CFA in Action - WFO Meeting, UPOV 91...

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Federal Election Preparations and Resources

After discussions with CFA members, CFA staff has developed messaging on its election asks which will be reviewed by the CFA Board of Directors this week. In the weeks following, members can expect messaging on the election asks, handouts, an updated Economics Facts on Canadian Agriculture infographic, a database of candidates in each constituency across Canada, a comparison chart of party platforms and CFA asks/policies, graphics for social media use, among other items. The resources will be shared through email to our members and in CFA in Action. For more information, please contact Jessica Goodfellow at [email protected].

WFO General Assembly

CFA President Ron Bonnett speaks during the Smart Solutions for Climate Evolution panel at the WFO general assembly.

CFA President Ron Bonnett and a well-represented delegation of CFA members attended the 5th annual general assembly of the World Farmers' Organisation (WFO) last week in Milan. The meeting brought together farmers from around the world (47 countries were represented) in a fitting venue as Milan plays host to the 2015 World Expo under the theme "Feeding the Planet - Energy for Life."

Newly elected WFO President, Dr. Evelyn Nguleka, speaks at the WFO general assembly in Milan.

The three-day meeting began with a series of concurrent workshops, providing members with the opportunity to discuss best management practices and showcase solutions to emerging and ongoing challenges under the broad themes of capacity building, innovation and climate services. Debra Pretty-Straathof, CFA's WFO Women's Committee representative, presented on a panel showcasing water saving techniques used in Canada.

Debra Pretty-Straathof, CFA's WFO Women's Committee representative, presents on a panel showcasing water saving techniques used in Canada during the WFO general assembly.

Members worked together to help strengthen the young organization, discussing and making amendments to statutes, policy papers and the creation of a series of targeted working groups to focus on a number of key policy areas. At the meeting, Dr. Evelyn Nguleka, President of the Zambia National Farmers' Union, was elected WFO President. A veterinarian and farmer, Dr. Nguleka had been acting in the position since former WFO President Peter Kendall resigned from the position last October.

Panel discussions on the third day brought together various stakeholder experts and WFO members to discuss challenges and opportunities facing the agri-food sector under four key topics. Ron Bonnett participated in the panel on Smart Solutions for Climate Evolution. Other panels included: Responding to the Nine Billion World Population with Sustainable, Equitable and Inclusive Solutions; Meeting Growing Agricultural Challenges with Innovative Solutions; and From Farm to Market, Responding to a Social Mandate from Agropreneurial Perspective. A common theme of ensuring profitability while building trust in responding to consumer demands ran through several of the panels and showcased how, despite size, location or commodity, farmers are dedicated to working together to feed the growing global population in a sustainable and innovative manner.

Next year's general assembly is slated for Zambia in April and Finland has offered to host the event in 2017.

Canada Officially Ratifies UPOV 91 Convention

On June 19, Canada formally ratified the 1991 convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). Following the royal assent of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act, on February 27, 2015, new varieties of wheat, oat, flax, and potatoes have already become available and this ratification confirms to the world that Canada supports an agricultural sector that is sustainable and competitive and that domestic and international investment is welcome.

Although Canada has been operating under the convention since February, it has now been formally announced to the rest of the world. As a member of Partners in Innovation, CFA was instrumental in supporting these amendments to Canada's Plant Breeders' Rights legislation found in Bill C-18. Moving forward, CFA looks forward to participating in the subsequent regulatory discussions and consultations that will shape the implementation of this convention to ensure that producers will reap the benefits of these amendments and the subsequent investments that take place.

If you have any questions, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected].

2016 Census of Agriculture Questionnaire Released

On June 20, the Canada Gazette Part 1 published an order of council prescribing the questions to be asked in the 2016 Census of Agriculture. Based on a series of consultations that began in fall of 2013, in which CFA provided feedback, Statistics Canada has amended the 2011 questionnaire to reduce administrative burden for producers while creating additional questions to address emerging agricultural issues. The most notable amendments to the questionnaire include a broader array of questions covering on-farm technology use, the existence of written succession plans, renewable energy systems on farm, and the quantity and methods used in direct sales from producers to consumers. Many of these additions reflect recommendations put forward by CFA in the earlier stages of consultation and should help policy-makers better understand a number of emerging issues in Canadian agriculture.

At the same time, questions on operating expenses have been significantly reduced as a result of Statistics Canada's integration of other sources of administrative data. This will result in the same information being collected, but with fewer questions on the actual census document to be filled out.

For a copy of the questions to be included in the new questionnaire, you can go to vol. 149 of the Canada Gazette Part 1 here and a copy of the 2011 questionnaire is available here for comparison.

For more information on the census questionnaire and the processes moving forward, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected].

Draft Comments on CFIA Proposed Text

The Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition (CSCFSC), of which the CFA is a member, has released initial draft comments on CFIA proposed regulatory text as part of the regulatory modernization initiative. The extensive proposed text from CFIA can be found here and as you may recall has been released ahead of being published in Canada Gazette Part I.

