The survey invites farmers and ranchers across all commodities and regions in Canada to share their experiences with stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience, and coping mechanisms. It’s conducted in partnership with the University of Guelph.

“Strong participation helps ensure that future research, programs, and policy decisions are informed by the real experiences of farmers and ranchers,” the centre said in a news release.

WHY IT MATTERS: The survey will improve understanding of the current state of mental health in agriculture and build on the previous national surveys from 2016 and 2021.

In 2021, the showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened existing issues of high stress, anxiety, and burnout among farmers and ranchers, with women reporting poorer mental health than men across all measures except alcohol use.

“Both women and men who farm scored worse than the general population, but the women scored even worse,” said Briana Hagen, the centre’s and lead scientist, told Farmtario in November 2022. “Given the role of women in farming, this data highlights a pretty serious problem that we have to start looking into.”

Suicidal ideation was twice as high in farmers as in the general population said University of Guelph researcher Dr. Andria Jones in a 2022 article from the university. Jones led the research that year.

She also noted that one in four participants reported having thought their life wasn’t worth living, wishing they were dead, or having thoughts of taking their own life in the 12 months leading up to the survey.

The post National survey of farmer and rancher mental health launches appeared first on Country Guide.

On Monday morning, Jan. 6, Trudeau announced the move, although he will remain in his role until the Liberal party has chosen a new leader.

Calls for Trudeau to step down had increased following the departure of Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, from cabinet in late December.

Keith Currie, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), said he and many of his farm group counterparts were expecting the announcement.

“The fall session was pretty a stagnant one,” Currie said, with “not a lot getting accomplished in the government.

“So, you know, something had to happen.”

The Liberals will now have to select a new leader ahead of the 2025 election, to take place by, at latest, October.

Currie does not think the Liberals’ choice will change much for Canadian producers.

“The agricultural community has been so disappointed with the lack of interest by this government that I don’t think it matters who’s going to be in charge,” he said.

Kyle Larkin, executive director of the Grain Growers Canada also said the announcement came as no surprise.

“For grain growers in Canada and grain farmers, I think we … look forward to seeing what the future holds,” he said.

Larkin said he believes some candidates vying for Liberal leadership may run on a platform of cutting carbon pricing, a top policy concern for Canadian farmers and an issue adopted by their rival Conservatives. However, he said Trudeau’s announcement presents more immediate concerns.

The Jan. 6 announcement also noted that Parliament will be prorogued until March 24.

“At the end of the day, I think it’s … the prorogation that impacts more of the pieces that we’re dealing with right now, and the timelines can be difficult for some of the policies that we’ve been lobbying for for some time,” Larkin said.

For bills before the Senate, anything that had made it to committee hearing will start over at the reading stage. Bills still in process when Parliament is prorogued must to reintroduced in the new session, although the House of Commons has some mechanisms to revive certain business under certain conditions. Anything before the Senate, however, is dead on the Order Paper.

“The reality is, nothing’s going to pass there,” Currie said. “Nothing’s going to get done.”

The hotly contested Bill C-282, which would restrict trade concessions on Canada’s supply managed sectors during trade deal negotiations, was before the Senate’s standing committee on foreign affairs and national trade when Parliament rose in late December 2024.

Bill C-234, the greenhouse gas pollution pricing act, had passed the Senate by the end of December, but had been returned to the House following a Senate amendment which had restricted a proposed carbon pricing exemption to grain dryers. The Grain Growers of Canada had been advocating for that bill.

A change in government, however, might make the legislation irrelevant anyway, Currie noted.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has been an outspoken critic of the government’s carbon pricing system. If the Conservatives win the next election, “Poilievre made it very clear that carbon tax is gone,” Currie said.

Lauren Kennedy, director of public affairs for the Chicken Farmers of Canada, meanwhile, said Trudeau’s government has shown support for the chicken sector during his time in office.

“We’re certainly grateful to the prime minister and, obviously, the Liberal government in terms of the support they’ve provided to agriculture over the years and look forward to seeing what happens next,” Kennedy said.

While Currie said the current government has seen “small little wins here and there,” carbon pricing has largely eroded the trust of agricultural communities in the current government.

Recent polls forecast the Conservative party winning handily over the Liberals in the next election.

