Agriculture, agri-food groups make bid for spot in Carney’s economic agenda

A coalition of producer and agri-business groups is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to make Canadian agriculture part of his economic agenda.

“Without a clear shift in approach, Canada risks falling permanently behind in a sector critical to domestic and export growth, food security, and economic resilience,” the groups said in an open letter published Monday.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture and 29 other groups called attention to Canada’s shrinking share in the global agri-food market and slowing growth in annual productivity.

“While governments in other nations are making bold investments in agri-tech, domestic food processing, production, and export readiness, Canada has been slow to respond, losing opportunities in the process,” they said.

The coalition said Canadian agriculture and agri-food has the potential to drive an additional $100 billion in GDP growth over the next 10 years.

They asked the federal government to:

• Create a focused plan for economic growth in the agricultural sector, including targets for investment in innovation, value-added processing, exports and others
• Reduce regulatory burdens to make Canada more attractive to investors and innovators
• Prioritize infrastructure that supports agriculture, like railways, ports and rural infrastructure
• Modernize risk management tools to support the sector through trade and climate challenges

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) held board meetings and a policy summit in Winnipeg on July 15 and 16.