CFA in Action - Pollinator Award, Farm Tax Update...

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Pollinator Award Presented to Ontario Farmer

The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) held its 15th annual conference in Washington, DC from October 21-22. The conference heard updates on the U.S. strategy to protect pollinators, along with work conducted by various task forces over the last year on many areas that affect pollinator health, and presentations from scientists on all factors affecting the health of honeybees and native pollinators. The scientific consensus continued to reflect the fact that there are significant multifaceted issues affecting pollinator and honeybee health in North America and any health linkage to field-level exposure of neonicotinoids remains difficult to prove causation.

At the NAPPC reception hosted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, CFA's Drew Black presented the 2015 Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award to David Ainslie from Essex County in Ontario. David has been a conservation leader throughout his farming career, adopting new practices and ever innovating as he looks to improve biodiversity on his farm.

The award, which is co-sponsored by the CFA, the Pollinator Partnership and the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association, collects nominations from across Canada and is given annually to recognize the contributions Canadian farmers make towards protecting our country's pollinators and pollinator habitats.

For more information on the award and other initiatives CFA is involved with regarding pollinator protection, please click here or contact Drew Black at [email protected] or 613-236-3633, ext. 2328.

CAFA Farm Tax Update

On Thursday, October 22, CFA staff took part in a day-long seminar on farm taxes put together by the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA). This event provided overviews and discussion on a wide array of farm tax issues, including updates on recently proposed changes. One area of particular interest to CFA members is a suite of proposed changes to the Section 55(2) of the Income Tax Act, which were introduced as draft legislation on July 31, 2015. While the future of this draft legislation remains unclear due to the recent federal election, these proposals have bearing on the flexibility with which producers and other businesses can reorganize their corporations on a tax-deferred basis.

Section 55(2) outlines the conditions under which dividends can be used when undertaking tax-deferred corporate reorganizations. Historically, any transaction only involving related parties was exempted from this anti-avoidance rule, which can deem the use of such dividends as the proceeds of a sale and result in unexpected capital gains or other forms of taxable revenue. CFA has raised concerns with this provision in the past, as it does not deem siblings as related, creating costs, complexity and barriers for siblings trying to reorganize their operations following an intergenerational transfer. While the details of these proposed changes are beyond the scope of this newsletter, they require that any use of dividends to enact a tax-deferred reorganization (even between related individuals) would have to pass additional tests that further complicate the process.

For those interested in greater detail on these changes, a letter was submitted to Finance Canada from the Joint Committee on Taxation of the Canadian Bar Association and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, requesting that this section of the Income Tax Act remain largely untouched and additional anti-avoidance legislation be put in place. CFA will monitor any developments with relation to this proposal under the new government, to ensure additional red tape and supplemental costs are not imposed on producers trying to reorganize their operations within the family.

For more information, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected] or 613-236-3633 ext. 2324.

CFA is Hiring!

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is looking to fill the position of Administrative Assistant/Event Planner. This position is bilingual imperative. To view the full job description, please click here. Qualified candidates should submit their CV to [email protected] no later than end of business day November 5, 2015.

National 4R Nutrient Stewardship Survey Closes this Sunday

Fertilizer Canada, in partnership with Farm Management Canada, invites you to participate in an online survey exploring nutrient stewardship practices on Canadian farms, and the tools and information necessary to increase awareness and adoption of stewardship practices.

Today's farmers live in a world of increasing pressure to produce while managing environmental, social and economic pressures. Environmental concerns and increased food demand especially, are creating challenges farmers have never seen before. Fertilizer is a component of sustainable crop production systems, and a vital part of farm management. Farmers require the information, resources and tools to efficiently utilize these and other soil nutrients to continue to produce food in an economic, environmental and socially-sustainable manner.

To take the National 4R Nutrient Stewardship Survey (which should only take about 15 minutes), please click here. The survey is open until November 1, 2015. More details about the survey can be found here.

Global Climate Change Negotiations

In early December, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will host negotiators, ministers and heads of state from around the world in Paris, France with the aim of negotiating the next global climate change agreement. Largely expected to be successful in this round of negotiating, the agreement is also likely to be a binding one, but one that may not limit greenhouse gas emissions.

The CFA holds accreditation to this meeting and is able to register observers to attend. If you are interested in attending, please contact Drew Black at your earliest convenience at [email protected] or 613-236-3633 ext. 2328.

Deadline Approaching for AgriInvest Survey

Are you a producer who wants a better AgriInvest program? One that allows you to better manage risk and invest in your farm? If yes, then the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and its member organizations need your help in understanding how the 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.

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.