Question Period Note: SUPPORTING THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Q1 – How is the Government addressing the significant financial challenges facing Canadian producers?
Q2 – What is the Government doing to protect and strengthen Canada’s supply chains?
Q3 – How is the Government supporting preparation and prevention of disease outbreaks?
Q4 – How is Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supporting Indigenous Peoples’ food security and sector diversity within Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector?

R1 - When the sector faces challenges, the Government is well positioned to respond and support the sector through:
• tools to mitigate the financial impact of risks beyond producers' control, including business risk management (BRM) programs;
• advocacy and engagement; and
• maintaining and expanding market access.
The Government maintains regular contact with industry and sector groups across Canada, and monitors data and information to be able to understand changing sector dynamics and challenges in real time.
The Government also works with the sector to ensure that systems, standards, and tools are developed to support its ability to prevent and control risks and address market demands.
R2 - We have seen how supply chain disruptions can severely impact the sector, and by extension, Canadians.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is actively supporting Transport Canada’s efforts to reduce bottlenecks and increase transparency and fluidity along the supply chain, including the establishment of the National Supply Chain Office. Additionally, AAFC supports the whole of Government approach under Bill C-5, Building Canada Act, which seeks to foster the development of economic and trade corridors, connect different parts of the country and get goods to market, and strengthen Canada’s ability to trade. This includes new infrastructure and national building projects, as well as improvements to existing critical infrastructure.
R3 - Strict measures are in place to prevent livestock diseases from entering Canada. Measures include animal and food import controls and declarations for travellers at the border. In the event of an outbreak, the Government would move quickly to detect, trace, and eradicate disease while ensuring the sector has the support needed.
The Government continues its engagement with provincial and territorial governments, as well as industry, to ensure effective coordination and advancement in animal disease prevention and preparedness.
R4 - We are committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through a renewed, nation-to-nation, government-to-government, and Inuit-Crown relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership. We are working collaboratively to reduce barriers, enhance food security and support greater participation in the sector for First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
AAFC is the federal lead on implementing Action Plan Measure 87 outlined in the 2023-2028 UN Declaration Act Action Plan, which commits the Government to Support Indigenous Peoples’ food security, sovereignty and sustainability.
A more diverse and inclusive sector can provide significant benefits for innovation, competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.
The Government recognizes that there are many challenges facing Indigenous Peoples and other underrepresented and marginalized groups in participating in the agriculture and agri-food sector.
The Government continues to prioritize addressing barriers and creating opportunities for underrepresented and marginalized groups, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the sector. AAFC has implemented a framework to guide the integration of these considerations across departmental initiatives. For example, Sector Engagement Tables and councils include a diversity of perspectives in advice, recommendations and initiatives – identifying opportunities for participation of youth and new entrants, Indigenous Peoples and other underrepresented and marginalized groups.

AAFC and how it supports the agriculture and agri-food sector

AAFC is based across Canada, has an international presence, and supports the world-leading agriculture and agri-food sector. AAFC has regional offices that support regional market and industry services as well as research and development centres (RDCs) across Canada that advance science and program objectives.
To support the economic growth and long-term prosperity of the agriculture and agri-food sector domestically and abroad, AAFC oversees bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations; the implementation of agriculture and agri-food trade priorities in the areas of regulatory and technical import-export functions; market access, advocacy and trade policy; market development and diversification; and engagement with stakeholders in Canada and abroad, including market information and analysis, sector engagement, regional intelligence, and emergency management.
To support science and innovation, AAFC conducts collaborative scientific research with producer organizations and other industry stakeholders, academia, Indigenous groups, other government departments, and provincial, territorial and international partners; develops new knowledge and technologies, transfers the results to the sector; and works with industry and other partners to strengthen the sector’s capacity to develop and adopt innovative practices, products, and processes.
To support sector risk, AAFC conducts in-depth data and program analysis; engages with industry and other government partners; and ensures the agriculture and agri-food sector has access to assurance systems and supporting tools.

Federal Provincial and Territorial Relations

Agriculture is largely an area of shared jurisdiction between federal and provincial/territorial (FPT) governments. In particular, Section 95 of the Constitution Act (1867) establishes that primary agriculture is a concurrent area of jurisdiction. This has led to a unique dynamic of FPT agreements and initiatives over time that are jointly cost-shared with the provinces and territories. Examples of FPT frameworks include the current Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) 2023-2028, the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) 2018-2023, Growing Forward 2 (GF2) 2013-2018, and Growing Forward 2008-2013.

The FPT Ministers of Agriculture Table meets at least once per year to set overall FPT policy direction in key areas of significance across the country. In addition to the annual conference, the Ministers’ Table also meets as needed throughout the year to discuss priority or urgent issues. Bilateral meetings between the federal Minister and provincial/territorial (PT) counterparts complement these multilateral efforts by addressing varied local, unique issues such as regional-specific disasters impacting certain sectors (floods and droughts), and research and science partnerships to address the needs of the jurisdiction.

