Good afternoon, everyone.
On behalf of Quebec's agricultural producers, we thank the members of the Standing Committee on Finance for their invitation. It's very much appreciated.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Charles‑Félix Ross, and I am an agronomist and the general manager of the Union des producteurs agricoles, or UPA. I am accompanied by Marc St‑Roch, coordinator of the UPA's accounting and taxation department. Our organization represents 42,000 agricultural producers in Quebec, who operate or work on 29,000 farms across Quebec.
Agriculture is a key sector of the Canadian economy. It is a strategic sector for wealth and job creation in all regions of Canada. I'll give you some numbers. Canada exports nearly $100 billion in food and agri-food products annually. That's almost 13% of our total goods exported, which is huge. Canada's 200,000 or so farms generate nearly $100 billion in farm gate revenue as well. Out of the more than 200 countries in the world, Canada is the eighth-largest exporter of agriculture and agri-food products. It's a really important sector for Canada's economy, and it's a sector that also ensures food security for Canadians for their three squares a day, or 21 meals a week.
A strategic economic sector is one that is essential to good public finances and balanced budgets. In a budget, you try to control and manage expenses, but there's also the revenue column. The agriculture and agri-food sector's role in the Canadian economy contributes significantly every year to the soundness of Canada's public finances. Our agriculture sector performs well in terms of competitiveness and productivity. The figures show that, but we have major challenges to meet in the coming years as an economic sector. In this context, we still need support and investment from the Canadian government and a partnership to support our industry.
The first major challenge facing our sector is the environment and adapting to climate change. Canada wants to be a leader in reducing the impact of its economy on the climate. There are also challenges in terms of the environmental impact on waterways and air, and Canada's agriculture sector and agricultural businesses are being asked to make an enormous amount of on‑farm investment to meet international commitments. This is a challenge for our businesses because, while these expenses often result in benefits for the public and the environment, they generate little revenue for businesses. We are being asked to make major investments that will give us few returns. If Canada wants its agriculture sector to get up to speed on beneficial agricultural practices, we need to think about programs that will support businesses. In fact, that is our main request here at the pre-budget consultations.
Our requests may seem outsized and ambitious, but when you compare Canada with its main competitor on international markets, i.e., the United States, you see that the United States invest heavily to support their businesses in terms of adapting to climate change and protecting the environment. If Canada wants to offer support similar to that of its main competitor, it will have to invest $2 billion a year for five years in a strategy to support sustainable agriculture or better environmental practices.
Businesses in Canada also have challenges when it comes to risk management. It could be climate risk, it could be policy risk, it could be market risk. In 2023, Quebec experienced climate disasters in the form of heavy rainfall and drought. We have made relief claims through federal programs, but the response has been very slow. Even if events happened in 2023, relief funds won't start to flow until 2025.
We are therefore asking that significant adjustments be made to the AgriStability program. This is the first safety net—