Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Growing Forward 2 needs a Family Farm Focus

By Nathan Stevens
April 29, 2011
 
The CFFO brought forward a number of key messages during a recent dialogue between farmers and the federal government on Growing Forward 2, Canada’s next agriculture policy framework. Many of these important messages lie outside the limited scope the federal government wants to look at, but they are issues that need to be addressed for the good of Ontario farmers.
 
The current directions outlined in Growing Forward 2 fail to identify the importance of the family farm as the foundation of agriculture. Our organization believes that all policies and programs should be designed with moderate-scale, production-oriented family farms in mind. The family farm does not need to be protected in legislation, but the programming and regulatory environment that unfolds under Growing Forward 2 must be tested against the impact that it will have on family farms across this country.
 
The CFFO strongly believes that a food strategy will improve the agriculture and agri-food sector in Canada. There is a growing recognition of the importance of the tie between food, health, and the environment all people share. A broad-based food strategy could result in farmers playing a key role but there needs to be capacity building and compensation for the efforts that farmers put forward for the benefit of all of society.
 
Our government and industry leaders need to realize that the sector’s single most important market is Canada itself. Therefore, first and foremost, strengthening a base of excellence in domestic production should be the highest priority of the sector. While the sector has been focused on exporting there has been a failure to maintain market share at home. In a global environment, it is more important than ever to be competitive at home, and then export to the world.
 
Agristability is failing to provide the necessary support that many farm operations need in Ontario. The particular problems faced across Canadian agriculture are diverse and there is a need for the provinces to be able to design and implement programs that address these needs using federal dollars. Strong guidelines that minimize the risk of countervail and other negative trade actions and payment caps should apply to all these programs.
 
Finally, if part of being competitive is being responsive to consumer demands, then it may be necessary to improve the way the agri-food sector communicates with consumers through labeling. Country of Origin and the presence of genetically modified organisms are food concerns where it is essential that consumers have choice in their purchasing decisions.
 
The CFFO has key concerns regarding Growing Forward 2 that need to be addressed in order to help farmers of all scales of production. We hope that government policy makers will consider these concerns as the development of Growing Forward 2 continues in the future.
 
Nathan Stevens is the Research and Policy Advisor 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. It is also archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 49

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

Key International Export Markets See Significant Agri-Food Volume Increase

Algeria, Indonesia and Morocco, three of Saskatchewan's key international markets, saw significant increases in provincial agri-food exports in 2023 over, the previous year. "The increase in exports to important international markets like Algeria, Indonesia and Morocco are yet another example of our agriculture sector's resiliency and dedication to providing reliable, high-quality agri-food products worldwide," Agriculture Minister David Marit said. "Numbers like these showcase the success we are seeing through our presence in world markets and building key relationships with our partners across the globe." Exports to Algeria had the third-highest increase in volume among Saskatchewan's top markets at 1,232,110 tonnes, or over 69 per cent. Algeria is Saskatchewan's fourth-leading market in volume with the top export commodities being durum and lentils. Indonesia's export numbers had a similar rise with an over 62 per cent increase in volume. Indonesia rose to Saskatchewan's sixth-

Supporting Research and Innovation in Agriculture with Funding for 101 New Projects

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $16.3 million in grant funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to support 101 projects under the Research and Innovation Program over the next three years, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today. “Folks around the world are looking for more sustainable agri-food products and I know our producers can deliver,” said MacAulay. “By investing in research and innovation across the value chain, we can address current and future challenges and help make sure the sector remains resilient, competitive, and efficient.” The funding will go towards research and capacity building to accelerate innovation in agriculture in Manitoba, supporting companies that are leading innovative research and putting Manitoba at the forefront of sustainable agriculture research. “Research and innovation drives growth and economic de

Low to Moderate Risk of Significant Spring Flooding for Manitoba

Manitoba is facing just a low to moderate risk of significant spring flooding this year, according to the provincial Hydrological Forecast Centre. With normal- to below-normal soil moisture at freeze-up and well-below-normal to above-normal winter precipitation for most Manitoba basins, the March Flood Outlook report on Tuesday said the risk of significant spring flooding is low to moderate for most Manitoba basins. Water levels are expected to remain below dikes and community or individual flood protection levels. The spring flooding risk is low for the Red River and tributaries, low to moderate for the Assiniboine River and tributaries and the Interlake region including the Icelandic and Fisher rivers; and generally low for the Souris, Qu’Appelle, Rat, Roseau, Pembina, Saskatchewan and Churchill river basins, and the Whiteshell Lakes region. Most Manitoba lake levels are normal to below normal and forecasted to remain within their operating range after the spring runoff, the out

Potato planting in peril: Irish farmers face uncertain future amidst wet weather woes

In a concerning turn for the Irish potato industry, farmers across the nation are grappling with a pressing dilemma due to unrelenting rainfalls. The situation has left them in a state of uncertainty, as they question whether planting their crops this year is a feasible option, as Louise Walsh reports in a news story published on breakingnews.ie.

CPMA announces the 2024 PFP participants

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is proud to announce 20 rising stars who will participate in the 2024 Passion for Produce (PFP) program in Vancouver.

© 2024   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service