Canada is moving toward treating products from cloned cattle and swine similarly to conventional food. Under the current policy direction, these foods may not require special labeling that clearly identifies them as originating from cloned animals.

For many people, the sudden acceptance of cloned-animal products raises concerns:

• Consumers may not know what they’re buying.

• Long-term generational safety data is limited.

• The policy removes transparency instead of increasing it.

• It comes at a time when food prices are already at record highs.

Canadian families understandably feel frustrated:
If food is becoming more expensive, why is it becoming less transparent at the same time?

Why this matters

Modern food systems already include industrial farming practices, antibiotic use, growth hormones, and highly processed feed. Adding cloned-animal products into the mix — with minimal labeling — feels like a step toward a more experimental, less natural food environment.

People want the right to choose what they consume. Many Canadians feel that this right is slipping away.

Croatia is a full EU member state. That means it follows the EU Novel Foods Regulation, which has strict rules surrounding any new food product, including lab-grown or cloned-meat foods.

Key differences:

• Novel foods must undergo rigorous scientific safety evaluations before entering the market.

• Approval happens at the EU level — not isolated national experiments.

• Regulations require clear traceability, controlled testing, and strict oversight.

• There is active EU debate on labeling, terminology, and consumer transparency.

In Croatia, novel food products can’t simply slide into grocery stores without a major regulatory process and clear oversight.

This EU-wide framework makes many Canadians feel safer about the food they’d be eating in Croatia.

One of the biggest shocks for Canadians visiting Croatia is how real the food feels.

Croatia still has a strong culture of:

• Family farms

• Seasonal produce

• Fishermen bringing in daily catch

• Open-air markets in every town

• Restaurants sourcing directly from local producers

Markets in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Šibenik, Zadar, and coastal towns are filled with fresh vegetables, fruit, cheeses, honey, cured meats, olives, and fish caught that same morning.

This isn’t an artisanal trend — it’s simply how people shop.

And because consumers can speak directly with the farmers, you always know:

• where your food was grown

• what animals were fed

• how ingredients were raised or produced

Croatia has supermarkets like any modern country, but the culture of food is rooted in local, fresh, traditional ingredients — the opposite of Canada’s increasingly industrialized system.

The food issue is only one part of the picture.

Canada’s central bank recently warned that Canadians should prepare for a lower standard of living if economic conditions don’t significantly change.

Combine this with:

• high rent and mortgage payments

• inflation outpacing wages

• growing household debt

• rising food, energy, and insurance costs

…and it is clear why so many Canadians feel squeezed.

For families already struggling month to month, the idea of a long-term economic decline is alarming.

Croatia does not pretend to be a high-income country. Salaries are lower than in Canada.
But the cost of living is also dramatically lower — usually by 15–30%.

Key differences:

• Rent is significantly cheaper.

• Utilities and food costs are more manageable.

• Public transportation is inexpensive.

• Dining out is more affordable.

• Healthcare costs are predictable and far lower than in North America.

When you combine lower costs with a slower Mediterranean pace of life, the result is often a higher perceived standard of living, even if income is lower.

With less financial stress, people find they have more time to:

• spend with family

• enjoy the outdoors

• take weekend trips around the coast

• eat real food

• build stronger work–life balance

Croatia proves that quality of life is not only about income — it’s about lifestyle.

Croatia offers several pathways for non-EU citizens who want to stay long-term.

1. Temporary residence (most common)

You can get a residence permit for reasons such as:

• employment

• running a business

• digital nomad status

• family reunification

• studying

• owning or long-term renting property (with conditions)

Each category has its own documentation requirements.

2. Digital nomad residence

Remote workers employed by non-Croatian companies can apply for a one-year temporary residence. This is becoming one of the quickest, simplest ways for Canadians to move legally.

3. EU Blue Card

For highly skilled professionals with Croatian employment contracts.

4. Permanent residence

Usually possible after five years of continuous temporary residence under the correct status.

5. Citizenship

Generally available after long-term residence, integration, and meeting language requirements. Croatia does not offer “instant citizenship” or investor passports.

If you’re serious about relocating, the process is very doable — as long as you follow the legal requirements carefully.

Only you can answer that.
But these are the questions many Canadians are now asking themselves:

• Do I feel comfortable with where Canada is heading?

• Do I feel safe with the food system?

• Can I afford a future here?

• Is my quality of life improving or declining?

• Do I want a simpler, healthier, more balanced lifestyle?

Croatia is not a perfect country, but it is a country where:

• people eat better

• life moves slower

• costs are lower

• community matters

• food is real

• the future feels more grounded

If you no longer recognize the Canada you grew up in, Croatia may offer the stability, lifestyle, and transparency you’re looking for.

If you’re concerned about Canada’s direction — the rising costs, the food policies, the declining standard of living — Croatia may offer a fresh start.

Book your consultation with Relocation Croatia and get a step-by-step plan tailored to your goals.

Your new chapter in the Adriatic might be closer than you think.