News
Business/Policy
Canada
Canadian ag ministers meet to discuss African swine fever, avian influenza and more
May 3, 2022 by Bree Rody
On May 2, Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture met to discuss key areas of interest for Canada’s agriculture sector. The meeting served as a precursor to the annual conference in July.
Areas discussed included progress on the Next Agricultural Policy Framework (NPF), the successor to the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which expires on March 31, 2023. Ongoing exchanges will set the stage for the upcoming Multilateral Framework Agreement (MFA) signing, which will see the realization of the Guelph Statement.
Ministers also discussed the need for action on climate change, and opportunities for the sector to lower emissions while maintaining and enhancing sector competitiveness. They also discussed their ongoing concerns around global food supplies, food security and the supply of essential inputs, including fertilizers with relation to the current invasion of Ukraine. Ministers discussed how to help maximize Canada’scontribution to global food supply. They also acknowledged the multiple strains this is causing on the agricultural and agri-food system from producers to consumers, and agreed to work together to stabilize the supply chain wherever possible.
Ministers discussed industry progress on a code of conduct for the food retailers and suppliers. The purpose of the code of conduct is to ensure that conditions are in place in Canada for all supply chain partners to prosper. Ministers also acknowledged that there is an ongoing need to work together to prevent further spread of avian influenza globally.
The prevention of and preparedness for the threat posed by African swine fever (ASF) was also discussed. Governments agreed to continue to cooperate and collaborate in order to prevent the spread of ASF from entering Canada and agreed to advance readiness to respond and support the sector’s recovery in case of an ASF outbreak.
Ministers will next meet in July, at their 2022 annual conference in Saskatoon Saskatchewan.
