Canada’s Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food has released a new report detailing several recommendations on ag policy that are earning praise from farmers and trade groups, including Fertilizer Canada.
The report, “Feeding the World: Strengthening Capacity to Respond to Global Food Insecurity,” was released in April with 22 recommendations, including changing Canada’s temporary foreign worker programs to decrease wait times and paperwork; exploring ways to stimulate Canada’s fertilizer production to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers; and investigating ways to return to farmers some of the C$34.1 million paid in tariffs on Russian fertilizer imports in 2022 (GM March 18, 2022).
The report also recommended that the Canadian government not proceed with “any mandatory fertilizer emissions reduction policy that would jeopardize farmers’ yields,” and instead encourage the implementation of best nutrient management practices such as the 4R Program. The report also urged more funding for research into innovative fertilizers.
Farm groups have lobbied against government targets to reduce fertilizer emissions by 30% from 2022 levels by 2030. The Canadian government has stressed that this target is voluntary, but ag groups have expressed fears that it could become mandatory (GM Sept. 22, 2022).
The report further recommends that the government more effectively enforce provisions in existing free trade agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, to improve Canadian producers’ access to foreign markets and reduce non-tariff trade barriers to Canadian agricultural products.
“We are pleased to see members of parliament recognize the need to prioritize safe, healthy food production in a year that will be hard for many people dealing with food insecurity, and that they understand the best way to grow abundant food is to ensure farmers can access and afford fertilizer,” said Brendan Byrne, Chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario.
“We are encouraged to see the report’s recommendation to explore opportunities to increase domestic fertilizer production,” said Karen Proud, President and CEO of Fertilizer Canada, which participated in the study. “We strongly support the recommendation that the government keep emission targets voluntary to protect food security while incentivizing adopting of 4R practices. As well, we support the recommendation to fund research and development to further innovation in the application of fertilizer.”
While the recommendations are no guarantee that legislators will respond with bills to address the listed concerns, past recommendations by the Committee have spearheaded legislation related to animal health, GHG emissions, trade, and transportation reforms.