NFU Policy archive
The holding place for all policy entries in the NFU site – policy briefs and papers.
Presentation to Agriculture Committee on Supply Chain Issues
NFU President, Katie Ward, appeared before the House of Commons Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on February 17, 2022. View the video of her presentation starting at the 15:37:25 minute
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NFU Submission to CFIA on Gene Editing Regulatory Guidance
Submission to CFIA on guidance for determining whether a plant is subject to Part V of the Seeds Regulations The NFU is a voluntary direct-membership, non-partisan, national farm organization made
Read MoreCommentary on CFIA proposal for regulating gene-edited plants
The CFIA’s proposed guidance would allow plant developers (biotechnology companies) to decide for themselves whether their product meets the CFIA’s criteria for regulation as a PNT. It proposes to exempt from regulation genetically engineered plants that do not contain foreign DNA if they are not expected to result in any of four environmental impacts the CFIA lists. In addition, the proposed criteria would exempt some genetically engineered plants that have a trait previously approved by the CFIA, even if the approved trait was in another plant species or developed using different technology.
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Response to PMRA Potential Environmental Risk to Squash Bee
Pest Management Regulatory Agency Publications Section Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) Health Canada 2720 Riverside Drive Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9 By e-mail: hc.pmra.publications-arla.sc@canada.ca August 13, 2021 Re: Proposed Special Review Decision
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Submission to PMRA on Glyphosate Proposed Maximum Residue Limit
NFU members are increasingly concerned about the health and environmental impacts of glyphosate. Via our democratic policy development process, we adopted our position opposed to the pre-harvest spraying of glyphosate in 2014. This stance informs our position against the proposed MRL increases.
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Priorities for the Next Agricultural Policy Framework
The National Farmers Union sent the following letter to each federal and provincial Agriculture Minister in the lead-up to their annual conference, which will be held virtually in July. At
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NFU Submission on Bill C-216 Supply Management
The NFU supports Bill C-216, which would ensure that in all future trade agreement negotiations, the government of Canada would not commit to any further foreign access to Canadian supply-managed markets and would not lower or eliminate tariffs on supply-managed goods that are imported over and above existing Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) levels.
Read MoreSubmission to Health Canada on proposed new guidance for Novel Food Regulations
All gene-edited products should be regulated as novel and therefore subject to government safety assessment and pre-market notification. This would ensure Health Canada maintains its ability to regulate foods derived from gene-edited plants in the public interest. It would ensure farmers have access to the information they need to make informed choices about the seed they purchase and crops they grow.
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NFU comments on Draft Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Regulations
Submission to the Public Comment Period for the Federal Government’s Draft Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Regulations This brief technical submission to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) should be
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NFU Submission to Canada Grain Act Review
The National Farmers Union (NFU) is pleased to provide input to the federal government’s review of the Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission. The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), the Canada Grain Act (CGA) and its regulations are foundational to Canada’s agricultural economy. The value that the CGC brings to the Canadians in general and to farmers in particular cannot be overstated. The CGC was established in 1912 to bring fairness, transparency, confidence, and order to Canada’s grain sector. The mandate of the CGC is “the Commission shall, in the interests of the grain producers, establish and maintain standards of quality for Canadian grain and regulate grain handling in Canada, to ensure a dependable commodity for domestic and export markets.” The CGC’s effective use of its regulatory authority and mandate is the solid foundation upon which the Canadian grain sector’s enviable reputation and excellent trade position has been built. The CGC’s mandate must not be altered. Canada’s many individual farmers share common interests and they must deal with grain buyers who are fewer, wealthier and much more powerful. The CGC mandate recognizes that the interests of farmers and grain companies are generally in opposition, and that is necessary to balance the lopsided power relationship with effective regulatory authority that safeguards the interests of grain producers. By growing crops, farmers provide the wealth that supports the whole grain trade and its tens of billions of dollars’ worth of annual spin-off multiplier effects in the Canadian economy. The CGC’s proper role is to ensure that farmers are treated fairly, not only when they make individual transactions with grain companies, but also by preventing corruption of the grain system as a whole. The CGC’s authority to establish and maintain quality ensures that the grain which farmers produce has high value, and retains its integrity and thus its value, through to its purchase by an end user.
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Submission to the Land Matters Advisory Committee
Presented to the Committee in Summerside, PEI, January 12, 2021 District I, Region 1 of the National Farmers Union is appreciative of the opportunity to appear before the Land Matters
Read MorePEI’s Land and Water Need Protection, says NFU
The concerns surrounding our land can’t be separated from the usage of water. If exploitation of the land is allowed to continue, then exploitation of water will increase. The NFU takes the position that if the role of water is to be extended in agriculture production, then its usage must be a regulated part of a far broader strategy that addresses stewardship of the land and the greater good of farmers, the environment, and rural communities.
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