“Canada possesses significant agricultural potential, but legacy structures, regulatory fragmentation, aging infrastructure and heightened geopolitical trade risks are constraining the sector’s growth and competitiveness,” the report says.

“Rebuilding confidence among producers, investors and trading partners will require a clear, long-term vision for Canada’s agri-food system.”

The Canada West Foundation, a west-focused think tank, released Building Future Success: Growing Canada’s agricultural sector on February 19. It summarizes discussions from a roundtable of agriculture, business and government experts convened in late 2025.

It argues that the progress of Canadian agri-food as a priority depends on action across four interconnected themes:

• On-farm investment
• Market and product diversification
• Infrastructure
• Technology and innovation

On-farm investment

The report argues that Canada needs more small-scale investment opportunities, as most current infrastructure focuses on larger-scale projects. It also needs infrastructure upgrades to help mitigate the risks of climate change.

The report authors also note the opportunities with a new generation of producers.

“A generational shift is reinforcing this opportunity,” the report reads. “Younger producers are more open to partnerships, cooperative models and public-private collaboration.”

Agriculture could take lessons from early stages in energy project development, “particularly in co-investment models that enable shared infrastructure and de-risk private capital,” the report adds.

Market and product diversification

On market and product diversification, the report focuses on potential for new opportunities for Canadian commodities.

The roundtable identifies value-added processing as an area for potential development. They also emphasize the need for market intelligence to identify emerging opportunities for Canadian goods, both raw and processed.

Infrastructure

Roundtable participants raise concerns that Canada’s reputation as a trading partner suffering as a result of infrastructure decisions.

More representation from the sector could help address this problem.

“Moving forward, port governance and decision making should include engagement with representatives from the agriculture sector to ensure sectoral needs are considered as trade patterns and partners evolve,” the report says.

Technology and innovation

The report’s discussion on technology and innovation makes the case for increased research and development and for investments to focus on the sector as a whole.

Sector leaders raise concerns about the disconnect between research priorities and on-farm needs.

“Investments in the Canadian agricultural sector have generally been quite targeted and have not been focused on benefiting the sector as a whole,” the report says. “On the other hand, some other countries employ a more holistic, industry-wide approach.”

Industry protection starts with policy

The report makes a case for prioritizing agriculture in an era when trust in Canada’s two largest trading partners is decreasing.

Protecting the industry starts with domestic policy that recognizes the importance of the sector and “does not expect one industry to bear the brunt of geopolitical retaliation,” it says.

The report points to recent trade tensions with China, which saw canola tariffed in apparent response to Canada’s restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles. Some within the sector saw this as canola being used as collateral in a larger trade dispute.

“Regulatory frameworks that reflect this prioritization and are built in consultation with sector stakeholders could also help address some of the challenges the government has faced when weighing the economic, environmental and social impacts along with the benefits of the sector.”

The post Canada needs an agriculture strategy to rebuild trust with producers, investors and trade partners: report appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

• The budget includes about $1 trillion in investment and posts a deficit over $78 billion.
• The government set a goal of doubling non-U.S. exports over 10 years.
• The federal government proposes to increase the AgriStability compensation rate to 90 per cent from 80 per cent and the payment cap per farm to $6 million from $3 million.
• The Advance Payments Program for canola will see $97.5 million spent over two years to increase the interest-free limit on advances to $500,000 for the 2025 and 2026 program years.
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will wind down, streamline or realign some of its research to better fit government priorities. Agricultural Climate Solution Living Labs will be phased out.

The 2025 federal budget puts a hefty focus on trade diversification along with pledged investments into biofuel production and increased business risk management supports.

The “Canada Strong” budget is touted as a “plan to transform our economy from one that is reliant on a single trade partner, to one that is stronger, more self-sufficient, and more resilient to global shocks” in a federal news release.

It boasts some $1 trillion of investments. It also posts a $78.3 billion deficit.

Investments in transport and trade diversification

The Carney government pledged several efforts to guide Canadian exports, including agri-food, away from overreliance on the American market.

“Canada’s trade remains heavily concentrated with a single partner: the United States,” the budget document says. “At the same time, Canada has significant untapped potential to diversify its trade.”

The budget sets a goal to double non-U.S. exports over 10 years. It says this will generate $300 billion more in trade.

This goal includes a new strategic exports office at Global Affairs Canada, which aims to pave the way for Canadian companies and international business opportunities.