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) declined a request for interview, but sent a written statement saying that, “as a federal Crown corporation, FCC supports federal agriculture policy as it exists today and as it evolves into the future.”

A representative of the Canadian Pork Council said they had “nothing to add” to the news of Trudeau’s resignation.

The Jan. 6 announcement means that Trudeau will also remain in office for the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Trump has threatened tariffs that industry worries could be devastating to Canadian agriculture.

The federal election must be held no later than Oct. 20, though an expected non-confidence vote could trigger an election as early as May.

— With files from Reuters

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Panels covered ESG and the changing Canadian ag landscape from national and global perspectives.

The first panel focused on ESG standards in a global context.

IFRS Foundation Montreal office Director Isabelle Mégré, said that in many international markets, like the United States and European Union, sustainability disclosure could soon become standard.

To illustrate how this could affect Canada, she gave the example of a California bill set to take effect in 2026 which would see large companies required to disclose climate-related financial risks, including value chain emissions.

“Canada was worth nine billion in 2023,” she said of Californian export money. “We are actually California’s top agriculture and agri-food export market”

Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking Founder David McInnes asked the speakers how ESG standards can be created to apply to the disparate sectors of Canadian agriculture.

“The standards are not a one-size fits all as we might think,” Mégré said. “It actually requires a lot of judgment and reflection from new companies that are using it.”

“It might feel like a one-size-fits-all, because there’s one set of standards. But really, when you dig into it, it’s about reflecting on what is affecting your company’s perspectives, your company’s business models.”

“We’re trying to find this common place where it can fit for everybody,” she said.

Canadian sustainability Standards Board Interim Chair Bruce Marchand stressed the importance of having organizations like his remain independent in this process.

“In some countries, the regulator sets the standard and the regulation at the same time,” he said, “and in other countries, the regulator and the standards are separate, but they’re both an arm of government.”

“I want to stress that our board is independent, so it’s not a government and it’s not a government board like our sister boards.”

Mégré closed the discussion by warning that ESG regulation can be very politically polarizing. She said that this has created a fear of backlash among investors wanting to discuss ESG.

The second panel took on upcoming policy such as the Jan. 1, 2025, implementation of the S1 and S2 of the ESG Sustainability Disclosure Standards as well as Bill C-59, which aims to increase greenwashing accountability.

Deloitte Senior Manager of Infrastructure and Capital Projects Michelle Leslie expressed concern over how producers and businesses will have a burden of proof put on them for their sustainability efforts in accordance with Bill C-59. “There’s no standard as to what that burden of proof is,” she said.

Leslie thought definitions of sustainability have not been sufficiently broadened beyond just environmental factors. “If you achieve emissions reductions but it’s at the cost of bankrupting communities, if it’s at the cost of making people poor in the process, then I would say you have failed.”

Pulse Canada VP of Corporate Affairs Greg Northey said ESG goals are not as important to Canadian producers and consumers as other economic development goals.

“From an agricultural sector perspective, we’re still very much focused on how do we become the best, most competitive producer in these global markets,” he said. “And a lot of the time, sustainability, ESG, is not as much an issue.”

United Farmers of Alberta Sustainability Director Selene Munro said there should be more attention paid to cost and scope when creating ESG standards.

“There is a cost to implementing or building or consolidating these standards. Not all programs are built out. There is no understanding of scope.”

“A lot of those organizations will not meet the requirements for reporting because they’re not publicly traded,” said Munro. “The companies that are publicly traded are going to need or require that data from individuals within the supply chain, and that will go down to producers.”

The panelists also highlighted the importance of data collection for influencing public policy.

Before lunch, breakout groups of attendees discussed questions about disclosure standards and a National Index. Following the break, panelists from the breakout groups debriefed on the Importance of consolidation and issues with limited awareness of the standards.

They also spoke to the importance of translating tenets of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to be relevant to ag-specific data tracking.

Finally, Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking Tarra Drevet closed the conference with some words about ESG, sustainability and data collection, stressing the importance of quality information and communication of data.

Drevet communicated an overall note of hope in her closing remarks: “I think we can be optimistic about what’s coming up next.”

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Farm groups and lawmakers are concerned that land buys by investors and foreign countries are driving up farmland prices and threatening national security.

Booker’s Farmland for Farmers Act, introduced on Thursday, would ban most corporations, pension funds and investment funds from buying or leasing farmland.

