Frédérick Clerson, University of Arkansas

There is room at the table for everyone, but limited places

Over the past decades, new models of agriculture appeared following environmental, social and economic considerations. On one side, we saw farms embracing a peasant vision of agriculture supported by new marketing schemes (e.g. CSA, public markets), and crop diversification. On the other side, we saw agri-food firms targeting international commodity markets through vertically integrated and highly specialized value chains. These new models came with renewed discourses and demands to the state. But how were they able to get the attention of Canadian leaders?
In this presentation, we will address how three ideal-types of agriculture managed to find echo in Québec and Ontario farm income support programs since 1990. Relying on official documentation and parliamentary discussions, we will look at program evolution through the lenses of the representation of agriculture and who is targeted by these changes.

Kat Lorimer, Farmers for Climate Solutions

Ian McCreary, Farmers for Climate Solutions

Farmers for Climate Solutions: Scaling up the adoption of climate-friendly practices to reduce GHG emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and strengthen resilience on farms across Canada

Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS) is a national coalition of farmer-led and farmer-supporting organizations who believe that agriculture must be part of the solution to climate change. Since launching in 2020, our coalition has created a unique task force model to develop policy and program proposals that are evidence-based, backed by scientific research, and grounded in on-farm experience. Our task forces bring together farmers and interdisciplinary experts to develop agricultural climate policy recommendations around specific research questions or policy making opportunities in Canada. Recent examples include the 2021 federal budget, business risk management programs, and the next Agricultural Policy Framework. Our presentation uses examples of our recent reports and campaigns to explore the unique collaborative processes and structures through which we develop and disseminate our research findings and recommendations for Canadian agricultural climate policy.