The Asia-Pacific region will be an area of particular focus for Canadian exports going forward, which the budget identifies as a “critical market for Canadian agriculture.”

The government pledged $5 billion over seven years toward a trade diversification corridors fund through Transport Canada, beginning in 2025-26.

It also promised an additional $68.5 million over four years to enhance CanExport, which encourages small and medium-sized businesses to find markets abroad by sharing the costs of international business development activities like legal expenses and market research.

Aside from Asia, the budget also promises new trade efforts in the European market, including $8 million over four years to Global Affairs Canada to deepen trade relationships with European partners, beginning in 2026-27. This same period will also see $20 million to enhance the agency’s capacity to negotiate and implement trade investment-related agreements.

Despite challenges from export markets, the budget notes Canada’s domestic-facing sectors have been faring well. It gives credit to Canadians intentionally redirecting spending to domestic industries.

Direct investments in agriculture programs

The budget promises to help Canada’s agriculture sector to “adapt and respond to economic challenges and a shifting trade environment, while positioning them to take advantage of new opportunities.”

One major investment is in the AgriStability program, where the compensation rate will be increased from 80 per cent to 90 per cent and the payment cap per farm raised from $3 million to $6 million. The government will also work to will identify barriers underrepresented groups face in accessing farm financing.

The Advance Payments Program for canola will see $97.5 million spent over two years to increase the interest-free limit on advances to $500,000 for the 2025 and 2026 program years. In September, the federal government announced it would temporarily increase the interest-free portion to $500,000 from $250,000 to help farmers facing market disruptions due to Chinese tariffs on canola.

The AgriMarketing program has $75 million earmarked to enhance diversification and promotion into new markets over five years, starting in 2026-27.

The biofuel sector will be another recipient of government investment. In a move telegraphed earlier this year, $372 million over two years will go to a Biofuels Production Incentive to support domestic biofuels producers beginning in 2026. This repurposes $175.2 million from the Clean Fuels Fund.

The government also said it intends to amend the Clean Fuel Regulations to support the domestic biofuels industry.

Changes within government bodies

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are set to see changes and streamlining.

AAFC will reorient programming, research and expenditures to better align with the government’s overall priorities. This will include phasing out programs outside the core mandate like the Agricultural Climate Solution Living Labs and reducing scientific activities where a “more streamlined approach can be taken.”

The budget proposes several measures withing CFIA to support increased food exports, including modernized trade tools to simplify processes and reduce the risk of errors and product safety concerns overseas.

CFIA will also receive $32.8 million over four years, beginning in 2026-27, to “secure, expand and restore market access for Canadian agriculture and agri-food, fish and seafood sectors,” including looking to other countries for new trade agreements and better market access.

Other investments and projects

The budget included several other projects and legislative changes which could support the agriculture sector. They include:

• An amendment to the Farm Credit Canada act which would require regular legislative reviews to ensure alignment with the needs of the agriculture and agri-food sector.
• “Winding down mechanisms to return direct fuel charge proceeds to Canadians, small- and medium-sized businesses, farmers, and Indigenous governments,” following the cancellation of consumer carbon pricing.
• Nation-building projects to expand trade corridors, including upgrades the Port of Churchill.
• Consideration to invest in projects like ports in Quebec, rail lines in Alberta and rail infrastructure on the West Coast.
• A proposed extension of the 2005 agricultural cooperative tax rules to apply in respect of eligible shares issued before the end of 2030.
• The Contrecoeur Terminal Container Project, which will expand the Port of Montreal’s capacity by approximately 60 per cent to boost Eastern Canada’s trading infrastructure, to be completed in the first round of major nation-building projects.

The post Budget 2025 includes trade focus, boost for agriculture risk management appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

A need to change was one of the themes at the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute’s (CAPI) Canadian Agri-Food in a Risky World Conference in Ottawa in early October.

WHY IT MATTERS: How Canadian agriculture responds to the current market and geopolitical challenges will help determine Canada’s future food security and prosperity.

“The headwinds that we’re facing today, I think, are stronger than they’ve been in my time in the sector,” said Tyler McCann, CAPI’s managing director. “They should be the call to action that we need to do things differently.”

He said the unpredictability of export markets, government budgets and other factors have made risks high within the sector.

“All of these things are happening at the same time (and) create this inflection point, this hinge moment that we’re in.”

Changing times

Farm Management Canada (FMC) executive director Heather Watson said risk and change are inevitable in agriculture, but the need for that change now is more pressing than it has been before.

