Question Period Note: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE STRATEGY

Q1 – Why do we need a Sustainable Agriculture Strategy? Q2 – How will the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy benefit the Canadian agriculture sector? Q3 – How is the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy different from other government strategies that relate to environmental sustainability? Q4 – Canadians are facing high food prices at grocery stores and dealing with daily affordability challenges due to inflation. How will the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy help Canadians feed their families?

R.1 - Canadian producers are at the front lines of climate change and are experiencing increased pressure to feed Canada and the world. Agricultural production and the ability of farmers to make a good living from their work depend on a healthy environment and resilience to climate change.

The Sustainable Agriculture Strategy will establish a long-term vision and approach so that Canada’s agriculture sector is ready and able to recover quickly from extreme events, thrive in a changing climate, improve environmental performance, and ensure a steady food supply that we all depend on. R.2 - The Sustainable Agriculture Strategy will support Canada’s position as a key producer of in-demand sustainable food and agriculture products – generating wealth for operators and producers over the long-term.
The Strategy will help leverage opportunities that benefit the environment and producers through collaboration across public, private, Indigenous, and other partners, and finding new ways of working together. R.3 - The Sustainable Agriculture Strategy will be the first such strategy for Canada, bringing together under one umbrella federal action on environment and climate in the agriculture sector.

The Strategy will help show the connections between existing initiatives that advance sustainability in the sector and point to where more attention is needed. This includes connections between existing federal commitments outlined in the Strengthened Climate Plan and Emissions Reduction Plan, Global Biodiversity Framework, National Adaptation Strategy, and others.

Beyond federal initiatives, the Strategy will incentivize action across the sector on priority areas for environment and climate action, through shared vision, goals, and principles. R.4 - Many practices that farmers implement on their farm can benefit the environment as well as a farmer’s bottom line. Through a coordinated approach that aims to improve resilience, environmental performance, and productivity, the Strategy can support a steady food supply for Canadians regardless of floods, droughts and other natural events that can affect the cost of food.

The Government of Canada is developing a Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, which was highlighted in the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and the Strengthened Climate Plan as a means to support the agriculture sector’s actions on climate change and other environmental priorities towards 2030 and 2050. The Sustainable Agriculture Strategy is a coordinated federal initiative to establish a long-term vision and strategic approach to agri-environmental issues, including climate adaptation and resilience, climate change mitigation, water, biodiversity, and soil health.

In December 2022, the Government of Canada launched consultations to develop this strategy. Consultations formally ran until March 2023 where the department engaged with producers, producer associations, industry groups, non-government organizations, federal/provincial/territorial governments and Indigenous groups to understand the challenges and opportunities in the sector and identify effective solutions that support the SAS objectives. Consultations included an online public discussion paper and survey, stakeholder workshops on components of the strategy, dedicated Indigenous engagement (developing and ongoing), and regional producer engagement.
As part of these consultations, AAFC created an Advisory Committee with diverse representation of sector stakeholders to facilitate two-way information sharing and to help identify shared challenges. The committee has been created to keep the agriculture and agri-food sector updated on the progress of the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy and consider sector perspectives on specific approaches or actions to be included in the strategy. The committee will share information about sector initiatives that complement the strategy and contribute to advancing agri-environmental outcomes.
Feedback and perspectives shared during the consultation process will support the development of the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy expected to be released in 2024.
What We Heard Report
A “What We Heard” report summarizing feedback from the consultations was released on December 29, 2023. Feedback on the SAS was gained through over 400 responses to an online survey based on the SAS Discussion Document, 123 written submissions, four regional producer workshops, four virtual stakeholders workshops, self-led Indigenous workshops, and various virtual and in-person roundtables. The following considerations were shared by participants that the Government of Canada should keep in mind when developing the SAS:

• The importance of applying an economic lens to ensure economic challenges and opportunities in the sector are reflected in order to support productivity, profitability, competitiveness, and producer livelihoods;
• Reflecting regional differences across the country in terms of varying strengths, needs, and opportunities;
• Recognizing early adopters as many producers have already led the path toward the adoption of environmentally sustainable beneficial management practices (BMPs) and technologies; and
• Improving data and measurement as there is a lack of consistency across agri-environmental data collection and analysis at the national, regional, and field levels.

Participants also shared specific ideas on actions that are needed to advance sustainability in Canada’s agriculture sector.

• Canadian farmers are facing increased pressure to feed Canada and the world in a manner that is environmentally responsible and allows famers to make a good living, all within the context of a changing climate.
• The Sustainable Agriculture Strategy will provide a long-term approach and shared direction to address these challenges, and will recognize the environmental achievements producers have already attained while increasing production.

• The Strategy will help prioritize areas where more investment, innovation, and partnerships and collaboration are needed to advance the sustainability of Canada’s agriculture sector.