Agriculture Committee on Sept. 26th, 2017

[Amanda Wilson, Policy Analyst, Coordinator of Community Engagement, Food Secure Canada]

Certainly, it's not a question of either-or, and I think most farmers and folks in the agrifood system would see the local food sector, the regional food sector, and export-oriented agriculture not as diametrically opposed, on two opposite ends. Often farmers grow things for export and for a regional economy.

I think for us the direction is really about how we can leverage and increase local and regional production, knowing that export, of course, is going to continue to be an important aspect of Canadian agriculture. We're hoping we can bring one up while recognizing that the other is going to continue.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Madam Bronson, you talked in your remarks about the importance of education, going to elementary schools. I'd like to talk more about post-secondary education. In East Richmond, in my riding, there's a lovely institution called Kwantlen Polytechnic University, or they've rebranded it KPU. Kent Mullinex runs the agricultural department there, and he's dealt with what you talk about, creating the next generation of farmers. He has a program of 25 students per year who go into the community. In B.C., as you may know, we have something called the agricultural reserve system—

[Diana Bronson]

It's the agricultural land reserve, yes.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

There's a lot of land there, which is available, so they're going out and basically being farmers. That's not their co-op; that's the whole program. It's a two-year program.

Do you have any other thoughts on ideas like that, which we could implement in our food policy?

[Diana Bronson]

I want to come back to the “supporting innovation” on this. I'll give the example of a wonderful organization that is now closed due to lack of funding, called FarmStart. It was in Guelph, and they were training the next generation of farmers and they were doing business training and seeing who had it in them and who could really hold it and learning a lot and partnering with evergreen farms. Probably Mr. Longfield knows as much about it as I do. But they closed because they don't have adequate funding.

We have some very good programs in Quebec, probably the strongest programs to support the next generation of farmers, but it's not yet done.

Amanda, again, may have something to add here. She works with a group of young farmers.

[Amanda Wilson]

Yes, there's research coming out now that, on a national level, the majority of new farmers are coming from non-farming backgrounds, so they're folks who don't have a family farm to take over. They do have a specific set of challenges that need to be addressed in terms of accessing training and capital and land, which are not totally separate from those of existing farmers. Because they're predominately coming from a non-farming background, we do need additional supports in terms of training and linking them into that farming community, whereas before it was sort of easier to have succession.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Groleau, you talked about the federal government's role. If I remember correctly, you mentioned two things the government can do: regulate markets and provide funding.

I'm not familiar with the situation in Quebec, since I am from British Columbia. Can we make suggestions to the federal government in our food plan to come up with a pan-Canadian approach while taking differences into account?

[Marcel Groleau]

When it comes to agriculture, the federal government's tool of choice is the agricultural policy framework. The federal government can use program funding to influence decisions provinces will make. That is one of the elements. For example, if you want to make better investments in the environment, prepare for climate change and ensure better food security for Canadians—because that is important—the federal government can very well include those elements in the policy framework, fund some of them and encourage the provinces to also invest in those aspects.

The next generation of farmers is a good example. Quebec's programs for young farmers are more generous than those in other provinces, but that is a decision the province made. The federal government could do the same and encourage the other provinces, through funding, to also provide more generous programs for the next generation of farmers. Another consideration for young farmers is access to land, which is a real challenge. On the one hand, the price of land has increased significantly. On the other hand, it is often said that there is a shortage of young farmers, but that is not the case. The fact of the matter is that young farmers do not have the means to access land.

[Diana Bronson]

Well said.

[Marcel Groleau]

Schools are full of students who want to work in agriculture, but young farmers currently don't have sufficient means to purchase land or access farmland and start a business.

The protection of farmland is one of the important elements of a future agricultural policy because of the threat of global warming. Clearly, pressure on producing countries will increase, as will the value of land and everything else.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Groleau.

We have only a few minutes left. If the committee agrees, we could let a member from each side of the table ask a quick question. Do you agree? I know that Mr. Poissant wanted to ask a question. I will still start by briefly giving the floor to Ms. Boucher.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us today.

