Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: CFFO Core Policy Values

By Nathan Stevens
March 16, 2012
 
The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario recently fine-tuned its core policy values. In the rapidly changing world of agriculture, it is important to take time periodically to ensure that the organization has the right priorities for its members. The process affirmed that the organization focus on three key themes when dealing with any issue.
 
First and foremost, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is a faith-based organization that acknowledges that our work is done to honour God and live out our lives as Christians. All our policy is an extension of our commitment to living out those values, while we recognize that the manner in which each individual farmer embraces those values may be different.
 
The second key theme that was affirmed is the importance of family-based farming and the land that serves as the foundation of successful agriculture. The CFFO recognizes that family farms come in large, medium, and small sizes and that we need policy that works for each of them. The CFFO recognizes that farmers value their career choice as producers of safe food, fuel and fibre in an ecologically sustainable manner, and many believe that farming is a vocation, not just a job. This recognition extends outward into valuing entrepreneurship and responsible adoption of new technology.
 
The third theme that was affirmed is that CFFO values justice, fairness and compassion in all aspects of agriculture. On the business side, this means that the CFFO values marketing systems that produce satisfactory returns for farmers from the marketplace. On the environmental side, this means a strong commitment to stewardship and the adoption of practices that provide long-term ecological care. On the social side, this means that respect and compassion for others in the farming sector and the food chain is essential to good buisness. The CFFO values farm policy from a triple bottom line point of view that properly balances rights and responsibilities.
 
The Christian Farmers Federation is focused on expressing our values through agriculture policy. We are focused on faith and family-based farming that operates within a fair and compassionate working environment.

 

Nathan Stevens is the Interim Manager and Director of Policy Development for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston and in Brantford and Woodstock. It is also found on the CFFO website:www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 73

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Canadian Cattle Young Leaders announce 2026 Finalists

The Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) Program, a national youth initiative of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), is pleased to announce its 16 finalists for the 2026–2027 program year. The annual CYL Selections Competition took place on August 18, 2026, at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba. During the competition, impressive semi-finalists from across Canada, involved in various roles within the beef supply chain, competed for a spot in the 2026 mentorship program year. Through the Selections Competition, semi-finalists rotated through discussions with their peers at six roundtables, each facilitated and judged by representatives from the program’s sponsors and industry. Semi-finalists put their skills to the test during thought provoking discussions about timely beef industry topics such as education, succession planning, leadership, public trust, innovative technology and international trade. Each finalist will be awarded a $3,000 budget for beef i

Breeding Barley for an Uncertain Water Future

Western Crop Innovations breeder Yadeta Kabeta explains how new barley varieties are helping Prairie farmers manage drought, improve water-use efficiency and maintain yield stability in an increasingly unpredictable climate. Few production challenges occupy prairie farmers’ minds more consistently than water. Some years it’s too little. Other years it’s too much. Even when total rainfall looks adequate, the timing often isn’t. Moisture may arrive after the crop’s most critical growth stages have passed, or disappear altogether during grain fill. For Yadeta Kabeta, barley breeder with Western Crop Innovations (WCI), that increasing variability has become one of the defining challenges facing Prairie crop production. “Low moisture availability or variability in moisture is currently probably a top concern for producers,” says Kabeta. “In recent years there has been so much variability in the amount of rainfall and in the patterns of rainfall. Sometimes it doesn’t come when crops need

Wheat, Barley Groups Partner to Reshape Canadian Breeding System

The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition and Canadian Barley Research Coalition have entered a formal strategic partnership aimed at strengthening and modernizing Canada’s wheat and barley breeding system. Announced Thursday, the agreement brings the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) formally into ongoing discussions between the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC), and Agriculture Canada on the future of cereal breeding. CWRC chair Jocelyn Velestuk said the partnership builds on a history of collaboration between the two organizations and reflects the common challenges facing wheat and barley breeding. “Many farmers grow both wheat and barley, and the breeding systems for both crops face similar challenges that we can now address collaboratively,” said Velestuk in a statement. The discussions grew out of a CWRC review of Canada’s wheat breeding innovation system, which examined potential risks and opportunities and how the system can continue developing high-performin

Saskatchewan Yield Estimates Mixed as Harvest Reaches 18% Done

Saskatchewan’s 2026 crop is shaping up with lower yields than last year for many major crops, although durum, peas, and mustard are notable exceptions, according to the latest provincial crop report on Thursday. The province currently estimates the average spring wheat yield at 52 bu/acre, down from Statistics Canada’s final 2025 Saskatchewan yield of 55.8 bu. Barley is pegged at 74 bu./acre versus 78.2 last year, while oats are estimated at 94 bu/acre, down from 101. Canola is estimated at 38 bu/acre compared with 44.4 in 2025, while flax is projected at 26 versus 27.8. Durum is estimated at 44 bu/acre, up from 39.6 last year, while peas at 39 bu./acre are slightly above the 2025 yield of 38.6. The average provincial lentil yield is currently estimated by the province at 1,361 lbs/acre, below last year’s 1,705 lbs. Canary seed is pegged at 1,266 lbs versus 1,623 in 2025, while chickpeas at 1,501 pounds are down sharply from 1,985. Mustard is the exception, with the 2026 estimate

Global Food Commodity Prices Up Again in August

Global food prices rose for a second consecutive month in August, reaching their highest level since late 2022, as adverse weather, geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions increased concerns about supplies of major agricultural commodities. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said Friday that its Food Price Index averaged 133.3 points in August, up 1.9% from a revised July reading and 2.5% above a year earlier. The index had risen 0.6% in July after declining 0.3% in June. Despite reaching its highest level in about four years, the index remained roughly 17% below the all-time high of 160.2 points reached in March 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine Cereal prices were among the main drivers of the August increase. The FAO cereal price index averaged 116.3 points, up 2.2% from July and reaching its highest level since May 2024. Prices increased across all major grains amid strong demand, weather concerns and continued uncertainty surrounding

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service