“We must protect farmland from becoming an investment strategy for huge corporations,” Booker said in a statement.

Institutional investors – including Nuveen Natural Capital, a subsidiary of TIAA, and UBS Farmland Investors – own $15.9 billion of farmland, according to the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries’ Farmland Index.

Several U.S. senators, including Iowa Republican Joni Ernst and Montana Democrat Jon Tester, have introduced bills in recent months to limit foreign ownership of farmland, citing concerns that adversaries might buy U.S. land to gain influence.

The Senate on Tuesday passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would boost federal review of foreign farmland purchases and limit some by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

China holds less than 1% of U.S. foreign-owned farmland, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Canada holds 31%.

Jordan Treakle, national program coordinator for the National Family Farm Coalition, said corporate ownership is the more pressing concern for rural communities because of its impact on land prices.

“Most farmers cannot outbid a multinational corporation,” he said.

The average price of an acre of farmland was $3,800 in 2022, a record high and up 75% from 2008, according to USDA data.

Booker hopes to pin his bill to this year’s farm bill, an omnibus package passed every five years that funds farm and nutrition programs, said a staffer.

–Reporting for Reuters by Leah Douglas in Washington.

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That and sustainable agriculture dominated discussions during the recent federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers meeting in Fredericton, N.B. The annual conference was held from July 19-21.

The focus on sustainable agriculture tracks, as this is the first time the ministers have met since the launch of the $3.5-billion Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP) that came into effect April 1.

“My colleagues and I all agree that sustainable agriculture must take climate change into account while also ensuring farmers’ ability to make a good living from their production,” said federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. “We reiterate the importance of working together and listening to producers to ensure the future of our agriculture for generations to come.”

Bibeau discussed Canada’s recent commitment to join 196 countries worldwide to half the risks associated with pesticide use.

“Reducing the risk, not the use,” Bibeau said. “I reiterate that the federal government recognizes that pest control is essential to food security and that banning pesticides used for agricultural purposes is out of the question.”

Business risk management

Recent extreme weather situations impacting producers across the country have raised concerns about risk management.

Ministers noted the need for producers to have access to a full suite of business risk management programs that are timely and reliable. On this topic, ministers committed to improving those programs.

“Close collaboration has enabled us to develop a new approach. And we will soon be able to offer, on an optional basis, a new model that will simplify enrollment and speed up the processing of the Agristability program,” said Bibeau.

International and interprovincial trade

Ministers discussed international trade and market diversification, including ongoing trade negotiations with key partners. Discussions also centred around collective efforts to position Canada as a trusted and sustainable supplier of choice to the Indo-Pacific region by leveraging Canada’s first Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office, which will be in Manila, Philippines, as well as existing federal, provincial and industry resource investments in the region.

Interprovincial trade also took a prominent position at the meeting. Bibeau pointed to a pilot project to allow slaughterhouses located near a neighbouring province to slaughter and process livestock from farmers on the other side of that provincial border.

“For example, earlier this year, we opened up the trade of food products produced in Lloydminster between the Alberta and Saskatchewan portions of the city, and we are continuing on this path,” said Bibeau.

Labour issues

Farm labour issues, specifically the federal government’s National Farm Labour Strategy, was another topic of conversation.

“The seasonality of the sector and the shortage of housing bring additional challenges,” said Bibeau on the use of temporary foreign workers. “Our discussions will support the development of our National Farm Labour Strategy, which aims to develop short- and long-term solutions to labour shortages across the value chain.”

The ministers also discussed recent disruptions at the Port of Vancouver.

Disease management

Livestock disease management was also a hot topic.

“A priority of ours is to support breeders in preventing animal disease and also better preparing for it,” said Bibeau. “Discussions have included lessons learned from the avian flu, programs to support the sector in the event of an outbreak of African swine fever, and the foot and mouth disease vaccine bank.”

In their 2023 budget, the federal government committed to spending $57.5 million over five years (starting in 2023–24) and $5.6 million in ongoing funding to support and establish a foot and mouth disease vaccine bank for Canada and to develop response plans with provinces and territories on the illness.

Other topics included ongoing supply chain resiliency, establishing a voluntary grocery store code of conduct and combating misinformation.

