CFA in Action - Mandate Letters, CFA Board Meeting...

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PM Issues Ministerial Mandate Letters

In accordance with his commitment to transparency and accountability within the federal government, last week Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly released the mandate letters sent to his cabinet ministers. The mandate letter issued to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay references some key issues that Canadian producers have been wanting to see addressed - including review of the Canadian grain transportation system, investment in agricultural research, assessment of business risk management programs for farmers, and development of a Canadian food policy. The letter states: " You will implement our government's plan to help Canada's agriculture sector be more innovative, safer, and stronger. Canada's farmers, ranchers and food processors are the foundation of our food sector. Government must use its policy and financial tools to support the agricultural sector in its vital work."

You can read the entire mandate letter for Minister MacAulay here.

Also of interest is the ministerial mandate letter that was issued to Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland, which references the CETA and TPP trade deals, and states the need to "promote Canadian agricultural interests during future trade negotiations."

The first session of the 42nd Parliament is scheduled to open on Thursday, December 3 at 1:00 pm EST.

CFA Board Meeting

CFA's Board of Directors met in Ottawa November 9 and 10 to discuss challenges and recommendations for various priorities for the sector, including: social license, pollinator health, risk management, trade, research, and labour.

The board was thrilled to have an introductory conversation with Minister MacAulay, who called in to the meeting on November 9. Minister MacAulay introduced himself to the CFA Board and highlighted his commitment to cooperation between government and industry.

Continuing the hot topic of conservation regarding the new government, Gil Barrows gave a presentation on the new dynamic of Parliament and insight into post-election lobby strategies. He spoke to how CFA can best position itself to begin working with the Liberal government.

Following a report out of the 2012-2016 Strategic Plan, Doug McLarty led the Board in a preliminary, but very engaging, discussion on the next strategic plan for CFA. Development of the next strategic plan remains in the very early stages, and more discussion will take place on planning this strategy in the months to come.

The meeting also saw a motion passed to endorse the Agriculture Institute of Canada's (AIC) Research Policy. A comparison was presented of AIC's research policy with CFA's standing policy on research and the draft research policy as it relates to the next Agricultural Policy Framework. It was generally agreed that the policies are complimentary and that CFA would support the recommendations elaborated within AIC's policy, while also pursuing its own suite of policy recommendations. Additional details on this research policy are available by contacting Drew Black at [email protected].

The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be in February following CFA's annual general meeting.

APF Committee

On November 9, CFA's Agriculture Policy Framework (APF) Committee met to review draft policy language on the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act, BRM measures to address long-term income declines, as well as draft policy documents relating to strategic investments under the next APF in regards to business management, food safety, food processing, and research. These policy statements reflect the final components of a year-long policy development process with CFA members to identify what is needed for the next APF. Based on an overview of the trends from the initial APF to the current Growing Forward 2 framework, alongside the policy and program recommendations that the committee developed, the committee began discussing the key pillars that need to be reflected in the next APF. Preliminary discussion centred around the need to address climate change adaptation, industry resiliency, and the need to define the APF's role in promoting market responsiveness.

The committee's terms of reference conclude in February 2016, at which time the committee will present a comprehensive overview of industry positions for the next APF, including policy positions, program recommendations, and a set of key pillars that must be prioritized under the next APF.

For more information on this process and CFA's related policy positions, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected] or Drew Black at [email protected].

Food Security and Climate Change Symposium

On November 12 and 13, the Canadian Climate Forum hosted their annual symposium on the subject of food security.

The forum heard a presentation from Ron Bonnett, CFA President, that set the stage for the challenges and opportunities that agriculture will face in a changing climate and in meeting the growing global food demands. OFA President and CFA Director Don McCabe also presented at the symposium. He spoke on the critical role of soils and where agriculture is today in addressing mitigation of climate change.

For more information, please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

Forum on Canada's Agri-Food Future

Earlier this month, CFA President Ron Bonnett and policy staff attended the two-day conference, Forum on Canada's Agri-Food Future 2015, which focused on shaping the future of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors. The conference proceedings were focused on responding to a single question: 'Should Canada aim to become the most trusted food system in the world?' Throughout the conference a range of innovative speakers from across the agri-food sector presented varied perspectives on Canada's role in the global agri-food economy, highlighting potential sources of competitive advantage and discussing the role that quality and sustainability play in differentiating Canadian production.

Since CFA was a conference partner, Ron had the opportunity to take part in a follow-up discussion focused on summarizing the outcome of the conference discussions, which is expected to result in the release of a discussion paper regarding the future of Canada's agri-food sector.

For more information on the conference and CFA's involvement, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected] . A full agenda of the conference proceedings is available here.

Industrial Bio-products Value Chain Roundtable

A meeting of the Industrial Bio-products Value Chain Roundtable took place in Ottawa on November 10. The meeting heard a presentation from the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops, which is actively pursuing new members from participants of the Value Chain Roundtables (VCRTs). Representatives from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provided an update on internal working groups that address bioeconomy, and the VCRT working groups that are addressing issues of communication, feedstock quality, and supply and regulations.

For more information on these discussions, please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

CFA Meets with Federation of Swedish Farmers

CFA President Ron Bonnett and Errol Halkai, CFA's Trade Policy Consultant, pose with representatives from the Federation of Swedish Farmers.

On November 11, CFA President Ron Bonnett, CFA Vice-President Humphrey Banack, and CFA staff met with a delegation of farmers and staff from the Federation of Swedish Farmers for a discussion on issues of mutual importance.

Discussion between the two organizations addressed a range of topics, including Growing Forward 2 and business risk management programming, recent reforms of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, the Canada-EU trade agreement, and the new pressures producers face in maintaining their social license. Following the meeting, both parties attended a joint dinner and committed to continued dialogue and information-sharing on issues of mutual importance.

Agriculture Adaptation Working Group

The federal/provincial/territorial/industry Agriculture Adaptation Working Group held a call on November 5 to discuss submitting a presentation to the upcoming Adaptation Canada 2016 Conference, which will be held in Ottawa from April 12-14.

The working group agreed to develop and submit a presentation session abstract that would highlight the state of adaptation knowledge for agriculture in Canada, research results, joint industry - government approaches, and explore the role that ecological goods and services can play. The working group also heard an update from the provinces on their policy and program approaches to addressing climate change in agriculture.

If you would like more information on this working group, please contact Drew Black, at [email protected].

New Government Reinstates Long-Form Census

On November 5, Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced that the mandatory long-form census would be reinstated for 2016. This announcement reverses a decision made by the previous government, which saw the mandatory long-form census abandoned for a voluntary "National Household Survey" during the 2011 census due to privacy concerns. Following this decision, critics had raised concerns regarding the loss of detailed data which informed everything from urban planning to business forecasting. While details regarding the penalties associated with non-compliance are yet to be identified, the government has suggested the new long-form census will be on budget and on time for the 2016 census cycle.

Canadian Wetlands Roundtable

The fairly new Candian Wetlands Roundtable (CWR) held a call on November 6 to discuss opportunities to develop and host a series of workshops to take place throughout 2016. Participants formed informal sub-working groups to develop outlines for these proposed workshops on the following topics: wetland inventory, wetland policy, and ecological goods and services.

The roundtable participants also finalized and approved the strategic plan for the CWR, which sets out the following mission: "Secure Canada's position as a global leader in the responsible management, use and conservation of wetlands based on sound science."

For additional details on the CWR, please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

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.