The COVID-19 pandemic being unprecedented, has caused significant economic hardship and death throughout the world. However, it has also helped identify the agri-food supply chain as an essential sector. And while the sector has risen to the task of supplying safe and healthy food to Canadians in the face of this pandemic, there have been some challenges along the way. The Special Issue of the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics draws on the expertise of Canada’s agricultural economics profession to describe and analyse some of the key issues facing the sector in an interesting and thoughtful read. The Special Issue is accessible here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17447976/0/ja