The next FPT ministers’ meeting will be held in Whitehorse, Yukon, in July 2024.

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The “What We Heard” Report, released Wednesday, is the result of consultations between AAFC and the agricultural sector to gather feedback on how best to support farmers and producers to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in fertilizer-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture by 2030 — a stated federal goal since 2020.

Over 2,000 submissions were received through the online consultation, technical workshops, and town hall meetings between March and October 2022. Farmers, producers, industry associations, provinces and territories, scientists and environmental organizations provided their input.

A large number of respondents questioned whether a fertilizer emissions reduction target was needed, a sentiment that was often coupled with concerns that a mandatory target might later be imposed. A significant number of respondents said they preferred an intensity-based reduction in emissions rather than an absolute reduction in emissions. They were also concerned about how these targets might impact production.

Farmers were also concerned that climate change policies might not take into consideration the economics of emission reductions and how that could affect their bottom line.

Another concern was that applying blanket policies doesn’t properly reflect the regional diversity of the agriculture sector in Canada. Respondents indicated more localized data and increased extension services would help them adopt nitrogen management practices.

However, while there were many concerns with the program, there was also significant buy-in. Many respondents recognized the need to act on climate change and were on board with reducing emissions. But they also wanted recognition for the role that Canadian farmers already play in promoting sustainability and reducing emissions, something in which many respondents felt pride.

“Fertilizers are an essential input for farmers,” Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in the report. “We need to ensure that our efforts to reduce emissions do not undermine their competitiveness or their vital work, especially at a time when food insecurity has reached unprecedented levels worldwide and the fertilizer supply chain is increasingly strained.”

Bibeau’s message also reinforced the voluntary nature of the targets.

“I would like to be clear; there is no mandatory reduction in fertilizer use on Canadian farms. Instead, we want to support measures that producers can take voluntarily to reduce their emissions over the long term without curtailing growth in crop yields,” she said.

The desire to see better communication and engagement between the government and the agricultural sector also emerged through the consultation process. To address this, a Fertilizer Working Group is being formed under the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy Advisory Committee.

The objectives of the committee will be to strengthen the ongoing dialogue between industry and government, examine mechanisms that need further support and improve the measurement and tracking of fertilizer emissions reductions in the sector.

“There is clearly a diversity of perspectives on many key issues, and we are pleased to see the report identify the importance of further producer engagement in advancing this voluntary approach,” said Keith Currie, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. “We are pleased to see the report factor in producer profitability.”

Fertilizer Canada CEO Karen Proud said she was pleased to see the support of 4R nutrient stewardship. “We look forward to continuing to work with the government and producers to improve measurement and accelerate the adoption of 4R best management practices, which reduce emissions and increase productivity,” she said.

— Don Norman reports for the Manitoba Co-operator from Winnipeg.

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Of all the changes Koch sees ahead for Canada’s agriculture sector, we asked her which one would prove the most important in 20 years. “What keeps me awake at night now will probably still keep me awake at night 20 years from now,” Koch says. “Policies and regulations.”

Today’s municipal, provincial, national and even international policies and regulations govern every part of our food chain, and changes to them can threaten farmers’ entire growing cycle, from inputs to sales, she says.

“Will we be allowed access to all of the technology that’s coming?” Koch asks. In the area of technology, change outpaces policies and regulations. We’ve gone beyond GMOs to questions about gene editing and novel traits. “There are exciting advancements underway,” she says.

Canada’s federal consultations have taken a science-based, open view to new technology, but environmental and green movements are pushing back. “That worries me,” Koch says. She points to Europe where, she says, “farmers have lost so many tools already.”

Policy and regulatory changes are probable in areas related to environmental protection and greenhouse gas emissions. “Climate and environmental policy is going to continue to evolve, making it more difficult for us to manoeuvre,” Koch says. Government directives could lower yields. For example, if use of synthetic fertilizer is limited, Koch asks, “Where does food security come from?”

Trade policy is also crucial. “We need to get our unique products into markets that need them, but will policy allow it?” Koch asks. Limiting access to foreign markets lowers marketing options and commodity prices. “I think the pendulum will swing back,” Koch says, “but we will still have those protectionist intentions in the world.”

When farmers’ production practices and marketing options are limited, farm profits suffer. This is at odds with the goal of sustainability, Koch says, which must include economic sustainability along with environmental and social sustainability.

