Tofu Puffs

Sunrise Soya Foods, founded in Vancouver in 1956, produces Chinese-style tofu puffs and other tofu products entirely in-house at facilities in British Columbia and Ontario (Sunrise Soya Foods, 2026). The company sources soybeans domestically, primarily from Ontario and Quebec, which reduces environmental impacts associated with long-distance transportation (Cornucopia Institute, 2022). While soy-based foods generally have lower emissions than animal-based proteins, soybean cultivation still carries environmental risks, which are partially addressed through certification initiatives such as the Sustainable Canadian Soy Verification Program that encourage soil health, biodiversity protection, and sustainable land use (Soy Canada, n.d.).

Sunrise Soya Foods’ tofu puffs follow a relatively short, domestic supply chain, beginning with soybeans grown in Ontario and Quebec, processed in-house in BC and Ontario, and distributed to grocery stores, restaurants, and institutions across Canada (Cornucopia Institute, 2022; Government of British Columbia, n.d.). Although they operate domestically, the company operates within global trade structures shaped by agreements such as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which facilitates trade and price stability but can limit Canada’s independence in developing its own economic policies (Global Affairs Canada, 2019; Haggart, 2018). Additionally, WTO food safety standards influence how soybeans are grown and processed, even when products do not cross international borders.

Sunrise Soya Foods is embedded in a global soybean system shaped by liberalized trade and corporate concentration. Trade liberalization can stabilize prices but may also reduce domestic supply and reinforce export-oriented pressures (Qiao et al., 2023). Since approximately 85% of soybeans are used for animal feed, food-grade soy production competes within a system dominated by large agribusiness interests (Voora et al., 2020). This imbalance is intensified by labour issues including reliance on seasonal migrant workers with limited job security (Fuller & Vosko, 2008), and by anti-competitive practices in the grain sector that benefit large corporations over producers and consumers (Holtslander, 2023).

To improve balance within the supply chain, stronger competition enforcement is needed to limit corporate concentration in the grain sector and protect farmers’ bargaining power (Holtslander, 2023). The Canadian government has bureaus to mitigate these issues, but they are being underused which puts pressures on consumers and local farmers.

Cornucopia Institute. (2022). Soyganic scorecard: Sunrise Soya Foods. https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/soy/soyganic/

Fuller, S., & Vosko, L. F. (2008). Temporary employment and social inequality in Canada: Exploring intersections of gender, race and immigration status. Social Indicators Research, 88(1), 31–50. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27734685

Global Affairs Canada. (2019). Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement: Sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Government of Canada. https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/cusma-aceum/sanitary_measures-mesures_sanitaires.aspx?lang=eng

Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). Sunrise Soya Foods. BC Food Directory. https://bcfooddirectory.gov.bc.ca/producer/sunrise-soya-foods/

Haggart, B. (2018, October 5). NAFTA has been replaced, but at what cost to Canada? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/nafta-has-been-replaced-but-at-what-cost-to-canada-104174

Holtslander, C. (2023, June 27). Bunge–Viterra merger has drastic implications for Canadian farmers. National Farmers Union. https://www.nfu.ca/bunge-viterra-merger-has-drastic-implications-for-cdn-farmers/

Qiao, C., Cheng, C., & Ali, T. (2023). How climate change and international trade will shape the future global soybean security pattern. Journal of Cleaner Production, 422, Article 138603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138603

Soy Canada. (n.d.). Sustainability Canadian soy verification program. https://soycanada.ca/sustainability/sustainability-canadian-soy-verification-program/

Sunrise Soya Foods. (2026). Our story. https://sunrise-soya.com/our-story/

Voora, V., Larrea, C., & Bermudez, S. (2020). Global market report: Soybeans (S. Baliño, Ed.). International Institute for Sustainable Development. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep26554