The following is an an overview of the six key takeaways outlined in the RBC’s latest report, Food First: How agriculture can lead a new era of Canadian exports.

U.S. trade tensions have cast a spotlight on Canadian food trade: American tariff threats pose a special challenge to Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports, as they now account for 20 per cent of U.S. agri-food imports.

Exports to the U.S. are growing: More than 60 per cent of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food exports go to the U.S.—and the value of those exports has quadrupled since 2000.

Canada is falling behind competitors globally: Canada’s position in global agriculture and agri-food trade has slipped to 7th from 5th place, and could drop to 9th by 2035 if corrective measures aren’t taken.

Rivals are gaining ground in the world’s top growth markets: Emerging competitors like Brazil have gained ground in Africa and the Middle-East, while traditional rivals like Australia are gaining market share in Southeast Asia.

Canada can increase its global share by 30%: With the right investments, Canada can increase global share from 3.7 per cent to 4.8 per cent to regain 5th place in exports, according to new modelling, adding $44 billionto agriculture and agri-food export value by 2035.

A clear plan is critical: To regain market share, Canada needs to focus on innovation, investment, export-oriented infrastructure, digital infrastructure and overseas agri-food promotion.