Federal Government Announces AgriCommunication Initiative

Dec 09, 2021

On Thursday, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau, launched the AgriCommunication Initiative, which will contribute to better connecting Canadians with Canada’s farmers.

The AgriComunication Initiative supports progress towards achieving the vision established in the Food Policy for Canada, that all people in Canada are able to access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious, and culturally diverse food. The Food Policy supports work on food fraud, food labelling, and food loss and waste, among other initiatives.

“Farmers and food business workers across Canada work hard to provide sustainable, high quality, nutritious food here at home, and around the world. Consumers have a growing interest in learning more about where homegrown agricultural products come from and how they’re made. This initiative will develop more connections between the agriculture and agri-food industry and Canadians, which will increase appreciation and pride in our farmers and food businesses,” said Bibeau.

The AgriCommunication Initiative has two streams.

The first aims to help Canadians better understand how their food is produced. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will provide up to $8 million over three years to support projects that promote consumer awareness of the strengths of Canada’s agriculture sector. Projects will also help enhance Canadians’ trust in sustainability, animal care, and efforts to reduce food waste.

Eligible recipients include not-for-profit associations and Indigenous groups. The program will also support agricultural fairs and exhibitions which have broad agriculture awareness mandates.

Also part of the first stream, AAFC will also launch communications and awareness activities in Spring 2022 to highlight the sector’s efforts to adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and technologies. Meanwhile, work is underway to refresh the Canada Brand platform to ensure that food businesses and partners have access to new graphics and tools optimized for today’s digital platforms, enabling them to reach more consumers and enhance virtual connections with international buyers.

This initiative was informed by public opinion research, focus groups, and consultations, including engagement with the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council, as well as industry and provincial organizations.

“Agricultural awareness, sustainability, and the fight against climate change have been top of mind for the youth council since its inception. We, as farmers and members of the agri-food sector, need to be able to make meaningful connections with Canadians; never before has the divide between society and agriculture been so large. Our future, and the future of agriculture, depend on a strong and vibrant relationship between people and their food. I look forward to the AgriCommunication Initiative enhancing trust between farmers and consumers,” said Jerry Bos, Co-Chair of the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council.

The second stream of the AgriCommunication Initiative will focus on increasing the sector’s understanding of consumer preferences and expectations. More details on these efforts will be available in the coming months.

Applications for the program will be accepted on an ongoing basis until September 30, 2023 or until otherwise announced by the program, or until funding has been fully committed. The program ends March 31, 2024.

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Video: U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan | Made by Producers for Producers

Join Jill Brokaw, a third-generation pig farmer and staff member of the National Pork Board, as she dives into the vital role of the US Swine Health Improvement Plan, also known as US SHIP. The program establishes a national playbook of standards for monitoring African swine fever and classical swine fever.

Why Should Pork Producers Care? If a disease breaks out, officials will establish a control area to help contain the disease. This plan is designed to mitigate risk and demonstrate freedom of disease at the site level. The goal is to support business continuity outside of the control area in case of an outbreak.

How Will the Pork Industry Use US SHIP? US SHIP uses already existing programs to support the standards for biosecurity, traceability and disease surveillance.

Biosecurity: This plan uses your completed Secure Pork Supply plan to demonstrate compliance with the biosecurity program standards and shows your ability to reduce the risk of disease introduction.

Traceability: AgView can be used to demonstrate compliance with the traceability standards and the ability to electronically provide State and Federal agencies the traceability information they need to determine where disease is and isn’t.

Disease Surveillance: The Certified Swine Sampler Collector Program helps expand the number of people certified to take samples. In the event of a large-scale foreign animal disease outbreak, we will need a trained group of sample collectors to help animal health officials find where the disease is present. This is to help you demonstrate freedom of disease and support the permitted movement of animals.

Getting Started with US SHIP:

1. Enroll in U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan

2. Share 30 days of movement data

3. Have a completed Secure Pork Supply Plan

4. Become U.S. SHIP certified

5. Maintain communication with your state

Takeaway: U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan helps safeguard animal health. Together, we're creating a sustainable future for pork production in the United States and taking steps to strengthen the business of U.S. pork producers everywhere