Seven weeks into the federal election campaign, one political party — the Green Party of Canada — has finally released details about what it plans to do for farmers, if elected.
The chances of the Green Party being elected Canada’s next government are slim to none. Still, the party’s release of its full platform Sept. 9 by leader Elizabeth May in Vancouver marks the first time Canada’s agriculture sector has garnered a mention on the campaign trail.
The Green Party is the first federal party to release its fully costed election platform.
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NDP leader Tom Mulcair has said his party plans to publish its full platform before the next leaders’ debate set for Sept. 17 in Calgary, after deadlines for this issue.
The Green Party’s platform focuses primarily on supporting organic and small-scale farmers, a pledge expected from a party heavily focused on environmental issues.
The Green Party said it will create “resilient local economies fuelled by local growers, farmers and producers.” Funding would also be provided for community-supported agriculture and farmers markets.
The policy also contains a commitment to improving and expanding public research, particularly basic research, a demand Canada’s agriculture sectors have stated repeatedly.
Not everyone in agriculture will be happy with the Green Party’s plan around who will be eligible for government research funding. The party’s promises include a commitment to “shift government-supported research away from biotechnology and energy intensive farming and towards organic and sustainable food production.”
The Green Party isn’t the only group to talk about agricultural research lately.
The Agricultural Institute of Canada released its long anticipated agricultural research policy Sept 10.
The policy includes five pillars aimed at creating a national research policy for agriculture.
The AIC said the Canadian government must create a national body aimed at developing “medium and long-term agricultural research priorities and strategies.”
The current federal Science Technology and Innovation Council “lacks the mandate to be a co-ordinating body to bring multiple stakeholders together to develop the needed… strategies,” the AIC said.
The sector also needs to work on prioritizing interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral agricultural re-search, AIC said.
And, like the Green Party, the AIC said stakeholders and various levels of government must “ensure longer-term, stable funding” for research projects.
Both the federal Liberals and the NDP have also said improved funding is needed for Canada’s research and science sector. Both parties have demanded cuts be reversed and funding restored.
With the federal election at its halfway point, and the campaign gaining speed, the expectation is that Canada’s research sector will gain attention on the election trail.
The subject could come up on Sept. 17, despite the debate centring around the economy, as opposition parties seek to diversify Canada’s economy beyond oil and gas.
Meanwhile, Canada’s agriculture sector has said it needs more re-search funding to help address concerns around environmental and climate changes, which are impacting yields and growing conditions.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and members such as Keystone Agricultural Producers, Alberta Federation of Agriculture, Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, Grain Growers of Canada and the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association have all identified agricultural research as a top concern for farmers this election.
Canada’s political agriculture leaders are set to debate agricultural issues on Sept. 30 in Ottawa. CFA president Ron Bonnett has said questions will be asked about the parties’ commitments to agricultural research and their plans for agriculture in general.