Unintended consequences

Koch is watching consumers’ increasing concern about the “value” of food. Some consumers believe organic food has more value than conventionally grown food. Similarly, they may see plant protein as higher value than animal protein.

Although Koch says these views are misinformed, consumers privileged enough to be able to afford what they see as higher value food will make that choice with their grocery carts, and often try to encourage others to do the same.

When these consumers’ concerns are added to international pressure to limit climate change, Koch says, “We may see some UN regulations or policy signals that create a climate for governments to put in policies with unintended consequences.”

Some of these policies might limit access to seed and pest control technology, or encourage less meat consumption. This can result in higher prices for staple foods — an unintended consequence with a disproportionate impact on low-income countries. Policies that encourage limiting meat interfere with the history, culture and the lifestyle of some societies.

“Who are we to make these decisions?” Koch asks.

Public trust

Farmers need to make sure policymakers understand all the consequences of potential policies and regulations. To do this, Koch says, farmers need to be accountable to consumers and ready to explain “why we do what we do.”

With consumers on side, governments will feel empowered to impose policies and regulations that change farm practices, she fears.

Farmers also need to focus on continuous improvement and operate responsibly. “We need to have consumers trust that we are producing safe, nutritious, plentiful, affordable food.”

Consumers are demanding this, Koch says, “so we better figure out a way to communicate that.”

The need for consumers to trust farmers will still be with us in 20 years, Koch says. And political leaders will still be pressured to implement policies and regulations that limit farm practices to appease consumers and environmentalists. But even knowing this, Koch is still optimistic about the future of agriculture. “I hope 20 years from now we’re seen as the solution, not the problem.”

As the world’s population grows, Canada has the ability to provide food for more people. The question, Koch says, is “Will we be allowed to?”

The post Policies and regulations may be the biggest risk of all appeared first on Country Guide.

Bibeau told delegates attending the 10th annual conference she’s never felt like she’s had to fight for spot at the political table because of work done by women who have gone before her.

She said in a follow-up interview she’s amazed and inspired by the shift in agriculture that’s taken place in the four years since she took on the agriculture portfolio.

“I’m very impressed by the next generation because they have so many opportunities (within) agriculture… With all the research and science and innovation that is being done in agriculture, they are all well-educated, they have degrees and I (look forward) to see how they see the future of agriculture,” Bibeau said.

She advised women not to wait to be asked to participate. They need to trust themselves to take on whatever challenges presented to them on the farm or within the field of agriculture.

She acknowledged it can be daunting going into meetings with only men at the table. However, she said, with more women stepping up, “there’s… no limit to the possibilities” women in agriculture can achieve.

Julia Flinton, a B.C. cattle producer and manager of the food systems program for the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (ISPARC) in that province, spoke earlier in the day about how combining one’s passion and family life can turn into a career.

Flinton said she’s heard the saying “faking it until you make it” too many times from women — and asked “Well, what are we faking?” which prompted another round of applause.

— Jessika Guse writes for Glacier FarmMedia from Calgary.

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The five commissioners, three Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously to approve the policy statement.

“The FTC has a range of tools it can use to root out unlawful repair restrictions and today’s policy statement would commit us to move forward on this issue with new vigour,” FTC chair Lina Khan said at an unusual open hearing, the second held by the agency this month.

Commissioner Noah Phillips, a Republican, supported the step. “While there are repair restrictions that are legitimate, whether it’s smartphones or tractors, I absolutely agree that there are many unwarranted restrictions that make it (repairs) excessively difficult and expensive,” he said.

The vote followed an agency report released in May that found that manufacturers often discourage repairs by third parties that can charge consumers less than dealers. These include disparaging spare parts not made by the manufacturer, and license agreements.

The issue was one of dozens spelled out in an executive order that the Biden White House put out this month.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce vehemently objected to the way the meeting was conducted. Sean Heather, a chamber vice-president, said the agency’s new open meetings “have embraced a vote now, discuss policy later approach that ignores public input, making the entire process anything but transparent and above board.”

The FTC’s commissioners voted along party lines to rescind a 1995 policy statement regarding prior approval of mergers. With the statement rescinded, a company that had been stopped from proceeding with one merger must give prior notice to the FTC if it is contemplating a similar transaction. The FTC could then stop the new deal without spending months to investigate the new deal.

