The annual conference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture was held in Whitehorse, Yukon, from July 17 to 19, 2024. FPT Ministers of Agriculture discussed several areas of interest for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. The meeting focused on work to advance the resilience and competitiveness of the sector and strengthen the food supply chain. Ministers acknowledged challenges facing many producers in the sector, such as operational costs, labour shortages and potential disruptions. Ministers spoke of the need to continue working across orders of government, and listen to the concerns stakeholders bring forward, to support hard-working Canadian producers and processors.
Following agreement from all major retailers to participate in the industry-led Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, Ministers agreed to provide $1.2 million in short-term funding to support the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct Adjudication Office. Work will advance to bring more fairness, transparency, and predictability to Canada's grocery supply chain and for consumers.
To help ensure the full suite of business risk management (BRM) programs meet the current and future needs of producers, Ministers expressed the importance of improvements to the AgriRecovery framework and its interaction with BRM programs, notably AgriStability and AgriInsurance. Ministers recognized that BRM programs are the first line of defence for producers and that it is critical that they are working for the entire sector. Ministers agreed to continue to prioritize work to ensure BRM programs, as well as the AgriRecovery framework, are timely, responsive, and predictable to help producers manage business risks. Ministers committed to improve BRM programs and strengthen the supports available to address recurrent and emerging risks. Ministers also discussed potential adjustments to AgriStability for livestock and agreed to further decide on potential improvements at their next meeting. Ministers agreed to further discussion on livestock price insurance and equivalent programs.
Ministers reviewed and endorsed the FPT Action Plan to address the recommendations by the FPT Working Group on Pesticide Management. The FPT Working Group on Pesticide Management will continue to work directly with Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency and ensure meaningful participation to advance the Action Plan. In an effort to enhance transparency, Ministers will receive regular progress reports. This work will support the continued competitiveness of Canadian growers with access to safe, effective and varied pest management tools. Ministers agreed to create an additional working group to explore approaches that meet the needs of producers and protect human and ecosystem health, while using a science and evidence-based approach to regulatory decisions.
Ministers also discussed international trade, market diversification, and building the sector's ability to grow and compete in global markets. This included supporting Canada's ongoing trade negotiations with key partners and continuing to promote the benefits of Canada's existing free trade agreements, particularly the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. Ministers discussed various export market access issues to support alignment when advocating for the sector, as well as examining opportunities to ensure that imports meet the equivalent standards as those of domestic products to support a level playing field. Ministers highlighted the importance of continuing to work together to minimize potential labour and supply chain disruptions, demonstrating that the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is a trusted supplier of high-quality products to countries around the world. Continued engagement and cooperation with the United States, as Canada's largest trading partner, and the mutually beneficial integration of our cross-border supply chains in the agri-food sector, were reinforced. Ministers highlighted the importance of the work to increase exports to the Indo-Pacific region by leveraging Canada's new Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office and other FPT and industry resource investments in the region.
Ministers agreed to continue their efforts on several priority initiatives related to animal disease preparedness and response and also acknowledged the significant impact animal disease has on farmer mental health. Discussions included the need for a coordinated, immediate and longer-term response for a potential African swine fever outbreak, next steps to support a Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine bank and accompanying preparedness activities, and the continued actions to respond to the identification of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle in the United States. On African swine fever, Ministers noted the significant progress made on readiness to protect the health of animals and the importance of having measures in place, including international zoning arrangements to mitigate any possible risks of trade-related market disruptions. They acknowledged the need for a continuation of strong collaboration and communication between FPT governments and industry stakeholders on integrated disease prevention, surveillance, and response plans.
Ministers encouraged further progress on interprovincial trade and regulatory items such as working towards the harmonization of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Specified Risk Material list with the United States. Ministers were also apprised of the progress on the risk assessment for honey bee package imports from the United States. Ministers agreed that efforts be made to accelerate pilot projects for interprovincial trade in meat, in cooperation with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and provinces, while respecting food safety for Canadians, not violating Canadian trade agreements or putting exports at risk. The CFIA Executive Vice-President, who was also in attendance, agreed to accelerate cooperation with provincial and territorial partners.
Throughout the conference, Ministers underscored the importance of working with producers and processors to leverage technology, data, and scientific research and development to increase the productivity, profitability, sustainability, resiliency and competitiveness of the agricultural sector. This included a panel discussion on food production, security and resiliency in a Northern and Indigenous context. Ministers also discussed labour shortages and single-use plastics.
The next Annual FPT Ministers' meeting will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in July 2025.
