In December 2022 the federal government launched consultations for the development of a Sustainable Agriculture Strategy. The Sustainable Agriculture Strategy will help set a shared direction for collective action to improve environmental performance in the sector over the long-term, support farmers livelihoods and strengthen the business vitality of the Canadian agricultural industry.
Canadian Organic Growers (COG) commends the federal government for launching the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy (SAS) and thanks Minister Bibeau for inviting COG to be a member of the SAS Advisory Council. As the one organic sector representative on the Council we hold this role in the highest regard and will work collaboratively with our network to keep them informed, and to support the SAS initiatives.
To this end we have worked closely with our two other national organic sector organizations, the Organic Federation of Canada and the Canadian Organic Trade Association to produce a comprehensive joint document that was submitted to the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy consultation on March 31st, 2023.
There is no single greater challenge facing humanity today than climate change. Farmers are on the front lines managing the many climate related threats and they need support and guidance today to ensure their success for generations to come. Planning today for long term sustainable agriculture that prioritizes zero carbon emissions, least harm, and long term soil health is critical to long term domestic supply chain stability and systems’ adaptability.