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FPT ministers outline goals for next ag policy framework

Following last week’s federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture meeting, the ministers have released the Guelph Statement as a set of guidelines for the next agricultural policy framework. The next policy framework will come into play in 2023, when the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) ends.

The statement emphasizes the need for a sustainable agriculture approach in shaping the next policy framework, which includes environmental, social and economic considerations in all priority areas. The ministers agreed on the following five priority areas for the next framework: (1) climate change and the environment; (2) science, research and innovation; (3) market development and trade; (4) building sector capacity and growth; and (5) resiliency and public trust.

“We all want to ensure that our agriculture is sustainable and that our farmers and agri-food entrepreneurs succeed. They must be incredibly resilient and innovative in the face of many challenges, including climate change, fluctuations in international trade, and labour shortages,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food. “Together, we will invest wisely to grow the sector while protecting our environment, reducing our emissions and safeguarding the well-being of those who ensure our food security.”

The FPT ministers also agreed to continue to improve the suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to make them timely, equitable, and easy to understand, while supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector.

During the conference, the FPT ministers made progress on other key action areas that will help position the sector for economic recovery and sustainable growth, including labour, African swine fever, Animal Health Canada, trade and market access, regulatory priorities (including interprovincial trade and the Canadian Plant Health Council), retail fees, and mental health.

“The discussions over the last few days focused on the need to continue our efforts to build a competitive, sustainable agriculture sector that is well positioned for growth and includes the use of research, technology and innovation to help us meet the challenges of the future, and the Guelph Statement reflects this,” said Lisa Thompson, Ontario minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, who co-hosted the conference with Bibeau.

“Our discussions on strengthening collaboration, improving agri-food labour capacity, supporting innovation, increasing trade and investment, enhancing mental health supports for farmers and their families, and protecting our hog sector from African Swine Fever were extremely productive.”

For more information on the Guelph Statement, visit the Ag Canada FPT conference summary