Considering the growing list of aggravations on the farm policy agenda these days, it seems amazing that Bob Friesen is so upbeat.
The new president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture gives every indication of thriving on the job, potential pitfalls and all.
Like his brother Gerry, chair of Manitoba Pork Marketing Co-operative Inc., Friesen says he gets a kick out of promoting agriculture, possibly an evangelizing inheritance from his preacher father.
“Both Gerry and I have a passion to make sure agriculture works,” he said.
Read Also
Crop insurance’s ability to help producers has its limitations
Farmers enrolled in crop insurance can do just as well financially when they have a horrible crop or no crop at all, compared to when they have a below average crop
Well, keep that smile and that optimism because the rest of the year and beyond promises to be explosive.
Consider just a few of the time bombs ticking.
Farm aid: The CFA is one of the most powerful critics of federal and provincial farm aid rules and there will be pressure to win a commitment from agriculture ministers in July to make it better next year. There is no guarantee Friesen will succeed in having the rules made more farmer-friendly. He has staked some early credibility on it.
Along the way, he has suggested government bureaucrats do not have much passion for farmers. Beware those slighted bureaucrats who can ambush a farm leader when he is least expecting it.
Trade talks: The CFA continues to promote a policy that balances the interests of import-sensitive sectors and exporters.
Next autumn, the government likely will announce a position that at least pays lip service to that position.
However, as it becomes clear Canada is more committed to the tariff-reduction ideology than the supply management protection promise, Friesen will face the dilemma of how to keep his fragile “balance” together.
Biotechnology and genetic engineering: Friesen inherited a position opposed to labeling foods to indicate they may contain genetically modified material. But in the face of consumer unease and possible lost trade opportunities, the CFA board of directors this July is likely to soften that stance at its annual summer session.
The issue of the farmer position on regulating genetically altered plants is likely to be one of the most difficult and delicate policy questions Friesen will face.
While most farm groups have been aggressive in their defence of genetic engineering, they are beginning to concede the downside.
Last week, for example, Ontario’s pro-biotech ‘agriculture and the environment’ lobby group AGCare issued a statement arguing that genetically modified corn varieties reduce the need for pesticides, reduce losses from the European corn borer and increase yields.
However, AGCare also conceded it kills the caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly if Bt corn pollen drifts from the field. Expect anti-biotech reaction.
This kind of news is guaranteed to make the life of a farm leader very difficult in the next few years.
Yet Friesen seems anxious for the battle.
Into his job just long enough to appraise the landscape, he seems to believe that giving farmers a voice in society’s debates is worth the effort and the ulcers it may bring.