Commissioner Christine Wilson, a Republican, said there was no evidence to support scrapping the 1995 policy statement.

Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, a Democrat, said FTC staff spent a lot of time and resources looking at “clearly anti-competitive” mergers. “I think a lot about the deterrent effect that we need to be sending,” she said.

The FTC also voted unanimously to keep a rule requiring clothing manufacturers to spell out how their clothing should be cared for but indicated that it would update it.

— Reporting for Reuters by Diane Bartz.

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Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole, considered the front-runners in a small field of leadership hopefuls, listed eliminating the environmental policy in response to a series of questions posed to them by the Western Canadian Wheat Growers.

In his response to a query on top priorities for farmers and industry across the Prairies, MacKay, a Harper-era cabinet minister, spent the first two paragraphs lambasting policies of the current Liberal government, declaring “Canada’s agriculture producers feel betrayed by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.”

He then proposed “restoring confidence in Ottawa” by first removing the carbon pricing plan imposed on producers by the Liberals in 2019, then working to “reduce regulatory burden on our agricultural sector.”

The former attorney general and defence minister went on to mention removing barriers to young farmers and ensuring “policy decisions are based on science, not activism.”

He also stated he would protect Canada’s food supply from illegal blockades and ensure industry “doesn’t suffer unfair competition.” He also committed to investing in the delivery of broadband internet capabilities.

O’Toole’s response listed ending the carbon tax as the first priority, before committing to defending and expanding foreign markets.

The Ontario MP from Durham also proposed expanding rural transportation and communication infrastructure to “help get products to market and allow farmers to adopt new digital farming technologies.”

Like, MacKay, he also spoke to tax reforms, pledging to reduce and simplify them.

In listing their priorities, the two hopefuls offered slight differences on some specifics, but largely spoke to the same big-picture ideas.

AgriStability

Leslyn Lewis, who is courting the social conservative vote and considered to be running a distant third, differed in her priorities. Like the others, she cited reforming tax rules to better allow for intergenerational transfers; but she also pledged to restore the AgriStability program to cover 85 per cent of losses.

Soon after the Harper Conservative government reduced AgriStability support in 2012, Canadian farmers started pushing to restore it to previous levels. They continue to argue the program doesn’t provide the level of income stability farmers need.

Lewis was the only candidate to definitively say restoring the program to previous levels would be a priority, or mention it at all, despite the notion being a long-time and frequent ask of producer groups from coast to coast.

The Toronto-based lawyer, who has never served in Parliament, said she would also be “applying a national security lens to Canada’s agricultural sector to make sure we are prepared for the next global crisis.”

Like her running mates, Lewis also spoke to strengthening existing trade relationships and opening new ones.

In a question specific to the topic of international trade, MacKay said he would “bring in pro-employment trade policies” and “tear-down artificial trade barriers that inhibit agri-businesses from exporting their products.”

Exporters and producers continue to raise concern with non-tariff measures hampering the competitiveness of Canadian businesses in international markets.

Trade expectations

Artificial trade barriers have dampened enthusiasm for recent trade deals. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union, negotiated under the previous Conservative government, is often cited as an example of liberalized trade failing to meet expectations.

While the complexity of non-tariff measures makes it difficult to quantify the amount of money lost by producers as a result of such barriers, a 2017 parliamentary report found the sum effect of non-tariff measures for agrifood exporters is equivalent to a tariff of 25-30 per cent in Asia and 30-40 per cent for the European market.

MacKay said his trade-policies would put Canadian businesses first, while protecting them from “hostile nations, like China, that do not share our interests.”

Under the current Liberal government, Canada is currently leading an effort to reform the World Trade Organization (WTO), which in recent months has been thrown into turmoil as countries flout its authority.

The United States has halted the WTO’s ability to resolve trade disputes between nations, while China continues to frustrate free traders by continuing to make arbitrary and often politically-based decisions that slow the free-flow of goods.

In his response to the question, MacKay turned his response away from international matters to domestic ones by stating a need to “fix our own backyard first.” To that end, he included a pledge to work with premiers to tear down inter-provincial trade barriers that inhibit market access to Canadian agribusinesses.