“We’ve lost markets before, but I think it’s just kind of everything coming together at once,” Watson said. “I think it heightens the awareness, and therefore it makes it a really good time to have the conversation.”

Watson spoke on a panel about managing risk at the farm level along with FMC program manager Mathieu Lipari, who said this moment, driven by trade tensions from the U.S. and China, is being widely recognized as a turning point.

“Everybody’s been saying it’s time for Canada to pivot, in many ways.”

With farmers worried about the risks of the moment, Lipari said it is important to keep their welfare in mind as Canada faces these changes.

“That’s the crucial side right now that we need to explore, how do we make sure that farms remain viable in the new context? And that means that there needs to be some pivots here and there.”

Watson said the unfortunate reality is that negative experiences are often the ones that create change and inspire innovation.

Risk drives change

Karen Ross, executive director of Farmers for Climate Solutions, spoke as part of a panel about how issues like unpredictable weather and low commodity prices represent a need for change.

“From a producer perspective, taking on a new practice or a new technology that can build resilience on your farm can actually feel very risky in the short term,” she said. “Demands for farmers around sustainability, if not matched with the right kinds of support, can actually be another kind of short-term risk.”

She used cover cropping as an example. The practice can help improve water management and limit future yield losses, but even with incentives take the bite out of the financial investment, something like cover cropping can be a short-term risk. A possible solution to this, she said, is better data-sharing to understand risk equations.

Risks that double as opportunities go beyond the field level: In a panel on navigating the market and consumer expectations, Dorothy Long, managing director of Canadian Food Focus, discussed the newfound risks and potential benefits of generative artificial intelligence in communicating with consumers.

She said the prevelance of AI search results on engines like Google has made it difficult for organizations to make their information available. However, Canada Food Focus has leveraged its different farm organizations to appeal to the AI algorithm.

“That is huge. It’s a huge opportunity for us, not only because I think for the first time, we really had the chance to address misinformation, but also to be able to inform and influence Canadians,” she said.

The role of government

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald made an appearance to speak about the role government can play in helping farmers through uncertain times.

“We’ve always had trade issues over the course of time, but nothing like we’re seeing now,” MacDonald said. “I see it as a major challenge, obviously, but I also see it as an opportunity.”

MacDonald said threats coming out of the U.S. could provide an opportunity for change within the sector, including reducing barriers finding new markets for Canadian agri-food exports.

“It’s just a different world that we live in, and we have to be best prepared,” he said. “I see it as sometimes these things are making people move a little quicker, and bureaucracy being one (example), I think people are seeing that we all need to work together.”

Canada needs more research and data

Throughout the conference’s discussions, speakers broadly agreed on two ideas: the time for change is now, and to make that change happen, Canada will need more research funding and better data access.

Lawrence Hanson, deputy minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said Canada is behind the curve on research and development.

“We traditionally have lagged for … a reasonably well-understood set of reasons, right? Which was, we had a lot of natural resources, we had a valuable currency exchange and sat on the doorstep of the world’s largest market.”

Amanda Richardson, interim executive director of the Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking spoke about how data will help further Canadian agri-food trade interests.

“As we look at different trading partners and different markets, we need to become more appealing to those partners,” she said. “We can tell our story about Canadian agriculture, but having the data and the proof points that backs it up is incredibly helpful.”

Mark Redmond, CEO of Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) put it most succinctly: “The biggest risk really comes down to not doing things differently.”

The post Is Canadian agriculture and agri-food ready to pivot? appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The purpose was to bring employees and policy-makers from various federal government agencies to a farm to see equipment and technology in action. What better way to make those that guide policy understand how it affects the boots on the ground?

It also made me think back to the many times my father, a 42-year veteran of the Hamilton steel mill, Stelco, griped about having to deal with policies or procedures put in place by the ‘men in white hats’ — those with broad knowledge from engineering or business degrees, but little or no on-the-ground experience.

The men in white hats were very good at trying to implement what they believed to be more efficient or cost-saving measures. While the objective was sound, the methodology they wanted to use didn’t always make sense to my dad. He often knew they wouldn’t work, or could see other problems that would result long-term.

As an instrument technician, my dad was a fix-it guy and played an essential role in keeping one of Stelco’s rod mills rolling. He knew the nuances of the mechanical systems and furnaces, and how they worked together. He received formal training in instrumentation as a young man, and it’s a skilled trade.