For a while now, we have been talking about what we have to do to establish a good food policy, but I would like to put the opposite question to you. What shouldn't we do, when it comes to a future food policy, in order to have affordable food? Let's not forget that Canadians are overtaxed, in Quebec and elsewhere. Everyone knows that, and everyone is talking about it.

[Diana Bronson]

I think we all want to admit it to make our list.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Any of the witnesses can answer the question.

We have talked a lot about what we must do, but I want to know what we shouldn't do. What shouldn't we see in this policy?

[Marcel Groleau]

I would say that you shouldn't not listen to our recommendations.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

That's a good one. See, that is a good answer.

Beyond that, what shouldn't we do?

[Diana Bronson]

I would say that if we were to have an empty policy that would sit on a shelf with no institution to take it forward, that will not do it. I would also say if we were to just carry on as though the status quo is okay and climate change is not at our doorstep, that would be a big mistake. If we thought the market was going to resolve everything without any government intervention, that would also be a big mistake. And if we continue to operate in the siloed fashions in which we are operating now, with health not talking to agriculture and environment not talking to trade, and different departments and levels of government doing things at cross-purposes, that's what has to stop. We really need to think in new ways.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Ms. Bronson.

I now give the floor to Mr. Poissant for a quick question.

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will try to be brief. All these people participated in the roundtable I organized in my riding. I would have liked to ask three questions, all of which are just as important, but I will keep to a single question.

You made a suggestion I am very interested in. You said we should have a new institution that would bring together the 16 agencies and departments. I would like to know a bit more about that.

[Diana Bronson]

We are talking about a policy board, a government-wide institution. I think it should be created by an act of Parliament, in the same way Parliament created other institutions such as Rights and Democracy, the International Institute for Sustainable Development and many others.

We are talking about a place where industry, civil society, the research community, and levels and departments of government would meet. We are not talking about a hundred people in a room doing nothing. These would be working groups and committees that would operate in a transparent and accountable manner and would be representative of their members, just as Mr. Groleau is representing his members here today.

The institution should advise the government, commission research, build consensus and keep everyone on the same wavelength. We will not magically agree on everything overnight, but there are currently very few places where industry, civil society, the government and the research community meet.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Ms. Bronson. We have to interrupt you.

Ms. Brosseau, you can ask a quick question.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Groleau, it was a pleasure to see you at the happy hour in Longueuil to announce the 15th open house on Quebec farms.

You also came to our area to visit the Ferme vallée verte 1912. I love the cheeses they make.

This has been mentioned several times, but I would like to highlight the fact that the strategic framework is an important tool for producers. Yet the funding is staying at the same level, once again. It is important to point this out again because the funding is the same as what was earmarked in 2008, unless I am mistaken.

[Marcel Groleau]

The funding is lower than it was in 2008.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

So it is lower than the funding in 2008.

We have talked a great deal about the next strategic framework, held consultations in committee and issued recommendations. Can you tell me about the importance of ensuring that producers will have the necessary tools? Risk management programs such as AgriInvest will have to provide good tools to help producers deal with a variety of contingencies.

I would also like to know what happens when disasters occur. We can use Montreal as an example. Let's assume that bridges are closed and that we cannot send food to the Island of Montreal. Is Canada prepared to manage such a serious crisis? How will we ensure food security? Is that an element that should be included in our discussions on food policy or is it rather the responsibility of the Minister of Public Safety?

[Marcel Groleau]

As I said, the less risk management programs intervene, the more difficult it is for small producers. We have two strong programs in Canada: AgriStability and AgriInvest.

AgriStability has ultimately become a disaster management program. It no longer intervenes enough to protect producers against changes in market prices. Canada currently supports its agriculture less, per dollar produced, than the United States, even though our farming is smaller-scale and more northern.

We have been lucky because, so far, prices have been relatively good. We have not had any major crises to manage other than those caused by the climate or bad weather. So we have been lucky since 2013.

However, we are really at risk in Canada. If grain prices were to drop significantly, we would experience a serious farming crisis.