agri-food businesses across the territory. YAA advocates for the growth, sustainability, and security of Yukon’s agriculture sector, and provides tools, resources, and policy leadership to support a thriving northern food system. For more information, visit www.yukonag.ca.

Yukon Ag by the Numbers

A snapshot of what Yukon producers deliver every year — and the growing potential of our local food system.

Vegetables

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  575,000 lbs of potatoes

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  238,000 lbs of carrots

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  36,000 lbs of beets

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  8,500 lbs of parsnips

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  48,000 lbs of cabbage

Eggs & Dairy

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  133,800 dozen eggs laid annually by Yukon hens

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  10,000+ litres of fresh milk

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  1,076 litres of heavy cream

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  220 kg of Yukon-made butter

Media: For more information, please contact saskia@6seedsconsulting.com.