But it was applying this training, week after week, where he learned what was practical and how to realistically solve problems. He had to engage with other employees in the mill who operated equipment so he could understand their problems and what they needed from him.

I used to think my dad was envious of the men in white hats, because when he complained about them he did sometimes say “but what do I know, I’m not paid the big bucks.”

While I think there was some envy on his part, I realized as I got older that my dad was just really frustrated by the fact that he had to deal with the repercussions of decisions made by others. If he had been consulted or included in the process, a lot of time — and money — could have been saved.

As a long-time editor in the agriculture industry, I have read and written about numerous policy initiatives from provincial, federal and foreign governments about what farmers and food processors and other allied agriculture business should or shouldn’t do, or need to do, with respect to a long list of objectives that include things such as improving animal welfare, using less resources, reducing emissions, etc. — the list is long.

It’s obvious at times that these policies, while often created with good intentions, were drafted by those with little or no experience in the agriculture industry. More ‘men in white hats,’ as my dad would say.

That’s why initiatives such as the AEM demonstration day are important.

The post Farm disconnect becomes farm policy disconnect appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Dickinson, founder and general partner of District Ventures Capital and mainstay on CBC ‘s Dragon’s Den, said the time is now for Canada to make agriculture and agri-food a critical sector.

She recently took a public-facing approach to Canadian agri-food and trade, including a self-funded trade mission to Asia, an op-ed on food security in the Globe and Mail and an appearance at the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute’s (CAPI) conference this week in Ottawa.

“Nothing but opportunity”

Dickinson’s interest in Canadian agri-food isn’t sudden; in fact, she’s been actively trying to advance the sector for years.

“I’ve been investing in the agri-food space for a decade,” Dickinson said, pointing to her business District Ventures Capital, which has invested close to $170 million in this space.

“I also started Canada’s first not for profit accelerator, run by an entrepreneur, to help businesses in early stages of starting up a food, beverage, health and wellness, (consumer packaged goods) business.”

What she’s observed over the course of time, she said, is the impact of external challenges, including those experienced through COVID, and “the lack of attention and prioritization that we have on farms and agri-food in Canada.”

With recent tariffs from the United States having an impact on producers, Dickinson said it’s become apparent to her Canada must look to other markets to allow production to scale.

“I’ve realized that there’s a big gap between funding innovation, market, knowledge of who we are, and opportunity being realized and capitalized on in the country.”

She pointed to a Farm Credit Canada (FCC) study which concluded Canada has the opportunity to diversify $12 billion worth of food and beverage exports to new markets.

“This is a gigantic economic opportunity for our nation, and we are looking at it for the first time because we have been complacent about sending our exports to the United States and taking that as a ready market. And now we do have to think about exporting it around the globe.”

She said her trip to Asia, which she undertook to understand export opportunities, opened her eyes to the reality of consumers in other markets looking for safe food from a trustworthy source.

“I look at it as an entrepreneur and see nothing but opportunity. And when there’s opportunity, you want to figure out how to pursue it.”

Dickinson suggested the need for a national agri-food brand to fill that demand.

In a panel discussion at the CAPI conference, she said she experienced lacking Canadian food presence ahead of a meeting on her trade trip.

“One of the things you want to do when you’re Asia is you want to take a gift,” she said. “Now, I didn’t think about that before I left. So, I went, I’m in Thailand, I’m in Bangkok. I’m going to go buy a Canadian gift of some sort, right? You want to represent the country. Do you think I could find anything? I could not find a thing in Thailand.”

Collective voice

To further this goal, she said groups and producers must present a unified voice for the sector.

“There’s a lot of lobbying and effort that goes on for individual groups,” she said. “There needs to be a collective voice in this space, and they need to come together more effectively in order to be heard.”

As for her own pitch for the sector, Dickinson didn’t propose any radical changes. Rather, she said Canada must act on the recommendations that already exist.

“There has been a lot of work done, whether it’s through groups coming together at roundtables, whether it’s through consultation with the industry, whether it’s through hiring consultants who come in and help us understand it,” she said.

“Over decades, the same, exact list of things that have to be done for the sector to be able to grow are brought forward, and nothing’s been acted on.”

“My pitch is, if we don’t do that, the risk to Canadians is huge, the risk to us, to our health, to our prosperity, to our ability to innovate and grow our economy significantly, are off the table if we lose our food.”

This includes increased investments and making agriculture and agri-food a critical sector.

