SEATTLE, Wash. – Prairie grain farmer Kevin Archibald has no illusions about why the federal government encourages him to attend events like last week’s opening of world trade talks.
As president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, Archibald said last week Ottawa needs his anti-subsidy, anti-protectionist group to counteract the less export-driven views of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and other farm groups.
It allows the federal government to take a middle ground between competing farm views in the name of striking a compromise.
Read Also
Interest in biological crop inputs continues to grow
It was only a few years ago that interest in alternative methods such as biologicals to boost a crop’s nutrient…
“It is the reality of Canadian agricultural politics,” he said, explaining why two WCWGA representatives spent days in Seattle during the talks.
“We have been told they like to have us around to take positions because it challenges other positions.”
Archibald said it frustrates him that politicians do not accept wheat grower views as the correct approach.
But the alternative is to allow groups with views contrary to wheat grower policy to have the upper hand.
“We have to be sure they hear another voice, to at least keep their views balanced,” he said.
The wheat growers association was not the only Canadian farm group to send a delegation to the World Trade Organization talks, even though they were not allowed direct access to the talks.
Among the thousands of accredited delegates and observers were more than 100 Canadian agricultural interests, from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Canadian Wheat Board to dairy farmers and processors, alfalfa dehydrators and the Agricultural Institute of Canada.
The closest they got to the direct action was when they received end-of-day briefings from Canadian officials or ministers on what had happened in the closed sessions.
For many of them, being at the talks was a way to make sure they were getting up-to-date information and to lobby officials if they thought their policy goals were not being given enough prominence.
Chance to network
For others, it was a chance to meet other like-minded farmer and lobby groups from elsewhere.
“We have been making a lot of contacts, building alliances,” said Archibald.
The Canadian Wheat Board sent director Larry Hill and a board employee in part to counter the inevitable hallway accusations about Canadian grain exporting policies.
Former National Farmers Union president Nettie Wiebe was in Seattle to spend the week at meetings of an international family and peasant farmer organization. She also took part in demonstrations Nov. 30 against the WTO and the power she said freer trade takes away from farmers and gives to corporations and traders.
