National Farmers Union

• Canada’s supply management system is designed to align the production of dairy, eggs and poultry with domestic consumption through the judicious use of quotas and tariffs.
• We argue the current supply management model works to provide competitive prices to consumers, while also providing a living wage for farmers.

The Canadian model is working

• It’s clear we need to invest in local, community-based food sources — something supply management is able to facilitate by the nature of its operation.
• The supply management model is focused on supplying food to the Canadian market, with very limited opportunity for exports.
• Under this model, dairy and eggs are generally marketed in the region in which they are produced — Ontario eggs are sold in Ontario supermarkets — thereby privileging the local.

Fairer production

• Producers reap the rewards of a system that ensures farmers are paid fair prices for their products, covering the costs of production.
• Meanwhile, consumers enjoy the benefits of a stable supply of eggs, safeguarding them from significant price fluctuations.
• Supply management is a legitimate tool for co-ordinating production with demand and avoiding overproduction and waste — two chronic issues that have plagued the United States and Europe, despite significant price supports, subsidies, government purchase programs and import restrictions.

Farmer wages

• The connection between fair farmer incomes and food sustainability and sovereignty must be emphasized.
• If food producers can’t make a living, they will leave the industry and cause catastrophic consequences.
• In the U.K., rising production costs and lower farm prices are forcing farmers out of the industry and jeopardizing the U.K.’s self-sufficiency in the dairy sector.
• Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the world’s largest exporter of dairy, the livelihoods of dairy farmers remain precarious.

Deregulation threatens sustainability

• The recent passage of Bill C-282, and the discussion of the bill in the Senate, presents an opportunity to reflect on the importance of food systems that serve to enhance Canadian food sustainability, security and sovereignty.
• As the earlier international examples make clear, deregulation in dairy farming has not led to vibrant, sustainable industries, but quite the opposite.
• Policymakers and all Canadians should work to support systems that allow for valuable food industries to flourish, rather than dismantle them.

Bruce Muirhead receives funding from Egg Farmers of Canada. Jodey Nurse has received funding from Egg Farmers of Canada in the past. Her current work is not funded by them.

• Canadians are feeling the effects of these stresses: in 2021, nearly 16 per cent of provincial households experienced some degree of food insecurity.
• But a basic income guarantee would involve regular payments, not just a one-time rebate.

What the research says

• We draw on our research with Coalition Canada, a network of basic income advocacy groups.
• Our research brought interdisciplinary teams of scholars and practitioners together to develop a series of case studies examining basic income through the lens of different sectors.
• Overall, our research suggests that a basic income guarantee could have a significant impact on the economic uncertainties faced by farmers and fishing communities in Canada.

Reducing economic uncertainty

• One potential impact of a basic income guarantee would be reducing economic uncertainty for the most vulnerable agriculture and fisheries workers.
• A basic income guarantee could offer individuals more financial security and control over their employment choices, and thus address the racialized, classed and gendered disparities prominent in food systems labour.

Supporting new fishers and farmers

• Supporting new farmers and fishers, especially those using more socially and ecologically sustainable practices, is an essential part of building a more resilient food system.
• While a basic income guarantee alone can’t address these challenges, it could provide greater economic stability for new farmers and fishers when they invest in infrastructure and training.

Preparing for future stressors

• A basic income guarantee could also be a step towards building resilience against ongoing stressors, like the climate crisis and extreme weather events, along with preparing for future emergencies.
• The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that those with more stable incomes and flexible work arrangements are better able to adapt to unexpected shocks.

Next steps for the food system

• A basic income guarantee also shouldn’t replace contributory programs, like the Employment Insurance fishing benefits.
• There is also a need to think systematically and holistically about the role of basic income across the food system.
• The only way to accomplish this is with further input from farming and fishing communities and Indigenous communities in collaboration with anti-poverty, food sovereignty and food justice organizations.

• NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Milking Robots Market size is expected to reach $4.4 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 11.9% CAGR during the forecast period.
• Milking robots are automated milking systems in which milking occurs without direct operator intervention.
• In multi-stall automated milking systems, one robot may service three or four milking stalls; there is specialized cleaning equipment for udders.
• On the basis of System Type, the Milking Robots Market is divided into Single-stall Units, Multi-stall Units, and Automated Milking Rotary.

• The order includes 72 directives that will be carried out by 12 federal agencies, many of which target the agricultural sector.
• In a statement, Rob Larew, the organization's president, lauded the administration for taking this monumental step towards protecting farmers from anticompetitive practices.
• "After suffering corporate abuse for so many years, it is reassuring that farmers may finally get a level playing field.
• National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities.