Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Agriculture Readout of Virtual Meeting

Jul 16, 2021

OTTAWA, ON - Canada's Ministers of Agriculture met by video conference to discuss several key areas of interest for Canada's agriculture sector, as a lead-up to their Annual Conference in September.

The topics of discussion included the next Agricultural Policy Framework (successor to the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which expires on March 31, 2023), prevention of and preparedness for the threat posed by African Swine Fever, potential long-term improvements to the suite of Business Risk Management programs (BRM), and setting the stage for a strong and sustainable future.

Ministers also expressed their concern for farmers and workers dealing with the current heat waves, wildfires and drought conditions in Western Canada and other regions of the country, and reiterated the importance of a strong BRM framework to provide producers with the ability to make sound business decisions in times of economic uncertainty.

Last November, Ministers created the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group on Retail Fees and called on industry to actively contribute to the development of solutions to help ensure that Canada has the appropriate conditions for all supply chain partners to prosper. At today's meeting Ministers received the findings from the Working Group and called on industry to lead a collaborative process to develop broad consensus around a concrete proposal to improve transparency, predictability, and respect for the principles of fair dealing. Ministers also agreed that alongside the industry-led process, the Working Group will continue to build on the positive momentum and support industry in a constructive dialogue. They have asked for an update on progress before the end of the year and will continue to monitor the issue of fees imposed by grocery retailers to suppliers in order to resolve the issue.

Ministers will next meet in September, at their 2021 Annual Conference in Guelph, Ontario.

Source : Cision

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.