CFA in Action

I f there is anything you would like to submit for inclusion in CFA in Action, please let us know by noon the Friday before each update. Please send your information to [email protected].

We ask that you further distribute these briefs to your membership.

Nominations Open for Pollinator Award

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award.

The award, which is made possible by the CFA, Pollinator Partnership, and Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, recognizes an individual or family in the farm and ranch community in Canada who has contributed significantly to pollinator species protection and conservation.

More information about the award and the nomination process can be found here . Nominations are open until August 12, 2016 . The recipient of the 2016 award will be recognized during an evening reception at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C. on October 18, 2016, and will also be featured in various industry publications across Canada.

Download the nomination form here.

Updates Made to CFA's APF Report

Based upon further industry outreach and engagement, CFA has made minor updates to its report regarding recommendations for the next agricultural policy framework. Highlights of the updates include: addressing program complexity and supplemental costs, AgriStability, labour, and reporting and transparency. The updated Positioning Canadian Agriculture for Continued Success can be found online here.

Canada Ratifies International Convention on Child Labour

On June 8, Canada ratified an international agreement to reduce child labour around the world. The International Labour Organization's Minimum Age Convention, 1973, requires participating countries to ban employment of children under 15 years old. It also prohibits hazardous work for those under 18 unless certain conditions are met. A statement from the labour department reassured local interests that the treaty is not expected to "negatively impact" Canadian businesses and operations such as family farms, or part-time work such as babysitting, camp counselling or other work that is commonly offered to adolescents in Canada. CFA will continue to monitor the implementation of any associated regulations and will continue to communicate any farm-related impacts to its members.

For more information on this convention, please contact Scott Ross.

CFA Makes Submission to HUMA Committee for TFWP Review

The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development, and the Status of Persons with Disabilities recently wrapped up its review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, with the final report anticipated for June 15. On May 31, CFA made a submission to the committee, highlighting support for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, the need for a dedicated Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce Program, and the need to access to the National Commodities List broadened in order to include other interested commodities.

CFA also advocated for increased pathways to permanent residency for agricultural workers, the removal of the cumulative duration limit for seasonal workers, and called for improved administration and processing times for agricultural LMIAs.

CFA's submission is available here. CFA will monitor the outcomes of the committee review and will continue to discuss these key issues with elected officials in June. For more information on the TFWP, please contact Scott Ross.

GROU Nominations

Product nominations are currently being accepted for the Grower Requested Own Use (GROU) program.

The GROU program allows Canadian producers to import pesticides from the U.S. provided they are deemed equivalent to those that are on the Canadian market. This is an important price discipline tool that has enabled many producers to access more economically priced inputs form the U.S. Please click here for a link to products that have been proposed in previous years that were not found to be eligible and the reason why, and here for a list of current products.

If you would like more information about the GROU program, or to submit a product for consideration, please contact Drew Black.

AAFC Holds Engagement Session on Next APF

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) held a National Engagement Session for the next agricultural policy framework (APF) on


	Minister MacAulay speaks to those in attendance at a recent engagement session on the next APF.

June 9 in Ottawa. The session, which was opened by Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, was held to engage industry stakeholders on key themes and issues relating to the next agricultural policy framework.

Some key themes that emerged from the discussions were:

- Industry support for the AgriMarketing, AgriInnovation, and AgriCompetitiveness programs, barring some administrative adjustments;

- Diverging opinions and concerns around how the food processing sector will be supported under the next APF;

- The need to maintain provincial flexibility for some issues, while building greater national uniformity for other programming areas; and

- Strong support for continued investment in AAFC's Market Access Secretariat.

The session did not get into the details of specific programming, as it is expected there will be further engagement opportunities in the fall pertaining to thematic policies and programs. AAFC officials were clear that they are not expecting a larger funding envelope for the next policy framework, but that the next APF would have to include the processing sector more fully.

If you would like to learn more about this engagement session, please contact either Scott Ross or Drew Black.

CFA Hosts Discussion with MPs on Farm and Food Labour

CFA President Ron Bonnett leads a discussion during a roundtable session with MPs on agriculture and agri-food labour issues.

On June 6, the CFA hosted a discussion with MPs and staff from across political parties regarding labour issues facing the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Sponsored by MP Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, this session provided an opportunity for CFA to bring farm and food businesses together with elected officials to discuss the labour challenges they face and the opportunities they present to communities across Canada.

CFA President Ron Bonnett led the roundtable discussion that engaged MPs from all parties to ask questions of agri-food businesses and share their perspectives on what is an increasingly challenging labour market for agri-food businesses across Canada.

CFA took the opportunity to share its views on current labour-related programming and will be following up with participants over the coming weeks. Additional information on this roundtable discussion is available by contacting Scott Ross.

Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change

CFA recently participated in stakeholder engagement sessions held on behalf of three of the four working groups tasked with developing recommendations for a national climate policy. This included a presentation to the adaptation and resiliency working group and participating in group and plenary discussion of a joint carbon price and mitigation working group session. During this time, CFA also submitted its official position on the Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change to ensure that producers' interests will be well respected in the eventual policy. At this time, CFA is expecting to be invited to the fourth engagement opportunity for the clean technology working group, although details of the session remain in development.

The federal, provincial and territorial governments established a process in March 2016 that launched four working groups to develop options for a framework to address climate change for all of Canada, which will be reviewed by environment ministers from the various governments in September. A final decision on a national climate change framework is expected to be made at a First Ministers meeting in October 2016 and will be subject to further negotiations with the provinces regarding how their respective policies can be integrated.

For more information, please contact Drew Black.

CAHRC Survey

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is reaching out to farm owners across Canada and asking them to participate in a short online survey to assist in the development of a National Occupation Standard for crops. This survey is part of CAHRC's research regarding the National Agricultural Occupational Framework (NAOF).

This survey gives farmers an opportunity to share their input on the job skills required for various roles in an operation. These job skills were identified through extensive national consultation with industry peers. The NAOF framework will form the basis of on-the-farm training that supports a strong, skilled agricultural workforce and improves the training process for farm owners.

Four surveys have been prepared allowing participants to complete one or more depending on their level of experience. Each survey focuses on a specific role (entry-level farm worker, experienced farm worker, farm supervisor, farm manager). Producers are invited fill out more than one survey if they have time.

To take the survey, click here and then select the "Crops" option. The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, and responses will remain anonymous.

The survey will be available online until June 30, 2016.

AAFC Agro-Ecosystem Resiliency Workshop

CFA recently attended a two-day workshop in Ottawa organized by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Science and Technology Branch. The workshop brought leading public sector agricultural researchers together to identify challenges and brainstorm opportunities for collective action and how individual research projects can address a larger outcome.

Drew Black, CFA's Director of Environment and Science Policy, presented to the group on CFA's research policy, some of the relevant recommendations for the next agricultural policy framework, and some of the challenges and opportunities that producers are expected to experience in the coming years, with recommendations on how public sector research can better align and support producers.

If you would like more information on this matter, please contact Drew Black.

Feed Regulatory Modernization Proposals

Four proposals from CFIA are currently available for comment until July 15 as part of the Feed Regulations Modernization. These proposals include Permissible Claims on Feed Labels, Required Nutrient Guarantees, Veterinary Biologics in Feeds, and Standards for Weed Seeds in Livestock Feeds.

The proposals, as well as background information, can be found here.