Marie-Claude Bibeau says she knows the West’s issues are very different from those experienced in her home province of Quebec
Marie-Claude Bibeau headed west on her first trip as Canada’s agriculture minister earlier this month, stopping in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba to emphasize her commitment to all sectors.
She said she knows the issues in the West are largely different than in her home province.
“In terms of coming from Quebec, making my first trip here in the West was important to me because I really want the farmers here and the ranchers to understand that I am a Canadian minister and I really care for all the industries across the country,” she said in a March 11 interview from B.C. “Obviously I come with a background that was more specific two weeks ago but I take it very seriously to be representing all the agricultural industries throughout the country.”
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Her riding of Compton-Stanstead includes the city of Sherbrooke but also 35 small rural municipalities that rely heavily on dairy production.
“We have beef and pork and maple syrup and Christmas trees and a little bit of grain but it’s not as prevalent in my riding,” she said.
Meeting with western industry leaders is a way to learn more about grain and the region’s export dependence. She said she faces a steep learning curve but is also a fast learner. She prefers to learn in the field rather than from briefing books, she said.
“Actually having direct conversations is the best way for me to learn and to really understand, to feel the challenges. It’s not going to be theoretical for me, it’s real, and I like to work directly with the partners.”
Bibeau’s background is in economics and environment and she spent about half her career in international development. She established her own business in the village of Compton, where agri-tourism was part of her work before her election in 2015.
Supply management and the national food policy are priorities for her, she said.
She has also been studying the significant number of agricultural programs, many of which are in partnership with the provinces, and preparing for this week’s federal budget.
Bibeau said market access is high on her radar, especially when it comes to supply-managed sectors affected by trade agreements.
“I have a background in economics so international trade is something that I can understand quickly and it’s really something that is important to me,” she said. “Just going through the China canola file this week gave me an idea of what the challenge could be.”
But she said using agreements like the CPTPP between Asian Pacific countries to find more opportunities is crucial.
Although much has been made of Bibeau’s position as the first female national agriculture minister, she said she is proud but feels no particular pressure.
“I know how women are involved in family farms and in the agricultural business in general,” she said. “And I think every time we break the glass ceiling it’s good for women to understand and feel they can dream big.”