Supply Chains

Canada is committed to ensuring a resilient, strong, and stable food supply chain by responding to challenges, including severe weather events, labour shortages or disruptions, and other ongoing supply chain issues to ensure that recovery efforts support the movement of Canadian agricultural commodities. 
AAFC has continued to support Transport Canada (TC) with the implementation of the National Supply Chain Office, and engage with stakeholders on supply chain issues, including through the industry-government Crop Logistics Working Group, which provides an important venue for government to connect with grain industry stakeholders on key logistics and transportation issues.
In recognition of the importance of supply chain visibility and performance to the competitiveness of Canada’s grain sector, AAFC works with TC to fund Canada’s Grain Monitor (provided by Quorum Corporation) to ensure consistent measurement and reporting on the health and performance of Canada’s grain handling transportation system, and also supports the AG Transport Coalition, a complementary initiative with a coalition of agricultural associations, to monitor different perspectives on the transportation system.
Additionally, AAFC supports the Government of Canada’s efforts to identify areas where improvements to supply chain-related regulation or regulatory practices can support the movement of agricultural commodities in Canada.  This includes ensuring our quality assurance and product handling systems operate as efficiently as possible and achieve maximum returns for our agriculture sector.
Indigenous Peoples’ Food Security

AAFC is the federal lead on implementing Action Plan Measure 87 (APM SP 087) outlined in the 2023-2028 UN Declaration Act Action Plan, which commits the Government to:
Support Indigenous peoples’ food security, sovereignty, and sustainability through:

• Funding and other program measures;
• Promoting food-focused research to better understand the intersection of Indigenous peoples’ food security, sovereignty, and sustainability; and
• Promoting trade in Indigenous peoples’ food products and removal of barriers to trade.

According to 2021 Statistics Canada data, Indigenous farm operators represented 2.2% of total farm operators. On average, Indigenous operators were more likely to operate smaller farms, more commonly women, and tended to be younger in comparison with the non-Indigenous population.
Data from the First Nations Regional Health Survey indicated that in 2016, half (50.8%) of First Nations adults on reserve lived in households that were food insecure. The last available data from the Aboriginal Peoples Survey in 2017 reported 30% of Métis and 76% of Inuit over the age of 15 lived in a food insecure household.

Sector Diversity
AAFC’s Framework for Supporting Underrepresented and Marginalized Groups in the Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector serves to guide the Department’s efforts to address barriers, create opportunities, and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the sector. These groups include, but are not limited to, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and official language minority communities. Based on the 2021 Census of Agriculture, among all farm operators, 30.4% were women, 2.2% were Indigenous, 4.0% identified as being racialized, and 60.5% were aged 55 and older, while 8.6% were younger than 35. The Framework supports the identification of barriers and includes goals and objectives that guide efforts to enhance the accessibility and equity of AAFC services and initiatives.
AAFC has a number of programs and services to help reduce barriers and support the participation of Indigenous Peoples and other underrepresented and marginalized groups in the agriculture and agri-food sector.

• The AgriDiversity Program is a 5-year, $5 million program (2023-2028) that supports activities that strengthen Canada's agriculture sector to better leverage the potential offered by youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, racialized groups (visible minorities), 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and official language minority communities.
• The Youth Employment and Skills Program is designed to incentivize employers in the agriculture and agri-food sector to hire Canadian youth ages 15 to 30, with a focus on those facing barriers to employment, including those from underrepresented and marginalized groups. It helps youth facing barriers gain career-related work experience in the agriculture sector.
• The Local Food Infrastructure Fund supports projects that strengthen community food security and increase the availability and accessibility of local, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food through food production-focused activities for equity-deserving groups, particularly Indigenous and Black communities.
o Furthermore, the 2024–25 and 2025-26 intake periods of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund included a priority for projects that predominantly serve equity-deserving groups, particularly those that are led by or focus on Indigenous and Black communities.
• The Indigenous Pathfinder Service connects First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples to the programs and resources that exist to help develop opportunities and expand in the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based product sectors.

Diverse representation is an important consideration in the composition of all Sector Engagement Tables (SETs) and councils to support the inclusion of a diversity of perspectives in advice, recommendations and initiatives. Through the SETs and councils, AAFC is exploring ways to increase representation, aiming for gender parity and a significant representation (30%) of underrepresented and marginalized groups, aligning with the Government of Canada's 50–30 Challenge, and has also introduced work under the SETs to focus on reducing barriers for new entrants in the sector, including those faced by underrepresented and marginalized groups.

• The agricultural sector is critically important to feed the country and the world in a sustainable way. It is a key driver of Canada’s economy, contributing significantly to its GDP, employment and exports.

• Agriculture is a shared jurisdiction, and we collaborate with our provincial and territorial partners to support, strengthen, and grow the sector.

• We maintain a presence across Canada and in markets around the world, supporting the sector through robust information analysis, scientific research, program delivery, international advocacy, and sector engagement.