“My pitch would be this is absolutely a marketplace and an industry and a sector that needs full attention and can provide gigantic return profiles to our country, not just financially, but from a social perspective as well.

“So, it really hits all the buttons. Why wouldn’t you invest in it?”

The post Arlene Dickinson says recent trip to Asia opened her eyes to new trade opportunities appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

New trade barriers and shifting global alliances are forcing the country to rethink its economic priorities, and no sector needs more urgent attention than agriculture.

Despite its vast resources, Canada is losing ground on agricultural leadership. Since 2000, the country has slipped from fifth to seventh globally in agricultural exports, according to RBC.

Meanwhile, global competitors push ahead with technology-driven productivity gains. Not acting now risks falling behind in a world where food security is more critical than ever.

The numbers tell a sobering story. Canada attracts just three per cent of global agricultural technology venture capital; the U.S. attracts 55 per cent. Meanwhile, Farm Credit Canada estimates that domestic agricultural productivity growth has stagnated at around one per cent annually – half of what it was in the 1990s and early 2000s.

These numbers should set off alarm bells for any government serious about Canada’s long-term prosperity.

The path forward is clear: we need to scale up precision agriculture. Digital tools like GPS-guided equipment and sensor-based monitoring have already increased annual crop production by an estimated four per cent annually. Wider adoption could lift production by a further seven per cent, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute estimates these technologies could unlock between $750 million and $1.5 billion in annual net revenue for Canadian farmers over the next decade.

But right now, adoption is uneven. While 81 per cent of large farms are using, or planning to use digital tools, only 36 per cent of smaller farms have made the leap. That gap is holding the entire sector back.

This is where smart government policy can make the difference. The Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program represents exactly the kind of targeted investment required, supporting the development and adoption of precision agricultural technologies to spur sustainable growth across the sector. It’s a start.

However, the program’s investment needs to be scaled dramatically to ensure farms of all sizes across all regions have the incentives and support needed to modernize.

Beyond precision agriculture, the government must explore programs that help grow farmer income so that they have the required capital needed to invest in these technologies to see the eventual return on investment. That means government must back them with multi-year funding commitments over annual budget cycles.

Let’s give farms the confidence to plan, invest and grow.

Kip Eideberg is the senior vice-president of government and industry relations for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, which represents over 100 off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers in Canada.

The post Now is the time for Canada to rediscover its agricultural edge on the global stage appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The Canadian Pork Council last week rejoined the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, which it left in 2013 over trade policy.

CPC executive director Stephen Heckbert said the world has changed since then.

Trade uncertainty has pushed the Canadian agriculture sector to work together more often, and the board decided to rejoin the CFA to formalize the working relationship.

“We’re going to try to have an influence on the CFA policy direction, and we want them to respect our policy direction,” he said in an interview. “

And we’re going to have to have some influence on our side from what their priorities are going to be as well.”

Heckbert said agriculture has a huge role to play in Canada’s growth potential. The new federal government should look to the industry for economic growth, he added.

“We have to be part of that conversation. We have to advocate for our own growth, and I think that’s why we can can look at, what are some of the simple steps we can take. One of those at the pork council was to go make more friends. And there happens to be a group of people (CFA) who wanted us to be their friend.”

The CPC will pay a membership to the CFA. Heckbert said producers have to be prepared to spend more to move ahead.

The CPC represents 7,000 farms in nine provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador is the exception.

CFA president Keith Currie said the addition of the CPC to the national organization helps create the strong unified voice the industry needs at this time.

CPC chair Rene Roy said the membership ensures pork producers are well represented nationally and internationally.

“Trade is vital to the success of Canadian agriculture, and by working together through the CFA, we can better advocate for strong trade frameworks that support farmers and rural communities across the country,” he said.

Ironically, it was trade that led the CPC to leave CFA 12 years ago, and it is trade that has brought it back.

Then, the council believed the supply managed sectors that favoured protectionism dominated the organization.

In a letter of withdrawal, the then-executive director said the council was “unwilling to carry on any longer with what for us seems to be a perpetual and often lonely struggle dealing with policy proposals brought to the CFA table and committees, particularly on international trade.”

Since that time, the CFA has seen general farm organizations such as Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan take a more prominent role in policy development. It has also collaborated with other national associations such as the Canadian Cattle Association and others.

The post Canadian Pork Council rejoins Canadian Federation of Agriculture appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

They are ramping up pressure on governments to prioritize agriculture in trade, regulation and disaster response as farmers face worsening drought and mounting financial strain.

