Congratulations on your successful campaign and receiving a strong mandate from Canadians across the country. Aspects of your recent platform need to be implemented with rural Canada in mind during your mandate to assist Ontario farm families and their businesses to continue to compete and grow in an ever increasingly competitive global market while addressing local needs. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) represents the interests of 37,000 farm businesses in the province.
Canada’s farm constituency contributes $107 billion annually to the Canadian economy. Ontario agriculture contributes $13.7 billion to the provincial economy and generates 158,000 jobs. Toronto is second only to Los Angeles for North American food processing footprint.
OFA has identified four areas we look forward to working together with your government to ensure Ontario’s agriculture sector realizes its full potential.
1. Renewed investment in a sound publically-funded agricultural research program across Canada that includes basic research needs through to commercialization. Strong science to build science-based regulation upon.
2. Strong federal participation in the development of and commitment to the next suite of farm programs, for example, the next Growing Forward “3”.
3. Support for infrastructure throughout rural Ontario including roads, broadband service and natural gas.
4. Demonstrate the inherent solutions that agriculture offers to society as a whole in terms of sustainability, where profitability, planet and people come together for a better world. For example, to address the global climate change issue, a recognition of agriculture’s multifaceted ability to provide food, fibre, fuel, protein, etc., while sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ag sources is paramount for long-term global solutions. Canada, with its rich resources of ag soils and ag innovation, can be a champion to this urgent need. This would be a great leadership message to the December Climate Change meeting in Paris.
Agriculture has a tremendous role in Canada. We’re excited about your strong mandate and the opportunities that it will create to support our strong, diverse and innovative industry. When your Cabinet is named, we look forward to working with your new Agriculture Minister, and fellow Ministers to build Canada’s great legacy in agriculture and innovation.
With thanks,
Don McCabe, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
For more information, contact:
Don McCabe
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-331-6175
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883