Campaign-related topics

Union Farmer Newsletter: September 2023

In this issue: “Let them eat concrete” Ontario’s farmers are fed up with the Greenbelt giveaways Farmers unite to defeat Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) unfair change to grading standards NFU Read more

Agricultural GHG Emissions, A Comprehensive Analysis: New NFU report

SASKATOON, SK—The National Farmers Union (NFU) today released the Third Edition of its report: Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Canada: A Comprehensive Assessment. The most detailed report of its kind, Read more

NFU asks Canada not to join US-Mexico GM corn dispute panel

The National Farmers Union (NFU) urges Trade Minister Ng to respect Mexico’s decision to prohibit imports of GM corn for human consumption, as it has put these measures in place in order to uphold its food sovereignty, including the traditional Indigenous farming systems known as milpa. We urge you to refrain from having Canada join the Panel as a Third Party in the US dispute with Mexico in order to avoid escalating our role in this dispute out of respect for Indigenous rights, Canada being signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and to support Canada’s biodiversity protection commitments as a signatory of the UN Convention on Biodiversity. Read more

NFU congratulates farm workers at Lufa Farms Ville Saint Laurent for unionizing

The National Farmers Union congratulates farm workers at Lufa Farms Ville Saint Laurent rooftop greenhouse in Montreal, QC, for becoming members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 501. Read more

NFU and Wheat Growers call on Minister MacAulay to halt CGC move to impose export grading standards on country elevator deliveries

Today, the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Wheat Growers Association (WGA) sent a joint letter to federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay asking him to halt the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) decision to impose export grade standards on wheat delivered to country elevators. The new rule will have a massive and long-term negative impact on prairie wheat farmers incomes. Calling this a heavy-handed move, both organizations demand the change be stopped, at least until the full impacts on all stakeholders are presented to the CGC’s Western Standards Committee. The NFU and WGA disagree on many policy matters but are united in their opposition to the decision to harmonize of primary and export standards for wheat. Read more

Joint NFU, WGA letter re CGC changes to Canadian grain grading

The National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Wheat Growers Association (WGA) disagree on many policy matters but we are united in our opposition to the harmonization of primary and export standards for wheat until further clarifying evidence of the impact on farmers and customers of Canadian grain is done, as was moved and passed by the CGC’s Western Standards Committee at their April 4 meeting. The impending CGC grade standard change has costly implications for farmers’ incomes. For example, harmonized test weight means that CWRS wheat (hard red spring wheat used for baking bread) must weigh at least 63.3 lbs/bushel when delivered to the elevator instead of the current standard of 60.1 lbs/bushel or it will be downgraded to a #2. Read more

Bunge-Viterra merger has drastic implications for Canadian farmers

Just five companies known as the “ABCD group” control 90% of the world grain trade – and the B in this group is about to get much bigger. B is Read more

Science takes a back seat with federal gene editing decision

Even though they have no history of safe use in Canada or elsewhere, Agriculture Minister Bibeau announced on May 3, 2023 that Canada will exempt gene-edited plants from regulation and Read more

Letter – NFU urges Canada to stay out of US-Mexico corn dispute

The National Farmers Union (NFU) urges Trade Minister Ng to not bring Canada into the USA's dispute over GM corn import prohibition, and to respect Mexico’s decision to prohibit imports of GM corn for human consumption. Mexico has put these measures in place in order to uphold its food sovereignty, including the traditional Indigenous farming systems known as milpa. Read more

Take Action: Reverse CFIA decision on gene edited seed regulation!

On May 3, 2023 Agriculture Minister Bibeau approved the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulatory guidance on gene-edited genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) plants and seed, making many of Read more