Growing Forward 2: Industry and Public Engagement as it Relates to the Development of the Next Agricultural Policy Framework

Objective:

The Growing Forward 2 (GF2) industry and public engagement process, developed by federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments, is designed to give stakeholders and members of the public the opportunity to participate in the GF2 policy development process.

FPT governments jointly developed this engagement strategy for GF2 with the following objectives:

To develop a shared understanding between FPT governments and stakeholders on the challenges and opportunities facing the sector;
To engage industry and the public in the policy development process to ensure that GF2 is viewed as facilitating the industry’s efforts to become competitive, profitable and sustainable over the long term and as contributing to the well-being of Canadians;
To gauge the level of comfort in the sector on areas likely requiring change for the sector to meet future challenges and opportunities; and
To engage in a dialogue to improve understanding of industry and government roles in meeting the challenges of 2020.

Target Audience:

FPT governments engaged agricultural producers, processors, other stakeholders along the agriculture value chain and the public from across Canada in a dialogue on the GF2 policy framework.

Start Date and End Date:

May 2010 to September 2012 (still in progress)

Responsible Department or Agency:

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)

Partners:

In collaboration with provincial and territorial departments of agriculture

Summary:

The current agricultural framework Growing Forward (GF) will expire in 2013, and FPT governments are working towards the development of its successor, GF2. GF2 represents an evolution of long-term objectives and policy directions set out by the two previous frameworks, the Agricultural Policy Framework and GF, in support of a modern agriculture sector.

FPT agriculture ministers (with the exception of Ontario) endorsed at their annual meeting in July 2011 the Saint Andrews Statement. The Saint Andrews Statement includes the vision, policy principles, strategic objectives, policy drivers, as well as policy directions of the GF2 framework. Specifically, the Saint Andrews Statement identifies two broad outcomes for the agricultural sector, “competitiveness in domestic and international markets” and “adaptability and sustainability for the sector,” and proposes that these outcomes be advanced through strategic policy initiatives that focus on innovation and institutional, physical, and human resources infrastructure.

As part of its objectives, the GF2 policy framework aims to improve institutional and physical infrastructure in support of sector competitiveness, including by providing an efficient, effective and transparent regulatory environment that supports innovation along the agricultural supply chain, while ensuring the health and safety of Canadians and the environment.

To date, industry and public engagement has provided feedback that suggests that the current regulatory framework requires modification for greater ease of navigation and to better facilitate innovation. Stakeholders appreciate the importance of a strong regulatory base, but want to ensure that innovative products are accessible as inputs to maintain industry competitiveness. They also wished to see harmonization and/or mutual recognition of respective standards and regulations in multilateral fora.

Regulatory modernization and harmonization activities under GF2 will support greater competitiveness and improve market access and greater sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Link:

To learn more about the GF2 development process, we invite you to visit AAFC online at Growing Forward 2: 2013-2018.

For additional information, please contact:

Bernard Cantin
Telephone: 613-773-1950
Email: Bernard.Cantin@agr.gc.ca