By Suzanne Armstrong October 16, 2015
As Election Day approaches anticipation among Canadians is building. We are eager to see the culmination of one of the longest election campaigns in Canadian history, and certainly in living memory. Rural and urban voters alike will want to consider agricultural issues as they go to the ballot boxes, since, after all, we all eat. In this election campaign the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks have drawn particular attention to agricultural trade issues in the media and among the broader public. While trade is an important issue for farmers, this is not the only election issue important for agricultural policy going forward.
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On September 30th, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) hosted a debate among the agriculture leaders from the five main political parties; Malcolm Allen from the New Democratic Party of Canada, Mark Eyking from the Liberal Party of Canada, Yves Lessard for the BLOC Québécois, Gerry Ritz for the Conservative Party of Canada, and Andrew West for the Green Party of Canada. Debate topics ranged from encouraging young people to pursue agricultural careers, to federal funding for agricultural research and risk management, farm labour issues, environmental concerns and the recent focus on social licence for farming.
Elections are an important focus point in policy discussions, inviting broader public consideration of the issues at stake. While debate, especially at election time, is vital to the democratic process, these issues need more attention than just 15 minutes in the limelight. The CFFO's long-term thinking approach to agricultural policy has led us to consider supply management, social licence, and environmental concerns, all of which have emerged as issues in this election campaign. The CFFO commissioned the Wheeler Group Inc. to write about challenges within our current supply management system, and also to look at the question of social contract or social licence for farming. This election has highlighted that the needs of Canadian farmers from different sectors are now being negotiated in international trade deals. Politicians are still the main arbiters between public support for farmers through research and risk management programs, and the social expectations placed on farmers to care for their animals, farmland and the environment.
Water stewardship, especially in our Great Lakes region, is also gaining increasing political attention as an environmental concern connected with agriculture. The CFFO has initiated a Water Resource Stewardship Team to examine water related opportunities and risks for Ontario agriculture. All of these issues continue to be relevant in the current political landscape, and in agricultural debates in this election campaign. As you weigh your options at the ballot box this week, keep in mind the many farming issues that have been debated in this election campaign. At the same time, it will be important to keep thinking about and debating these issues long after the election is over.
_____________________________________________________________________________ Suzanne Armstrong is the Director of Research Manager of Board and Committee Services for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston. It is also archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,000 family farmers across Ontario.
