Canadian farm women leaders were pleased that they got to present their
viewpoints to federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief in Ottawa Dec.
10.
It was the first time the group had met him in two years, even though a
1994 agreement had said the minister would meet annually with the five
organizations representing farm women.
“I was pleased he took the time to meet … he spent an hour with us,”
said Karen Pedersen, woman’s president of the National Farmers Union.
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“I find it a positive that he listened quite a bit and took notes.”
Pedersen said the coalition spoke to Vanclief about the proposed
agricultural policy framework.
Caroline VanDine, president of the Canadian Farm Women’s Network said,
“We expressed our deep concern regarding the need for women farmers,
who are operators on about 26 percent of the family farms in Canada, to
have a chance to respond face to face with policy makers in Agriculture
and Agri-food Canada regarding this bureaucratic agenda for our farm
businesses.”
VanDine said the coalition is concerned that the free trade vision is
not working for family farms. The drive to get bigger and leaner to
compete globally is not an agenda set by the grassroots. Farmers want
an income safety net that covers the cost of producing food.
Ontario NFU representative Colleen Ross-Weatherhead said international
trade is a major issue.
“We talked about taking agriculture out of the WTO (World Trade
Organization). We’re not saying no to trade, but food security should
be more prevalent. Agriculture seems more on trade than domestic needs.
I call it food sovereignty.”
Pedersen said she spoke about the need for income security for the
small and medium sized family farms to ensure the next generation will
find agricultural life attractive enough.
“I think of the West and how we’re running out of neighbours,” said
Pedersen.
Added VanDine: “We want food production, like health, to be a top
priority for this government and we want to take back our ability to
make decisions of which we can be proud and … sure is good for our
families and neighbours who eat our food.”
In other areas the group told Vanclief about the need for mandatory
labelling of genetically modified food and for Canada to consider a
country-of-origin label for its meat if the United States implements
one.
Pedersen said the group also asked that the federal government pay per
diems to farm women so they can present their views to Ottawa’s
politicians and officials. Now, only expenses are paid.
Other groups at the meeting besides the NFU and the network were the
Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada, the Reseau des Entreprises
Familiales and the Federation des Agricultrices du Quebec.
