CFA in Action - Last Week for AgriInvest Survey, Social License...

I f you have anything you would like to include in the 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.

Please note that as a result of CFA's Board Meeting taking place November 9-10, there will be no CFA in Action distributed next week. Our regular schedule will resume the week of November 16.

CFA's AgriInvest Survey Closes this Friday

This week is your last chance to take part in CFA's AgriInvest survey. The CFA and its member organizations need your help in understanding how the AgriInvest program is used and where you see the most potential value in the program as a tool for risk management and/or strategic investment. Fill out this survey, it will only take three to five minutes, and help us get the information we need to design a better AgriInvest program. The survey closes Friday, November 6.

From the CFA Archives

In honour of Wednesday's swearing-in ceremony for the new Liberal government, we have dug up a video of Justin Trudeau speaking at CFA's 2014 annual general meeting on his priorities for Canadian agriculture. Click here to watch.

As for tomorrow's swearing-in proceedings, Trudeau and his incoming cabinet ministers will arrive together at the Governor General's residence for the 10:30 a.m. EST ceremony. Detailed information on tomorrow's ceremony can be found here.

CFA Risk Management Working Group Meeting

On Monday, November 2, CFA's Risk Management Working Group met via conference call to review member's perspectives on the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) program and develop a policy statement as to how it fits within the next agriculture policy framework (APF). The working group also discussed how a future APF might address viability concerns arising when segments of the industry face long-term income declines. Business risk management programs were explored for potential solutions to this issue and amendments to help mitigate the impacts will be recommended to the APF committee. In addition, members acknowledged the need for a broader strategic approach to maintain the viability and capacity of industry segments facing long-term margin volatility and declines, particularly given the potential opportunities arising from recent trade negotiations. These issues will be discussed further by the APF committee and CFA Board of Directors on November 9.

In addition, MNP's Director of Farm Income Programs, Steve Funk, provided the working group with a webinar detailing the calculation of structural changes on farms under AgriStability. This information will continue to inform CFA's work to improve AgriStability's transparency and predictability.

For additional information on CFA's Risk Management Working Group, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected], or 613-236-3633, ext. 2324.

PMRA Advisory Committee

On October 30, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency's Economic Management Advisory Committee met in Ottawa to receive updates on PMRA's performance in meeting timelines and performance indicators. This included statistics on categories of submissions by registrants and PMRA's progress in processing them. The meeting also heard an update on PMRA's thinking regarding conditional registrations of new active ingredients. It is expected that the PMRA will issue less conditional registrations and for a shorter amount of time in response to perceptions of the practice. There is also the expectation that more full registrations will be issued and shorter time frames will be given for registrants to provide additional data if required in order to meet full registration. Additionally, PMRA will be looking to reduce the number of on-hold submissions where registrants have not been active in furthering the process along and close the submission if necessary.

PMRA also offered a preview of a forthcoming mobile app that will be available in order to search for and access pesticide labels. There was also some discussion regarding the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development's upcoming report on the safety and accessibility of pesticides, which will be tabled in Parliament but no timelines have been set.

For more information, please contact Drew Black at [email protected] or 613-236-3633, ext. 2328.

Update on Maximum Residue Limits

The progress of conducting a risk assessment of global maximum residue limits (MRLs) for some of Canada's most important export crops was discussed when funding partners for the project met on October 28. Initial databases have been created and refinement of the risk assessment is ongoing by active ingredient, crop and country. This meeting also strategized for the joint industry-government taskforce on MRLs, which met immediately following.

The joint industry-government meeting provided an update of the international meetings related to MRLs that the government of Canada has participated in and a discussion of international trends that are impacting MRLs. The meeting also included a discussion of a proposal to establish mutual recognition of another country's MRLs when Canada did not have an MRL established, and vice-versa. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and others with government, raised issue with the potential human health implications of this if the foreign risk assessment is not properly validated by Canada. This would be of more concern for some countries than others. The meeting also discussed responsible commercialization and grower advisories so that producers are not left unable to sell their crop, or forced to take a lower price because not all export markets have established MRLs for new active ingredients.

If you would like more information on the discussions that took place regarding MRLs, please contact Drew Black at [email protected] or 613-236-3633, ext. 2328.

Work Continues on Ag Social License

On October 27, a meeting was held in Winnipeg, MB as a follow-up to CFA's July 2015 FPT Roundtable discussions regarding social license for Canadian agriculture. This recent meeting brought together 22 representatives from across the value chain, and the provincial and federal governments to discuss the development of a proposed process to further public trust and transparency in Canadian agriculture.

It is expected that a second meeting will be held early in 2016 to continue refining the initial proposal that this group has developed.

This small meeting aimed to reaffirm what was heard at the CFA FPT Roundtable this past summer and develop an initial process that could be brought to a larger group for additional refinement. However, more discussion is still required at this time in order to reach a consensus on a process model that can be presented to industry and government stakeholders.

This meeting and other social license matters will be discussed at CFA's Board of Directors meeting on November 9 in Ottawa. For more information, please contact Drew Black at [email protected] or 613-236-3633 ext. 2328.

Survey Examines Barriers to Women in Agriculture

As part of its three-year research project, Supporting the Advancement of Women in Agriculture, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is conducting a survey to examine possible barriers to women advancing to leadership roles in agriculture.

Both women and men are invited to complete the 15-minute survey available here, which will be open until November 30.

The project involves a comprehensive assessment of the current situation facing women aspiring to senior management and executive positions in agriculture by collaborating with project partner organizations and others within the CAHRC network. Using a gender lens, the assessment will explore the contribution of women to the industry, the barriers they experience, prioritize options for improvements, and assess the effectiveness of current services.

The information garnered will inform the development of programs and resources to assist women in agriculture as well as agricultural employers, organizations and training institutions to strengthen access to leadership opportunities and business success for women working in agriculture.

For more information, please visit the CAHRC website.