By Sara Wood, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Every five years, federal, provincial and territorial governments come together to set the direction for Canadian agriculture through a national policy framework. These agreements shape everything from business risk management programming and environmental initiatives to research, innovation and infrastructure investments.

The current framework runs until 2028, but conversations about what comes next are already underway — and they matter more than ever for farmers.

I farm near Mitchell in southwestern Ontario, and I’m also a Vice President with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable about the next policy framework hosted by federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald. About 15 agriculture leaders from across the country were invited to the discussion, representing different commodities, regions and organizations.

What struck me most was how consistent the message was around the table. Despite our different perspectives, our priorities are largely the same: building national food production and processing capacity, strengthening the next generation of farmers, modernizing risk management tools and ensuring that innovation keeps pace with the realities of farming today.

At the heart of the discussion was a simple idea: Canada needs to think about agriculture as part of nation-building.

Food sovereignty was a theme that came up repeatedly. Canada is a major agricultural exporter, but we also need the capacity to process and add value to those products here at home. When crops or livestock are shipped elsewhere to be processed and then return as finished products, we lose economic opportunities as well as control over our food system along the way.

Strengthening our domestic processing capacity means more jobs, stronger rural economies and that Canadians can rely on a stable national food supply during times of global disruption.

Another clear priority was ensuring the next generation of farmers has a pathway back to the farm.

Across the country, farmers are aging and farm families are working through complex succession plans. Tax changes and policy incentives are important ways to make it easier for young farmers to take over family businesses or start their own. If we want Canadian agriculture to remain strong, we need to make sure it’s possible for the next generation to get into the industry.

Business risk management programs were also a major focus of the discussion. Programs like AgriStability and AgriInvest are critical backstops when markets collapse, weather disasters strike or global disruptions hit the sector.

As farmers, our goal is always to succeed in the marketplace, so these programs remain a safety net rather than something we have to depend on regularly. At the same time, modernizing these programs still matters. Like in most industries, costs have risen significantly so long-time financial limits simply don’t stretch as far as they once did.

A big role for the framework will also be focusing on helping farms stay competitive – and innovation will be central to that effort.

Automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced genetics and precision agriculture are already transforming how food is produced. Research and technology adoption help farms do more with less, reduce environmental footprints, and develop new products for markets at home and abroad.

Our roundtable conversation also highlighted how agriculture policy intersects with many other areas of government, like health, transportation, trade, environment and economic development, for example. Better coordination across federal departments can help ensure policies work together rather than creating unintended barriers.

Farming has never been easy, but the pressures facing farms today feel different. Costs are higher, markets are more volatile, trade policies shift quickly and regulations are more complex.

Farmers will continue doing what we have always done: adapting, innovating and managing risk. But the systems around us need to evolve too – and that’s why conversations like the one hosted by Minister McDonald are important.

Many of the topics we covered that day mirror some of the top concerns of Ontario farmers. OFA members identified taxation, rising production and energy costs and global disruption as being on their list of top concerns during our most recent Farm Business Confidence survey.

It’s important for all levels of government to know what’s on the minds of farmers and what our industry needs to thrive – and this roundtable is just one way that OFA is making sure that what matters to our members is part of the consultations around the next policy framework.

If we focus on strengthening Canada’s food production and processing capacity, supporting the next generation of farmers, modernizing risk management tools and investing in innovation, we can build a policy framework that works not just for today’s farmers — but for the decades ahead.

For more information, contact:

Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
[email protected]