Agriculture needs to be front and centre in Ottawa’s economic strategy under the new Carney-led Liberal government, said Brodie Berrigan, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA)’s director of government relations and farm policy.

“We’re trying to put in the window some low-cost, no-cost initiatives that we think would advance the interests of the sector,” he said, noting Ottawa has indicated there will be little new spending in the fall budget.

WHY IT MATTERS: Farm leaders are urging Ottawa to prioritize agriculture amid rising financial pressures and looming trade talks.

The CFA’s pitch to government, which Berrigan shared at the July advisory council meeting of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) on July 23, highlights regulatory streamlining and legislative changes aimed at boosting productivity and investment without significant cost to government. It also pushes Ottawa to view agriculture as a long-term economic driver, rather than a short-term budgetary expense.

“In terms of GDP growth, we estimate upwards of an additional $100 billion over the next 10 years could come out of the agriculture sector with the right investment, streamlining of regulations and investment in innovation,” Berrigan said.

A united agricultural voice

This vision is part of the CFA’s new Let’s Grow Canada initiative, an open letter signed by more than 30 national farm and industry groups, urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to make agriculture a federal priority.

Still, producers are dealing with immediate financial realities, including declining net income, rising operating costs and debt-servicing pressures.

“We cannot dismiss the fact that there is a strong need out there,” Berrigan said.

Delayed meetings, urgent issues

Federal and provincial agriculture ministers were scheduled to meet in Winnipeg during the third week of July, but the session was postponed due to wildfire conditions and the need for hotel rooms to house evacuees. Stakeholders still gathered, however, and will deliver a joint industry presentation when ministers reconvene in September, Berrigan said.

Risk management programs, including AgriStability and disaster assistance, are set to be a central focus at next summer’s federal-provincial-territorial ministers’ meeting in Halifax.

“We have about a six-month window in front of us to solidify our direction,” Berrigan said, pointing to new CFA working groups on disaster recovery, crop insurance and income support.

Trade uncertainty and CUSMA review

The impending 2026 review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), as well as a possible bilateral deal between Canada and the U.S., has also been on the minds of CFA and KAP members.

“If Canada is successful in securing an agreement, it is more likely to be a bilateral one with the U.S. and a framework agreement,” Berrigan said, though he added that he hasn’t been encouraged by talk by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding imposing new baseline tariffs on Canadian goods.

While 98.4 per cent of Canadian agricultural exports to the U.S. currently enter duty-free under CUSMA, Berrigan warned that even a 10 per cent tariff would be “catastrophic.”

Domestic trade and legislative reforms

KAP and CFA are also eyeing interprovincial trade barriers. Colin Hornby, KAP’s general manager, pointed to Manitoba’s new Bill 47 and federal Bill C-5 as openings to push for greater trade harmonization across provinces.

KAP’s recent trade action plan calls for “low-hanging fruit” legislative reforms and outlined sector-specific priorities, such as enhancing export capacity and investing in water and research infrastructure, said KAP Policy manager Neil Van Overloop.

Building alliances abroad

International engagement remains more important than ever, Berrigan said, noting the CFA’s growing ties to the American Farm Bureau and ongoing collaboration with the World Farmers’ Organization and G7 agricultural leaders.

“A strong voice south of the border speaking for the same interests that we have in Canada is a very, very important partnership to continue to foster,” he said.

As part of its international outreach, CFA is preparing for trilateral discussions with U.S. and Mexican counterparts in Italy this fall and upcoming World Trade Organization events.

The post Farm groups push Ottawa to prioritize agriculture amid uncertainty appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Now, two and a half years after retiring from her role, her decades of work have landed her a spot in the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.

“It’s just a thrill. Just unbelievable,” she said. “I think, ‘I’m going to wake up and this didn’t really happen,’ but again, the honour … I just hope to keep being involved because agriculture is the best industry to work in. Absolutely the best.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Gingera-Beauchemin is one of six names that will be inducted in the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame during a ceremony, Nov. 8, in Victoria, B.C.

Gingera-Beauchemin was born on a farm north of Dauphin. She was an active 4-H member for many years. She studied agriculture at the University of Manitoba and then went on to work for the provincial agriculture department.

“I worked for the department three summers during high school when we lived in McCreary, so I got familiar with the department then,”she said.

Throughout university, all her jobs were with the provincial agriculture department.

