Elections 2008 - agriculture

Written - 21 September, 2008

Family farms have been devastated by agriculture policies that have favoured corporations rather than people, particularly since the 1970s. Over the last five years, average farm income has actually been negative, though it has been below the poverty line for the last twenty. Those who produce food in Canada are of the most impoverished, yet bailouts are directed at large producers or agribusiness companies. An immediate change in policy is required so that the rural crisis gets more attention than a brief headline during election time.

The Conservative Party’s language on agriculture states, “The agriculture industry is of strategic importance to Canada.” There is a level of honesty here as Conservatives explicitly support agriculture industries, but certainly not farmers. Before the house fell, Harper made it clear that he intended to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) in order to ‘open markets up’ and ‘remove government regulations’ for grain producers. However, the removal of collective marketing for grain producers will do nothing to open markets. Rather, it will allow large agribusiness companies to favor large-scale operations with contracts and push small farmers out of production.

By favouring large-scale producers, agribusiness companies will drive down grain prices and bankrupt small operations. The CWB has been able to protect smaller operations by paying an equal rate per bushel to all grain producers and thus leveling the playing field. In addition, collective marketing has taken the larger fluxes out of grain prices. However, agribusiness companies thrive on lower produce prices and those familiar with the cattle industry can attest to the pathology of these policies.

The other parties appear to be campaigning on platforms that favour small-scale and local production. While the NDP and Greens can probably be trusted with such a platform, many of the policies affecting farmers today were passed with Liberal majorities. Regardless, these parties have all vowed to allow farmers to determine the CBW’s fate, not the government.

In an era of uncertainty and change, it is of critical importance that our food producers have the most stable economy in the country; however, agriculture is the most volatile sector we have. While the CBW is only one issue in agriculture today, it certainly can tell us a lot about the philosophy of the major parties. Sadly though, not one of the parties has agriculture identified as their top national priority – perhaps this is the most telling statement of all.