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Industry group wants government action on CETA

Industry group wants government action on CETA

The European Union has failed to honour some of its commitments, the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance said

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

An industry organization is calling on the federal government to ensure a trading partner is meeting its commitments in a trade deal.

The European Union (EU) isn’t holding up its end of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) three years after it came into effect, the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) said.

Canada had trade deficits with the EU during the first two years of the agreement.

The sector is “gravely concerned that the EU is not respecting the spirit of the commitments it made when negotiations concluded,” CAFTA said in a Sept. 21 letter, three years to the day the trade deal came into effect.

CAFTA sent the letter to the federal ministers of agriculture (Marie-Claude Bibeau), foreign affairs (François-Philippe Champagne), finance (Chrystia Freeland) and small business, export promotion and international trade (Mary Ng).

When the two parties signed the agreement, the EU committed to removing hurdles, which would help Canada increase its exports by $1.5 billion annually.

But because of EU laws and individual country laws, some Canadian ag products haven’t been afforded entry.

For beef and pork, for example, the EU doesn’t recognize the effectiveness of the meat processing industry. Canola farmers’ sustainability practices haven’t been recognized and the EU hasn’t issues rulings on “import tolerance processes for crop protection products,” CAFTA’s letter says.

“That’s why we believe the federal government should immediately deploy the Team Canada approach, mobilizing concerted efforts to defend Canadian trade interests …,” the letter reads.

Other politicians want the federal government to act on this front too.

Five former premiers, Ontario’s Kathleen Wynne, Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall, Manitoba’s Gary Doer, Alberta’s Ed Stelmach and Quebec’s Jean Charest wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau asking him to fix this issue.

“In exchange for agreeing to open up many areas under provincial authority, provinces expected reciprocal benefits in return. Chief among them was significant market access to the EU for the agriculture and agri-food sector,” the premiers’ letter says.

A representative for Minister Ng responded to the former premiers, assuring them that Ottawa is working on rectifying the issue.

“As the signatories acknowledged in their letter, our government is actively working to resolve challenges such as the non-tariff barriers posed by EU regulations in agriculture and food,” Ryan Nearing, press secretary for the international trade minister, said in a statement, reported the Globe and Mail. “Minister Ng has raised this issue with her EU counterparts numerous times, including in her many discussions with former EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan.”


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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.

 

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