Please return any comments you may have to Drew Black at [email protected] before July 22 in order to coordinate our feedback to the CSCFSC and further development of CFA's position.

CRA's Red Tape Reduction Report Released

On June 19 the Canada Revenue Agency released its report entitled 'We Heard You: Cut red tape for small and medium businesses', reflecting the results of 2014 red tape reduction consultations that a number of CFA members participated in. The report highlights what CFA has accomplished on this front since 2012 and focuses on the next steps to be taken, based on the feedback received in 2014. A copy of the report is available here and includes commitments to improve plain language guidance documents, simplifying information access, improved online and telephone servicing, and ensuring businesses have the information needed to submit information properly in the first place.

Forum on Canada's Agri-Food Future 2015

The Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute (CAPI) and Canada 2020, alongside partners like the CFA, are working together to put together a forum that strives to help Canadians define "what's possible" for one of the country's most important sectors: agri-food. The forum will take place at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa on November 3 and 4, 2015. As stated on the forum's website, "People are linking what nourishes them to the health of agricultural systems, the soil, water, animals, and so on, and to their own wellbeing. Canada is among the few places on earth that can deliver what consumers will increasingly expect, and do so reliably. So, how can our country best leverage this?" This forum looks to help shape Canada's food destiny by creating a newly-imagined future that offers the best possible outcomes for Canadians and our agri-food industry.

To learn more about this forum, check out this document and this discussion paper as sources of additional information. Producer groups and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit discussion documents in advance of the meeting, addressing the following questions:

1. Should Canada aim to become the most trusted food system in the world?

2. Can we produce all our food in a way that enhances water quality and removes carbon?

3. Will Canada's food future be largely determined by those outside food supply chains?

To submit ideas or feedback to CAPI directly, send comments to [email protected]. For additional information on the conference and CFA's role, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected].

Access to Global MRL Database

The CFA is able, through the Maximum Residue Levels (MRL) Task Force, to provide complimentary logins to the Bryant Christie Global MRL Database to our members. In order to access this, unique email addresses must be identified to Drew Black in order to begin the authorization process. For more information on this please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

Agriculture Adaptation Working Group

The Agriculture Adaptation Working Group held a call on June 17 to discuss the results of a recent data gathering exercise to assess the degree to which different jurisdictions in Canada have conducted climate change risk assessments for agriculture. The working group members discussed potential follow up analysis of the results to take place during the summer, with the aim of reviewing them in the fall of 2015.

The Agriculture Adaptation Working Group is open to new industry and producer members. If you would like more information, please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

CFA Attends Canadian Cattlemen's Association BRM Meeting

On June 17, CFA staff attended a special meeting of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association's Domestic Agriculture Policy and Regulations Committee to discuss and recap Growing Forward 2. The goal of the meeting was to bring the committee to a common understanding of Growing Forward 2 and of committee members' thoughts leading into future discussions about Growing Forward 3.

CFA was invited alongside the Canadian Pork Council to inform these discussions and provide their own perspectives. CFA staff provided an overview of where current discussions have gone, including an overview of the most pressing issues identified by our Risk Management and Strategic Investments working groups. This discussion included a lengthy dialogue on the future of livestock price and production insurances, forage insurance, and the future of our existing BRM suite of programming. Moving forward, CFA will continue to reach out to other organizations to bring industry together around common messaging and recommendations for the future of Canadian agriculture policy. For more information on these discussions, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected].

Royal Assent of Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1

On June 24, federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver welcomed royal assent of the Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1, legislating key elements of the 2015 Federal Budget. This includes over-arching balanced budget legislation, reductions in the small business tax rate, an enhanced $1 million Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption, and a 10-year accelerated capital cost allowance for manufacturers to encourage investments in machinery and equipment, amongst other items. Earlier this year, CFA presented to the standing committee on finance and expressed support for the enhanced capital gains exemption, while encouraging governments to adopt further measures to improve the tax policy environment for intergenerational farm transfers.

A summary of the legislation is available here.

School's Out! Now's the Time to Promote Careers in Ag

With another school year at an end, many high school and post-secondary grads will be considering their next move in life and you can help young people around you consider a career in agriculture.

As an employer, you're going to be looking for energetic, enthusiastic people who want to learn and grow with this dynamic industry. It's a great message to spread - especially to the next generation. Here are some things you can do to either take advantage of the opportunity or add your voice to the conversation:

Highlight all the opportunity and value that agriculture brings to Canada and the world.
Talk about the exciting ag career opportunities and labour market information available from primary production to science and technology to marketing and finance.
Be open to starting conversations with your employees and colleagues.

If you're looking for more information about engaging the next generation, watch Ag More Than Ever's recent webinar - "Getting youth excited about ag" for tips, tools and insights.