Improving Access to Business Risk Management (BRM) Programs for Organic and Diversified Farms
Business Risk Management (BRM) programs (AgriInsurance, AgriStability, AgriInvest, AgriRecovery, and the Advance Payments Program) represent a significant portion of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s spending under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. These programs are essential tools to help farmers manage risks related to weather, markets, and other disruptions.
However, organic and diversified farms often face barriers that prevent them from fully benefiting from BRM programs. Farmers across Canada report challenges such as:
- Premium organic prices and unique production risks not captured in program design
- Smaller, diversified, and mixed operations – common features of organic farms – falling outside core assumptions underpinning BRM frameworks
- Administrative requirements that can make participation difficult
As a result, coverage is often inadequate or inaccessible, leaving organic and diversified farms at a disadvantage – even though these farms contribute significantly to soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience (key factors in long-term risk management).
COG’s 2025 Organic Task Force (OTF) Report identified tailoring BRM programs as a priority. This builds on earlier COG research into organic and transition risks related to yields, emerging markets, cash flow, and access to capital. Many of these risks remain insufficiently addressed by current BRM programs. With federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) governments preparing the Next Policy Framework (NPF), 2026 is a strategic moment to advance evidence-based improvements.
This project will generate a systematic assessment of how BRM programs perform for organic, transitioning, and diversified producers in Canada. It will provide key information on access, participation, and effectiveness to policymakers, and offer policy recommendations to inform NPF negotiations and future program design.
Objectives and Activities
- Policy analysis: Review existing BRM program frameworks and identify how organic production is considered in different jurisdictions.
- Primary data collection with farmers: Conduct interviews and surveys with a diverse sample (e.g. target of 40 interviews and ~100 survey participants representing various regions, farm sizes, and production systems) of organic producers to document specific experiences, challenges, and solutions.
- Secondary data analysis: Access and analyze available datasets (e.g. Statistics Canada) on organic farm participation and use of BRM programs (e.g. enrollment data, payout rates, etc).
- Policy recommendations: Develop options for improving program design and delivery, including potential alternative or private BRM tools for organic and transitioning producers.
- Knowledge mobilization: Develop a report including policy recommendations for FPT governments to improve programs, and share the findings with FPT policymakers aligned with NPF consultation timelines.
Research Approach
COG will conduct the project in partnership with Dr. Susanna Klassen, postdoctoral researcher and instructor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Victoria. Dr. Klassen uses mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods to advance participatory and solutions-oriented approaches and brings both scholarly expertise and lived experience as a small-scale organic farmer.
An Advisory Council of researchers and organic sector leaders will be assembled to provide guidance and policy input throughout the project. We will work with provincial and territorial organic associations to support regional engagement and farmer outreach.
This research will directly support policy discussions for the NPF by:
- Clarifying how current BRM programs perform for organic and diversified farms
- Identifying changes that could improve access, coverage, and participation
- Supporting more equitable and climate-resilient risk management approaches
Evidence from the OTF Report shows that organic farms frequently adopt practices that reduce long-term risk – which can strengthen BRM program sustainability in a changing climate. Ensuring that BRM frameworks recognize and support these systems is key to enhancing farm resilience and advancing Canada’s agricultural sustainability goals.
This national initiative will bring producers, BRM providers, and agricultural stakeholders together to help ensure that BRM programs are equitable, accessible, and responsive to the diversity of Canadian agriculture. Improved BRM access will help organic and transitioning producers mitigate risks, strengthen financial stability, and seize domestic and international market opportunities.
The project will run from January 2026 to April 2027, with interim findings and policy briefs released throughout the year to align with NPF consultation milestones.
Contact
If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact Katie Fettes, Director of Policy and Research at Canadian Organic Growers, at katie.fettes@cog.ca