Thank you, Chair.
I thank the witnesses for attending. My first question goes to both of the witnesses.
The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada report entitled “Environmental Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture” explains that the provinces, supported by the federal government, have been working with farmers to help them implement environmental farm plans in order to reduce the environmental impact of their activities since 2005. However, the report notes that farmers often fail to fully implement the beneficial management practices identified in their plans because of economic pressures and lack of time.
What could the federal government do to support farmers in implementing environmental farm plans, and in what ways can economic pressures deter farmers from implementing these environmental farm plans?