“It was knowing the department and the kind of people that it had attracted that were mentors and people I looked up to,” she said of her early employment. “I thought it would be a good place for what I thought would be part of my career. Little did I know, I’d stay the whole time.”

Her first government role was as a 4-H specialist in Beausejour and Steinbach. At that time, the position was equivalent to a 4-H provincial lead. Following that, she moved to Portage La Prairie, where she served as the director of central Manitoba for the department, covering 10 agricultural regions.

She later moved to Winnipeg to become the director of marketing and farm business management.

She held a series of other agriculture-related government positions — including assistant deputy minister, roles in agri-food and rural development and policy and agri-environment — before becoming deputy minister of agriculture in 2013.

By the time she retired, she had served as deputy minister across four different agriculture ministers and through both NDP and Progressive Conservative governments.

Today, she farms soybeans, canola, wheat, oats and flax with her husband just outside Winnipeg.

Her nomination for the national hall of fame, made by consulting firm Emerging Ag Inc., noted her continued ag advocacy after retirement.

Rural perspective, farm priorities

Gingera-Beauchemin is interested in many aspects of agriculture, especially sustainability.

“Sustainability of the environment, which I mean is sort of an obvious one, but also of our industry and our rural social fabric,” she said. “All those pieces are important. I came from a farm, then a very small town and I believe in rural. I believe in small towns. I’m a bit like Paul Brandt; small towns, big dreams.”

Gingera-Beauchemin had a hand in the creation of Manitoba’s Sustainable Protein Strategy; one of her proudest achievements.

Manitoba is the first province to have a sustainable protein strategy. It covers growth for both plant and animal protein, she noted, adding both are given equal weight.

“We know our economy depends on both animal and plant protein, which are important to us,” she said.

Gingera-Beauchemin pointed to key industries like the pork sector.

In 2004, Winnipeg hosted the World Meat Congress. It was the first time the conference was held in Canada. The conference was not limited to to the pork sector, “But it (the pork industry) was one of the reasons why we were able to secure that event,” she said. “To me, it was part and parcel of putting a spotlight on what’s possible, what’s happened, and what is happening and is possible.”

Despite the work put into developing the strategy, the bigger challenge came afterward, she said. That’s the point when the plan on paper meets the real world, “helping the minister take those ideas to cabinet and try it on for industry.”

“Then for myself, it’s really (about) going up to the federal level, where there are partnerships and alliances, and policy development that can help form this sustainable protein industry,” she said.

The end result was “targeted to drive expanded economic activity around protein, making those things available for our industry to succeed,” she said.

Farm community

Gingera-Beauchemin is passionate about agricultural organizations, particularly 4-H.

Manitoba was the first province in Canada to run 4-H, and it is well established with farm and rural communities in the province.

“To me, it’s been extremely important,” she said, adding she sees high value in other agricultural organizations like Agriculture in the Classroom and the province’s many community ag societies.

“These programs hit more on the social and human side rather than the technical side. And to me, it’s all a piece of that sustainable rural economy and community,” she said.

Gingera-Beauchemin was instrumental in setting up a 4-H exchange program with Japan that persists to this day. The program is a collaboration with a foundation set up by the York-Beminaru Company, a large supermarket company in Japan.

The York-Beminaru Company was already doing business with the province of Manitoba, purchasing Manitoba honey and pork for their supermarkets. When marketing staff in Manitoba’s agriculture department heard the company was supporting a youth exchange program with California, they pushed for a similar Japanese exchange with Manitoba.

That program began in 1987 and has had about 1,000 students participate.

Every year, a group of about 20 Japanese students comes to Manitoba. On alternating years, Manitoba students go to Japan. Each exchange last two weeks and is completely paid for by the company-affiliated foundation.

Gingera-Beauchemin said long-time friendships have blossomed between the two nations because of the program. Some exchange students have later returned to their host country for events like vacations or weddings.

“No one thought it would last this long or run this well,” she said.

The program has has periodic pauses due to international incidents such as SARS, 9/11, and COVID-19. But after each global event, the program has picked up and kept on going.

In 2018, Gingera-Beauchemin received a commendation from the Japanese foreign affairs minister for setting up the program.

Bound for the hall of fame

Robynne Anderson, president of Emerging Ag Inc. was part of the group that put together Gingera-Beauchemin’s nomination and has known the hall of fame honouree for decades. Others who worked on the nomination include former agriculture minister Ralph Eichler and Dean Fraser, who used to work at MacDon, a global farm equipment company based in Winnipeg.

