Canadians can provide comment until March 31, 2023
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The federal government wants feedback from Canadians on its Sustainable Agriculture Strategy (SAS).
This strategy will provide “an integrated and coordinated approach to address agri-environmental issues in the sector,” a discussion document says.
Canadians have until March 31, 2023, to read the document and provide comment.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the consultations on Monday at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa.
“We must help Canadian farmers keep building their resilience to climate change,” she said Monday morning. “We need to sit down together and develop a roadmap that will keep us on track to meet our environment and climate goals.”
The SAS has five focus areas:
- Soil health
- Adaptation and resilience
- Water
- Climate change mitigation
- Biodiversity
And part of the SAS’s work will include reducing fertilizer emissions, developing the Canada Water Agency and a national adaptation strategy.
Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), and Martin Caron, president of the Union des producteurs and CFA board member, represented the ag sector at the announcement.
CFA and AAFC worked together to establish an advisory committee made up of multiple industry representatives.
“This committee will support dialogue between the key stakeholders,” Robinson said on Monday. “It is our hope this is the beginning of a long-term forum and strategic approach that can help support producers on our transition to a truly sustainable agriculture sector that provides safe and nutritious food for Canada and the world and generations to come.”
Twenty organizations, including the Canola Council of Canada, Egg Farmers of Canada, Pulse Canada and the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, are part of the committee.
“I look forward to making contributions that help to identify objectives and concrete strategies that farmers can own, and consumers can support,” Julie Paillat, national coordinator, greenhouse vegetable industry with the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, said on Twitter while attending the announcement.
Full list of Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Committee members:
Canada Organic Growers | Egg Farmers of Canada |
Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute | Farmers for Climate Solutions |
Canadian Canola Growers Association | Fertilizer Canada |
Canadian Cattle Association | Fruit & Vegetable Growers of Canada |
Canadian Pork Council | Grain Growers of Canada |
Canadian Wildlife Federation | National Farmers Union |
Canola Council of Canada | Nature United |
Chicken Farmers of Canada | Pulse Canada |
Dairy Farmers of Canada | Union de producteurs agricoles |
Ducks Unlimited | Soy Canada |