Policy Areas

Union Farmer Newsletter: September 2022

In this issue: Seed Regulatory Modernization – What’s it all about? Pest Management Regulatory Agency Legislative Review Putting Limits on Farmland Investment Companies Seed Regulatory Modernization – What’s it all Read more

Op Ed – Testing the Waters

Despite persistent efforts to enclose and privatize it, water is still something that we try to govern by balancing private rights and the public interest. It is part of what is sometimes called “the commons,” the shared cultural and natural resources on which all members of society, and all economic activities, ultimately depend. If we are to retain even a modicum of respect for our common heritage, Saskatchewan will need effective water governance, and wetlands policy that will keep our farmland and waterways healthy and diverse, and the federal government will need to continue carrying out its responsibilities to protect water quality across the country. Read more

Nitrogen Fertilizer: Critical Nutrient, Key Farm Input, and Major Environmental Problem

This report takes a big-picture look at nitrogen fertilizer, details its many benefits and also its negative impacts, and makes the case for optimizing rather than maximizing tonnage. It examines the Read more

Nitrogen Fertilizer: New Report Takes Big-Picture Look

SASKATOON, Sask: The National Farmers Union (NFU) today released a report entitled Nitrogen Fertilizer: Critical Nutrient, Key Farm Input, and Major Environmental Problem.  The report takes a big-picture look at Read more

Stop the ratification of CETA! A joint statement by German and Canadian civil society groups

On the occasion of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Canada, and ahead of the announced ratification of the EU–Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by the German parliament, Read more

Letter to Ag Committee Requesting Fertilizer Investigation

Dear Chairperson Blois and members of the Committee: The NFU is again requesting that the Committee undertake a thorough review of fertilizer pricing, the structure of the sector, and the conduct Read more

Open letter to the European Commission concerning plant variety rights in the Free Trade Agreement with Indonesia

The undersigned organisations demand that the European Commission does not impose on Indonesia any request in the EU-Indonesia Free Trade Agreements to implement the 1991 Act of the International Union Read more

Letter to Ag Ministers – Towards the Next Policy Framework 

At your 2021 conference in Guelph, Agriculture Ministers agreed upon a set of goals, guiding principles and priorities for the Next Policy Framework. There are many good ideas and values expressed in the Guelph Statement, including commitments to climate action, sustainability and resilience, increasing participation of underrepresented, equity-deserving groups, and increasing public trust in our food system. These need to be top priorities, and not sidelined or undermined as a result of pursuing other goals in ways that conflict with the need for a stable and liveable climate, social cohesion and justice.  Read more

Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Canada: Second Edition

NFU releases Second Edition of Canada’s most complete and detailed report on agricultural GHG emissions Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Canada: A New, Comprehensive Assessment. Click here to read the first Read more

Op Ed – Health Minister must ensure new gene edited foods are properly and democratically regulated

 On May 18, Health Canada announced how it will regulate foods from gene-edited plants. The new “regulatory guidance” turns its back on science and transparency by actually exempting many new gene-edited foods from regulation. Our health minister, Jean-Yves Duclos, has decided to allow Health Canada to open the door for product developers to sell gene-edited organisms without any government oversight. He has abandoned his responsibility to Canadians who rely on the government to ensure our food system is safe. Without proper regulation, there is no assurance for Canadians or our export customers, that our products are safe. Read more