The federal New Democratic Party is promising a four-year $1.18 billion investment in farmers and the food system.
The promises, which were part of the NDP’s election platform announced April 10 by leader Jack Layton, said the party would spend money on farm income support, safer food and support for young farmers.
“We will introduce a Canadian food strategy that will combine health goals, environmental goals, food quality objectives, local and organic choices for consumers in the country,” said the NDP platform.
As well, NDP Canadian Wheat Board critic Pat Martin promised this week that the party would give agriculture a higher profile in government.
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He said a series of weak ministers have allowed agriculture to get shuffled to the side rather than have a key place in Canada’s national economic strategy.
“Part of the problem is that we’ve had no champion at the cabinet table for getting on 40 years,” Martin said April 11 during an agricultural issues debate in Ottawa organized by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
“I believe Canada has woken up to agriculture. Agriculture is hot again.”
He said the other parties do not reflect that in their attitude to the sector when they are in government.
“We’ve let agriculture slide,” he said. “Now for first time in memory, it is a top of mind issue in this election. We shouldn’t let this opportunity slide.”
In its platform, the NDP promises to hire 200 food inspectors for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and improve food safety practices at a cost of $75 million annually for four years.
It would insist that imported food meet the same environmental and health standards as domestically produced food and would require more extensive food labelling, including whether the product contains genetically modified material.
The NDP said it would work with provinces to make safety net programs simpler, more accessible and effective, review freight costs “that have been gouging Canadian farmers across the country,” and provide programs that encourage young farmers to move into the business.
Young farmer programs would include skills training, mentorship programs and programs to ensure “that arable land is more widely available.”
The platform estimates that improvements in business risk management programs would cost $160 million per year.
Programs to support and attract young farmers would cost $50 per year.
The NDP platform also reiterated the party’s support for the Canadian Wheat Board “as the single desk marketer for Canadian wheat and barley.”
