Thank you, Tracy.
Organic production methods and standards fit perfectly into the national food policy pillar of conserving our soil, water, and air. In order to ensure that organic can prosper, lending its successful model to creating healthy soil and addressing climate change—adaptation as well as mitigation—the approach to agriculture of the federal and provincial governments needs to, number one, be more inclusive of all sectors, scales, methods of production, and market channels.
In order to be inclusive, the next agricultural policy framework must include a review of industry program cost-sharing, the application process, funding eligibility criteria, and what areas should be covered by government—not industry—in order to uphold the integrity of the “Canada Organic” logo, which is owned by the Canadian government.
The number two recommendation is to invest in organic research and innovation. Continued research in organic agriculture is required to further unleash innovation in technologies and techniques that will result in greater productivity, more efficient resource use, and improved sustainability of agro-ecosystems. There's a need for research that is designed to fit the specific needs of Canadian agriculture systems to address these various challenges. We recommend that more provisions be made for long-term research, greater than five years, and consideration of the nature of the research being done—commercial intellectual property versus the public good—when there is a requirement for industry matching funds.
Number three, adapt business risk management programs to be more inclusive of producers of all scales, types of production, and market challenges. BRMs should be adapted to serve all types of farming, including low-input and diversified farms. The AgriInsurance suite also needs to be expanded to include production insurance that is suitable for organic and transitioning producers across all provinces and protects organic premiums on export markets to zero-tolerance countries such as those in the EU.
Number four, incentivize and reward best environmental and climate-resilient practices. Programs should include incentivizing the use of techniques that will promote soil health, such as cultivation of more legumes and perennial crops, soil health and watershed conservation, long-term crop rotation and intercropping, biodiversity and habitat creation, rotational grazing, and the use of locally adapted organic seed.
Thank you very much for hearing our recommendations. We hope you take them into consideration.