O’Toole took the question as an opportunity to cite his experiences as parliamentary secretary for international trade under the previous Conservative government, stating he “worked closely with Canadian farmers in negotiating and completing ground-breaking trade agreements with dozens of countries in Europe and Asia.”

Those deals he helped negotiate are, in some instances, the same ones that have failed to live up their initial billing to producers; but from January to May 2020, Canadian agri-food and seafood exports did increase by 6.1 per cent compared to the year prior, reaching $29 billion compared with $27.1 billion for the same period last year.

Despite international volatility and trade tensions, the United States (52.7 per cent), China (12.1 per cent) and the EU (5.7 per cent) continue to make up a significant portion of Canada’s export destinations.

Lewis stated her full support for new and expanded trading relationships.

“I would however do so in a responsible manner that ensures Canada maintains its own supportive frameworks, particularly supply management,” she wrote.

The Wheat Growers also asked candidates about rural infrastructure investments, as well as how they would ensure an accountable and efficient grain transportation system.

Here, MacKay and O’Toole gave fairly distinct answers.

“I will prioritize long-term investments to modernize and improve transportation infrastructure. I will also remove artificial barriers to stimulate private sector investments in infrastructure and will prioritize national infrastructure programs to help deliver Canadian agricultural goods faster and more efficiently,” MacKay said in his written response.

“Finally, I will end any further disruptions from unlawful protesters who threaten the delivery of agricultural inputs and exports.”

The resiliency of Canada’s rail transportation system has been tested throughout the years, but particularly over 2019-20. A late harvest caused problems for producers, which wasn’t helped when CN rail workers when on strike in November.

Then, an early winter snap forced rail companies to shorten trains only weeks prior to a January rockslide which blocked CN’s main line through the Fraser Canyon, followed by a washout that kept the line inoperable until February.

Federal government orders to “go slow” were prompted by a derailed train carrying crude oil through Saskatchewan, and anti-pipeline blockades disrupted rail traffic at several lines and container terminals.

Since then, the pandemic has caused periods where container availability is a concern. In all, since November there have been more than 13,000 rail car orders cancelled.

O’Toole called for improved services through competition, writing too many of Canada’s big corporations “are coddled and protected by a government that serves them more than it serves the people.

“Just like how I’ve promised to help consumers by opening our airlines and wireless services to more foreign competition, I would make sure that we have enough competitive pressure on our railroads to incent them to invest and provide affordable and timely service to farmers and shippers,” he said.

“If markets remain underserved, I would be supportive of the federal government earmarking infrastructure funds to help build out further rail connections.”

In her response to the question, Lewis said Canada cannot be reliant on foreign governments.

“My promise to Canadians is that I will use every tool at my disposal to increase investment in Canada, and revitalize our energy, farming and other resource sectors,” she said.

Each of the three candidates committed to supporting agricultural innovation, with Lewis and MacKay highlighting a need to further invest in research and development. O’Toole and Mackay proposed eliminating red tape to allow for further innovation.

All three candidates pledged to support the delivery of internet connectivity in rural areas.

As of press time, the remaining leadership hopeful, Ontario MP Derek Sloan, had not responded to the questions.

CPC brass reported 269,469 members are eligible to cast a mail-in ballot prior to the party’s Aug. 21 deadline.

Members are faced with selecting a new leader after Regina-based MP Andrew Scheer, who was chosen in 2017, announced in December he was resigning from the role.

Unlike Scheer’s leadership race, agricultural issues have largely taken a backseat amongst the candidates.

In 2017, the issue of supply managed industries was central to the decision party members ultimately made. At that time, Scheer’s main opponent, Maxime Bernier, committed to phasing out supply management, thrusting the issue to the forefront of the race.

Bernier, during his leadership bid at the time, was also the MP for a riding with one of the highest concentrations of dairy farmers.

“Let’s work for Canadian consumers. How come we’re Conservatives? We believe in free markets. How come we cannot have a free market under supply management? Just abolish that and we’ll have more freedom,” he aid during a 2017 debate.

Following his loss to Scheer, Bernier formed his own political party and he has since moved to the periphery of political discourse in Canada.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, have continued to pledge allegiance to supply management under the leadership of Scheer –a commitment expected to continue under the party’s next leader.

— D.C. Fraser reports for Glacier FarmMedia from Ottawa.

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