What will it take for Canadian Agriculture to get the attention it deserves?

Canadian agriculture has an awareness problem. This was confirmed for me recently when my friend and RBC executive John Stackhouse stated on our Truth About Ag podcast, “Canada is a great ag power, and we don’t act like one.”

The world needs what Canada has—sustainably and ethically produced agri-food products. Yet, as an industry, we struggle to get the attention we deserve at the federal level. Let’s face it—portfolios such as finance, defence, environment, and housing always seem to take precedence, and when we are thought of, it usually involves more regulations. I always say it feels like agriculture is the forgotten stepchild. 

It’s a shame, as this disregard for our industry perpetuates some of the ignorance that Canadians (and some politicians) have. 

If you were to scroll social media, you’d think farms and farmers are major corporate polluters, that we use toxic chemicals and don’t care about climate. 

Most Canadians don’t realize:

  • Canadian agriculture is the most sustainable when compared to other major competitors
  • Canada invented zero-till agriculture, now seen as one of the most important aspects of climate-positive farming
  • Canadian soil is an enormous asset in sequestering (or storing) carbon
  • Farmers can be solution providers to climate issues 
  • 99% of farms in Canada are family farms
  • Primary agriculture directly contributes $30 billion to Canada’s GDP

As the world’s population continues to grow, the world needs Canada to produce more, process more, and export more. We’re intimately knowledgeable about food and how to grow it, but for some reason, Canadian ag is taken for granted. 

Corporate Canada starting to take notice

We’re starting to get the attention of non-ag businesses and food companies. This summer, executives from Royal Bank, Maple Leaf Foods, Mccain and Nutrien visited the farm as part of the Canadian Alliance of Net Zero Agri Food’s western Canada tour. Our farm is a proud partner in CANZA and it was my pleasure to show them what we do every day. Admittedly, they were surprised by the sheer scale of the farm and the project management that goes into harvesting 40,000 acres. As Stackhouse said in the podcast, hoodies and ball caps aside…farming is serious business, farmers are CEOs and business leaders. 

What’s really encouraging is that these companies realize time is of the essence – we have a window of time to establish a carbon credit market for agriculture so farmers can be financially rewarded for pulling carbon out the atmosphere, storing it in the soil and helping Canada reach net-zero by 2030. Right now, even many farmers are skeptical that carbon credits can be a real thing. A national test market for carbon sequestration could result in cheques for farmers – they need to see it to believe it, and thanks to CANZA, we’re getting closer. 

The US is way ahead of us and we need to play catch-up…fast. We don’t need another white paper – they’re simply a good place for my coffee cup to rest. What we need is action.

Agriculture and the Productivity Crisis

Later this month, I’ll be taking part in a panel discussion at Canada’s Productivity Summit in Calgary to speak about how we can drive investment and economic growth for Canada. It’s important that agriculture is part of this national conversation.

Growing more, producing more and exporting more is good for Canadians and our economy. More regulation is not what we need. Without a doubt, I think ill-informed policy is our greatest threat right now. The latest concern is Bill C-293 which could allow the federal government to limit agricultural activities in the name of pandemic preparedness. What next? It seems like we’re playing whack-a-mole with this government and it’s exhausting. 

 I look forward to meeting with finance experts, economists, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the U of C’s Trevor Toombs, and other thought leaders to discuss the issues and strategize policy recommendations.

Do you think I should wear my HGV ball cap and hoodie? 

 

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