Ministers agreed on the sustainable agriculture approach needed to help shape the next policy framework, which includes environmental, social, and economic considerations in all priority areas. They also reached a consensus on the following five priority areas for the next framework: climate change and the environment; science, research, and innovation; market development and trade; building sector capacity and growth; and resiliency and public trust.

The vision agreed upon by Ministers for the next agricultural policy framework charts an ambitious path for the sector. It states that:

“Canada is recognized as a world leader in sustainable agriculture and agri-food production and drives forward to 2028 from a solid foundation of regional strengths and diversity, as well as the strong leadership of the Provinces and Territories, in order to rise to the climate change challenge, to expand new markets and trade while meeting the expectations of consumers, and to feed Canadians and a growing global population.”

Ministers also agreed to continue to improve the suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to make them timely, equitable, and easy to understand, while supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector.

During the conference, Ministers made progress on other key action areas that will help position the sector for economic recovery and sustainable growth, including labor, African swine fever, Animal Health Canada, trade and market access, regulatory priorities (including interprovincial trade and the Canadian Plant Health Council), retail fees, and mental health.

The post Canada’s Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture Set the Direction for the Next Agricultural Framework appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

On August 20, 2021, the following questions were sent to each party. As of September 14, 2021, we heard back from four parties. Should other parties submit their answers, we will update the survey.

The six policy questions are:

1. As the next federal government, what would your top priorities be for farmers and the agriculture industry across the prairies?
2. International trade is a key factor for prairie farmers. What is your party’s position on free and competitive markets, including the elimination of export subsidies, the reduction of trade-distorting domestic support and reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers that inhibit foreign market access?
3. Will your party support the reporting of daily / weekly grain and oilseed export sales?
4. Moving grain and oilseeds to market is vital for the entire food supply chain. Farmers depend on a modern transportation infrastructure to move seed and fertilizer as well as the export of grain. What are your party’s position on the grain transportation system and the ability to maintain an accountable and efficient system considering possible future overcrowding on the rail system? How will your party support rural infrastructure investment?
5. The current regulatory process for the approval of agricultural innovations that make farmers more profitable and sustainable is slow and burdensome. What will your party do to expedite a science-based regulatory approval process for the introduction of new technologies, including the adoption of genetically modified crops?
6. The current government has called for a 30% reduction in fertilizer emissions. Currently, there is no plan of how to achieve this, without a 30% reduction in the use of fertilizer. What will your government do with this proposal?

The post Western Canadian Wheat Growers Review Federal Political Parties Ag Policy appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.