Conference Board gears up for food conference

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

by JIM ALGIE

The Conference Board of Canada expects to stay active in food policy even after completing publication today of its final Food Strategy document.

The completed strategy follows more than three years of research about the future of Canadian agriculture and food processing industries, and includes a controversial recommendation to end almost 50 years of milk supply-management.

An Ottawa-based, non-profit, think tank specializing in economic and social policy, the board unveiled its 62-page, Food Strategy, final report today at Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Publication coincides with the third of three annual, summit meetings held as part of the Conference Board’s food research process.

The strategy seeks “to stimulate change in food and the food system,” Board vice-president Michael Bloom says in an introduction, outlining what he describes in the report as “one of the mega issues facing our country.”

Financed partly by the federal government and major food processors, including Loblaw Companies Limited and Maple Leaf Foods, the strategy document outlines a path for dramatic expansion of Canadian food exports.

Now among the world’s top 20 food exporters, Canada could break the top five, Conference Board researchers argue, with adjustments in policy. The strategy includes plans for improved food safety and nutrition for Canadian food products with an emphasis on traceability systems and environmental protection. As well, there are provisions for better food distribution to rural and remote, northern communities and among low income Canadians.

Nothing about the final strategy document promises to raise as much fuss, however, as its recommendation that Canada should scrap supply management in milk. It already has.

A separate report published in early March by researchers in the board’s Centre for Food In Canada (CFIC) recommends phasing out supply management and reorienting Canada’s dairy sector toward expanding world markets for dehydrated skim milk powder, butter and cheese. The CFIC advertises major financial support from three, major, dairy processing firms, Nestle Canada Inc., Parmalat Canada Ltd. and Saputo.

Dairy Farmers of Canada Executive Director Richard Doyle in a recent Huffington Post article roundly criticized the Conference Board’s supply management report. He cited the report’s “fallacies” and “misleading assertions.”

Doyle describes the report as part of “a disturbing trend of think tanks offering what amounts to bad business advice.” He disputes Conference Board assertions that dropping supply management would lower dairy costs for consumers or allow Canadian farmers to compete fairly in world markets with major dairy exporting nations: New Zealand, Australia and the U.S. Board analysis “ignores the reality that farm and retail prices are not so directly linked,” and that “the world price is not what farmers elsewhere are paid all the time,” Doyle said.

This week’s food summit features speakers on a variety of topics covered in the Conference Board’s strategy document. Organizers expect 300 participants at advertised registration fees of $1,225.

Tuesday sessions include presentations on food safety, household food security and modernizing Canada’s food regulations. Wednesday sessions include one on the future of supply management. It features presentations by New Zealand High Commission trade head Sarah Ireland and by Sylvain Charlebois, associate dean research and graduate studies for the University of Guelph’s department of marketing and consumer studies. As well, there is a session on protecting agricultural land for food production.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture President Mark Wales and Global Fruit CEO Johannes Soer, whose company manages more than 2,800 acres of apple orchard land in Ontario, are to discuss managing the modern farm to achieve greater business success.

The summit wraps up, Wednesday, with discussion about implementation and tracking of the Canadian Food Strategy. In the strategy document, board officials announced the agency will seek to maintain food research projects through “The Canada Food Observatory.” The agency will seek to “monitor progress in the food sector,” “promote strategic actions,” and “raise awareness” through media contacts, future on-line initiatives and conferences, the statement says. BF