Currently, 60 percent of the food produced in Canada is wasted – representing an extraordinary $50 billion in avoidable economic losses. The circular economy is a new paradigm of production and consumption where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. Canada is seeing the emergence of significant circular innovation in the food system, with circular ‘hot spots’ growing in places like Montreal and Guelph, where whole networks of firms are connecting to ‘upcycle’ or utilise the by-products of others. In this latest session of the Ivey Future of Agri-food Series, panelists explored emerging innovation for reducing, and ultimately eliminating, food waste and examine opportunities to increase the scale of practices that support the circular economy through finance and policy.