COTA proudly represented the organic sector at the annual Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture conference in Whitehorse, Yukon, from July 17 to 19, 2024. This meeting represents a crucial convergence of government and industry to enhance the resilience and competitiveness of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector and strengthen supply chains.
COTA’s participation underscored the growing importance of organic in Canada. We continue to advocate for policies that support organic farmers and businesses, encourage innovation, and uphold organic standards and organic integrity nationwide. Staying informed about this conference's outcomes is vital as we work with partners to develop an Organic Action Plan for Canada and work together as an agricultural sector to address future challenges.
Highlights of Ministerial discussions:
- Acknowledgement of producer challenges (e.g. operational costs, labour shortages, potential disruptions) and committed to continue working across levels of government to support hard-working Canadian producers and processors.
- All major grocery chains signed the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct. Ministers agreed to provide $1.2 million in short-term funding to support an Adjudication office to bring more fairness, transparency, and predictability to Canada’s grocery supply chain and for consumers.
- Acknowledgement of vital role of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs and the need for them to effectively serve the entire sector. Focus on refining BRM programs to better address current and future needs of producers. Emphasis on improving the AgriRecovery framework and its integration with other BRM programs, notably AgriStability and AgriInsurance.
- Importance of enhancing international trade and market diversification to boost sector's global competitiveness, especially through trade negotiations and promoting existing agreements like the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement. Discussed export market access, ensuring import standards align with domestic ones, and addressing labour and supply chain disruptions. Importance of collaboration with the U.S., Canada's largest trading partner, was reinforced, along with efforts to increase exports to the Indo-Pacific region by leveraging the new Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office and related investments.
- Reiterated the importance of partnering with producers and processors to leverage technology, data, and scientific research throughout the conference to increase the productivity, profitability, sustainability, resiliency, and competitiveness of the agricultural sector. A panel discussion also addressed food production, security, and resiliency within Northern and Indigenous communities.
After the FPT meetings, COTA’s executive director, Tia Loftsgard, took the opportunity to tour local organic businesses and farms with members of the Growers of Organic Food Yukon (GoOFY), the organic association in the territory. The tour included Bean North, an organic and fair trade coffee roastery; Tum Tum’s, an organic abattoir and meat producer; and Sarah’s Harvest, an organic farm.
Sarah Ouellette, who grows 15,000 lbs of vegetables annually on just 0.4 acres, uses an innovative irrigation system connected to a lake and an electricity-free ice refrigeration system. Her enthusiasm was truly inspiring. It was also heartening to witness the generational handoff of land from a retiring organic farmer, ensuring continued organic farming. Understanding regional successes and challenges is key to advocating for the future of organic food in Canada.