The results of the Federal election give us an occasion to consider that, in four years, agriculture in Canada undoubtedly will be different. Not only because the Conservatives claimed their hard-won majority, but also because the global food mosaic is rapidly shifting. As we move forward with a steady government in Ottawa, we have reason to believe that Canada will become more competitive in agriculture on the world food stage, though our food strategies need to become more unified.
The most pressing policy issue is the future of the Canadian Wheat Board. The viability of the single-desk marketing system will likely be challenged. Historically, market volatility has been managed through wheat pooling and the international sale of wheat solely through the Board, to which Canadian wheat farmers in the Prairies have been compelled by law to sell their crops. That is likely to change. The Conservatives have taken action to further liberalise the barley market in western Canada, and are expected to follow a similar strategy for wheat. The single-desk control in the barley market was to cease in August 2007, but courts overturned the government’s decision weeks before, recognizing that a legislative change is required. With a majority in Ottawa, an amendment to the Canadian Wheat Board Act is now very much possible.
Such a reform will make Canada more competitive, as the monopoly is a hindrance to our ability to compete globally. In Ontario, where wheat farmers are allowed to sell directly to millers, wheat acreage has increased at the expense of Western farmers. Overall wheat production and exports have stagnated for years as non-board grains provided better returns for Western farmers. During this time, Canada noted a significant shift away from wheat and toward production of corn and soybeans, resulting in a notable long-term decline in Canadian shares of world wheat production and international trade. Liberalising the domestic wheat and barley market is a strong first step towards restoring Canada’s rightful place as a global superpower in grain trades.
The ability to trace and track products through supply chains and thereby efficiently recall products will also be a priority for this government. A comprehensive food traceability system will likely be complemented by the Conservatives’ ambitious plan to develop trade gateways and corridors to expand Asian-Pacific markets. Following mad cow in 2003 and the embarrassing flax/triffid affair with Europe in 2008, Canada learned at great cost that food traceability and trades go as one. Conservatives will likely continue to develop trade policies in that vein.
Where the Conservative government lacks vision is in their will to provide Canada with a true national food strategy, which considers health and food as integrally related. In the last election, the Liberals were the only party that suggested Canada should adopt a holistic approach to food and health. Under minority governments, it was up to universities to design new food and health policy ideas for the country. However, a majority government has the means to integrate and implement them. Hopefully, it will.
A national strategy must consider, among other things, the ever-so-unpredictable nature of our weather. Climate change is a powerful mechanism that is shifting our production capacities, in both positive and negative directions, depending on the crop and region affected. Policies need to address these issues and either soften or prepare for the affects of climatic occurrences.
Finally, Health Canada’s ungainly bureaucratic practices may become one of the Conservatives’ primary targets. As Canada’s population ages, the food industry needs to evolve its production and marketing practices. Health Canada’s methods when approving new products are nothing to boast about. Currently, our national innovation agenda on food is far too dependent on regulators to stimulate research for a sustainable food industry.
We have cause to hope that a stable four years of majority government will better our food systems. As government drives toward its policy priorities, Canada will likely reap the benefits of increased market competitivity. Voters, in turn, can push for the government to recognize holes in their vision for Canada’s food identity, and also hold that government to account, the next time we return to the ballot box.
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor (Food distribution and policies) from the University of Guelph
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