In light of recent federal announcements regarding the price of carbon, a national coalition of industry-wide farm organizations, including Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC), recently formed the Agriculture Carbon Alliance (ACA).
The ACA was established to ensure that Canadian farmers’ sustainable practices are recognized through a policy environment that maintains their competitiveness, supports their livelihoods, and leverages their critical role as stewards of the land.
The ACA will work proactively on behalf of Canadian agriculture to advocate for constructive and evidence-based policies regarding carbon pricing, offsets, retrofit funding, and related environmental policies. The alliance will also function as a resource for the federal government regarding solutions-oriented strategies to ensure the industry remains competitive, both at home and around the world.
To date, ACA members include:
- Canadian Canola Growers Association
- Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
- Canadian Federation of Agriculture
- Canadian Hatching Egg Producers
- Canadian Horticultural Council
- Canadian Pork Council
- Chicken Farmers of Canada
- Egg Farmers of Canada
- Grain Growers of Canada
- Turkey Farmers of Canada
Canadian Federation of Agriculture AGM
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s (CFA) AGM was hosted virtually this year from Feb 24–26 and brought together farm leaders from across the country, as well as industry stakeholders and government representatives to help set the priorities for Canadian agriculture in the coming year.
This year’s theme for the CFA AGM was “Unleashing Ag’s Potential” and took deep dive into how Canadian agriculture is a powerful tool for Canada’s recovery and an impactful ally in the fight against climate change.
During the AGM, attendees heard from political speaker including:
- Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Erin O’Toole, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
- Yves-François Blanchet, Leader of the Bloc Québecois
- Yves Perron, Bloc Québecois Agriculture Critic
- Alistair MacGregor, NDP Agriculture Critic
The AGM also had a series of interesting panels on important topics such as:
- The Future of Business Risk Management Programming
- Generating Income from Greenhouse Gas Offset Credits
- Unleashing Agri-Food’s Potential: The Downstream Stakeholders’ Perspective
Click here for a full recap of the AGM.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Plan for a Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy
A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is the federal government’s recently announced plan to build a better future with a healthier economy and environment. It is a key pillar in the government’s commitment to create over one million jobs and restoring employment to pre-pandemic levels – of which climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone.
The government recognizes that Canadian farmers, ranchers and agri-food businesses are constantly innovating to improve their practices so that they are more sustainable.
To help farmers and food businesses continue to develop and implement clean practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure agriculture remains a leading part of the solution to climate change, this plan will:
- Invest $165.7 million over seven years to support the agriculture industry in developing transformative clean technologies and help farmers adopt commercially available clean technology. Access to the latest clean technology will help maintain competitiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Work with provinces and territories under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to boost climate-smart agriculture, including actions related to crop and livestock production.
Update on Private Members’ Legislation
There are several Private Members’ Bills before the House of Commons right now that are supportive of Canadian agriculture, and in particular, of the Canadian chicken sector. A private member’s bill is a proposed piece of legislation introduced in the House of Commons by a member of parliament who is not a cabinet minister. The bill follows the same legislative process as a government bill, but the time allocated for its consideration is restricted, making the likelihood for its success very difficult.
A government that wants to support a bill will usually prefer to sponsor it itself, rather than allow a private member to do so. Private Members’ Bills may deal with any subject at all, but they cannot order public expenditure.
CFC is grateful to all the sponsoring members of the following bills and thanks them for their ongoing advocacy for farmers:
Bill C-205, An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (Biosecurity on Farms) as presented by Conservative MP John Barlow addresses the biosecurity concerns and safety of animals and the safety of our food supply as a direct result of actions by activists targeting livestock production. This bill recently passed second reading in the House of Commons.
Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (qualifying farming fuel) presented by Conservative MP Philip Lawrence would exempt qualifying farming fuel from pollution pricing. This bill has passed second reading in the House of Commons.
Bill C-208, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (transfer of small business or family farm or fishing corporation) as presented by Conservative MP Larry Maguire aims to ease the transfer of family farms within the family. This bill has passed second reading in the House of Commons.
Bill C-216, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management) introduced by Bloc Québecois MP Louis Plamondon aims to prohibit the Minister from making any commitment on behalf of the Government of Canada, by international trade treaty or agreement, that would increase the tariff rate quota, applicable to dairy products, poultry or eggs, or to reduce the tariff applicable to those goods when they are imported in excess of the applicable tariff rate quota. This bill recently passed second reading in the House of Commons.