Anderson and Gingera-Beauchemin both serve on the board of Farmers Abroad Canada, a non-profit that supports agriculture education internationally in places like Zambia and Ghana. Anderson is chair of the organization and was involved with its founding.

She said Gingera-Beauchemin can easily see possible ways to build a community and work together.

“One of the hallmarks of her nomination process is we had former ministers of agriculture from both parties endorse her nomination, which I think is quite special and isn’t very common anymore,” said Anderson.

“It’s definitely proof of what a tremendous consensus builder she is and how she has the interest of the sector of a whole at heart.”

Anderson said Gingera-Beauchemin is passionate about the industry and has a strong sense of community.

“She has a can-do attitude. While working in government, she’s always been able to see the path forward to advance issues.”

Anderson noted Gingera-Beauchemin’s huge commitment to 4-H, her commitment to youth and the abilities she brings to Farmers Abroad Canada.

Anderson added that Gingera-Beauchemin has the unique ability to see agriculture as a whole, saying that “she understands the role of livestock and crops value add across our agriculture sector in a very holistic way.”

Gingera-Beauchemin said her time in the agriculture industry in Manitoba has been a healthy work environment, especially with partners and colleagues in the department.

“I couldn’t have picked a better job or a better industry to be in,” she said.

Since she retired in 2023, Gingera-Beauchemin has been sitting on several boards. She currently sits on the board of Protein Industry Canada, the Canadian Agriculture Policy Institute, Farmers Abroad Canada and Protein Manitoba.

“I am lucky that I am able to stay in my lane and be able to keep up or learn or listen or meet people that are growing in depth and capacity and doing amazing things,” she said.

The post A place of national honour for former deputy ag minister, Dori Gingera-Beauchemin appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Much to the outrage of Canada’s export-minded farm groups, Bill C-202, a private member’s bill sponsored by Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, was last month unceremoniously rammed through both the House of Commons and Senate and, last time I looked, now awaits royal assent.

C-202 is pretty much a copy-paste of the late Bill C-282, which, like many private members’ bills before it, was left to linger — in this case, at report stage before third reading in the Senate — and then die when Parliament was dissolved ahead of April’s federal election. Like its predecessor, C-202 amends section 10 of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act to prohibit the federal trade minister from committing Canada to either increase its tariff rate quota for imports of foreign dairy goods, poultry or eggs or reduce Canada’s tariffs on such imports beyond any existing TRQ. In other words, Canada would be prohibited by law from granting any further concessions on its supply-managed sectors in any ongoing or future trade talks.

From the perspective of the Bloc, it was probably the best of timing. One of the foundational free trade agreements governing Canadian exports has been rendered worthless in recent months by the very politician who scribbled his name in the U.S. president’s blank. Federal officials have no doubt been taking stock of what they could throw under the bus to appease Donald Trump — a guy who has previously and specifically railed against Canada’s supply management system and in recent months has abused his executive privilege to impose and/or threaten new tariffs against goods from Canada and beyond.

From the perspective of everyone else, though, the timing couldn’t have possibly been worse. Canada’s dairy and feather sector organizations have little choice but to be pleased with C-202’s passage, but can’t have been happy about having to continue to publicly justify their system’s existence. Canada’s export-minded ag sector groups, meanwhile, protested the passage of what the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance describes as a “flawed piece of legislation that sets a troubling precedent, undermining Canada’s longstanding commitment to the rules-based international trading system.”

That said, Canada’s commitment to the rules of international trade is not what’s in doubt here. As I hope I’ve implied in this space before, the problem is that the rules of the international trade game Canada is playing have proven to be only as solid as the other players’ willingness to abide by them.

For Canada to further weaken supply management under sustained international pressure for trade reform is one thing. Doing so at a time when we likely gain nothing in return — or worse, we continue to lose ground under whatever ridiculous pretext our southern neighbour comes up with next — is quite another.

The worst thing about C-202, though, is that it pitted farmer against farmer for political reasons at a time when an unwritten law of Canadian politics remains very much in effect anyway — namely, that being seen to mess with supply management is political suicide for any national party serious about forming a government.

It’s possible that unwritten law may someday change as public opinion continues to morph and evolve — and when or if that day ever comes, we can expect a repeal of the amendments now set out in C-202 to be among the first tests.

The post Supply management schism still dividing agriculture appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.