Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced Canada's first-ever National Food Security Strategy. Backed by more than $3 billion over 10 years, here is what it does and who it helps.

Breaking the grip of the Big Five

Five companies -- Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro, Costco, and Walmart -- control 75% of Canada's grocery market. That level of concentration drives prices up and keeps independent grocers from competing effectively.

The centrepiece of the new strategy is $1 billion in food infrastructure: new terminals and distribution hubs specifically designed to let independent grocers buy directly from Canadian farmers and processors, bypassing the big chains entirely.

The goal is to inject real competition into a market that has had very little.

Direct relief for Canadians right now

The strategy also includes immediate financial help. A family of four receives up to $1,890 this year through the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, and roughly $1,400 annually for the next four years. Single Canadians receive up to $950 this year.

More than 12 million Canadians are eligible.

Building domestic food capacity

The strategy addresses why Canada imports so much food it could grow itself. Immediate tax expensing for new greenhouse construction will boost domestic production of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Support for small and medium food processors will help them modernize and compete. And $20 million goes directly to food banks and community food organizations through the Local Food Infrastructure Fund.

The bigger picture

As Carney put it: "A country that can't feed itself or fuel itself or defend itself isn't truly sovereign."

This strategy is partly about affordability and partly about resilience -- reducing Canada's dependence on foreign supply chains that global disruptions and trade tensions have shown to be fragile.

It is an ambitious plan. The real test will be implementation, and Canadians will be watching.