2022–2023 Departmental Plan - Details on transfer payment programs

The expected result:

• The agriculture and agri-food sector is equipped with assurance systems, standards, and supporting tools that contribute to fostering public trust and building consumer confidence.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Percentage of implementation plans for assurance projects reported to be functioning.

The AgriCompetitiveness Program provides non-repayable funding to help the sector build on existing capacity, enhance safety, adapt to changing commercial and regulatory environments, seize new opportunities, share best practices, and provide mentorship opportunities.

AgriCommunication Program
The AgriCommunication Program focuses on supporting activities which increase appreciation and pride in the contributions of farmers and the food industry and enhance public trust. The activities will help strengthen public trust about the origin of the food Canadians eat and how it is produced.
The program will provide non-repayable contributions to projects that focus on one or more of the following priorities:

• consumer awareness of Canadian agriculture
• sector awareness of consumer perceptions
• industry’s efforts to endorse environmentally sustainable best practices   

The expected result:

• An agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector which has an increased level of entrepreneurial skill, knowledge and awareness of issues, practices, and best practices.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Number of approved projects.
• Number of participants at events where agricultural awareness, knowledge, skills and best practises are shared.

AgriCommunication Program
The expected result:

• Canadians are more informed of the agricultural food system and products.
• The agricultural sector is more knowledgeable about consumers’ preferences.
• The sector and consumers are more knowledgeable about industry’s environmentally sustainable practices.

The performance indicators related to the expected results:

• Number of partnerships and products that are developed.
• Number of projects approved under the Program.
• Number of clients reached.

Industry related
AgriCommunication Program
Not-for-profit organizations, including associations, Indigenous groups, and national domestic agricultural fairs and exhibitions which have broad agriculture awareness activities.

Stakeholders were engaged as part of the Government of Canada's national consultations on the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

AgriCommunication Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada communicated the launch of this Program through a news release. Existing programs which have several recipients may also be engaged through email, site visits, web presence, videoconferences, teleconferences or other outreach and project assessment and monitoring.

Additional efforts include broader industry engagement, including outreach to federal, provincial and territorial counterparts and various food-related associations across the country.

March 31, 2028
(March 31, 2026 for the adoption stream)

The expected result:

• Increased adoption of clean technologies to address environmental sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The performance indicator related to the expected results:

• Number of adopted agricultural clean technologies.

Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Adoption Stream
For-profit organizations, including farm businesses and agri-food processors, not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives, individuals, sole proprietors and Indigenous groups.

Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Research and Innovation
For-profit organizations, including agri-food processors, not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives, and Indigenous groups.

Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) Living Labs – April 1, 2021
ACS On-Farm Climate Action Fund – August 12, 2021

The Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) Living Labs aims to incent and accelerate on-farm co-development, testing, monitoring, dissemination, and adoption of Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) that sequester carbon, mitigate climate change, and provide environmental co-benefits and social benefits. ACS Living Labs is a program under the Natural Climate Solutions Fund (NCSF), a horizontal initiative led by Natural Resources Canada, with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which aims to develop projects that invest in natural climate solutions.

The ACS On-Farm Climate Action Fund aims to accelerate the adoption of farm practices that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and achieve other environmental co-benefits. The program, also under the NCFS, focuses on supporting BMP adoption in three areas: improving nitrogen management; increasing adoption of cover cropping; and, normalizing rotational grazing.

ACS Living Labs
The expected result:

• Increase in capacity of producers to adopt beneficial management practices.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Number of BMPs developed or improved that increase carbon sequestration.
• Number of BMPs developed or improved that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

ACS On-Farm Climate Action Fund

The expected result:

• Increased participation of producers in beneficial management practices within the three areas (fertilizer and nitrogen management, cover cropping, rotational grazing).

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of producers who are supported by the Fund.

ACS Living Labs

Indigenous groups and not-for-profit organizations

ACS On-Farm Climate Action Fund

Not-for-profit organizations, including producer groups, Indigenous groups, for-profit organizations and provincial or territorial Crown corporations.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada communication efforts may include mail outs, engagement sessions, project announcements, news conferences or news releases. Program clients will also be engaged through email, web presence, videoconferences, teleconferences and other outreach, and project assessment and monitoring.

The expected result:

• AgriRecovery initiatives support producers' recovery from natural disasters.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Percentage of AgriRecovery recipients where AgriRecovery payments played an important role in their recovery from a disaster.

The process for AgriRecovery begins when one or more provincial/territorial government(s) requests an assessment of a disaster event in writing. Once the request has been made, a joint federal and provincial/territorial task team conducts an AgriRecovery assessment. As needed, the task team consults with affected producers, industry representatives and other department/agency representatives (for example, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency). The assessment looks at the impacts of the event on producers, the ability for them to recover quickly and the costs associated with those recovery activities as well as how existing programs will respond.

Generic information on the AgriRecovery Framework is available on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's website while the specifics on the initiatives are usually available on provincial/territorial governments' websites.

The expected result:

• The capacity of participating firms to demonstrate, commercialize and adopt technologies (products, processes, practices or systems) and/or services is increased.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of innovative technologies (products, processes, practices or systems) and/or services implemented by participating firms.

• 2016-17 (Stream A Research Accelerating Innovation)
• 2017-18 (Stream B Research, Development and Knowledge Transfer, and Stream C Enabling Commercialization and Adoption)

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada communication efforts may include mail outs, news conferences, or news releases.

Program clients are also being engaged through email,  web presence, videoconferences, teleconferences and other outreach, and project assessment and monitoring.

Additional efforts include broader industry engagement, including outreach to the series of Sector Engagement Tables, the Innovation and CleanTech Hub, and other related industry associations.

The expected results:

• Individualized crop protection from natural hazards that reduce the financial impact of production losses is offered to producers; and
• Stabilizes a producer's income by minimizing the economic effects of production losses caused by natural hazards.

The performance indicators related to the expected results:

• Value of insured forage production compared to total value of all forage agricultural products eligible for insurance;
• Value of insured production (excluding forage and livestock) compared to the value of agricultural products (excluding forage and livestock) eligible for insurance; and
• Percentage of participants finding that AgriInsurance is effective in mitigating the financial impacts of production losses.

Any province or its agent is the recipient for federal contributions under AgriInsurance.

The ultimate recipient of AgriInsurance are agricultural producers (participants) who choose to purchase actuarially sound insurance coverage for the commodities they produce, or who experience verifiable losses due to wildlife.

Business Risk Management programs are generally marketed to producers as a package. In advance of key program deadlines, direct mail and advertising are used by administrators to raise program awareness, encourage enrolment and compliance with participation requirements (for example, meeting key deadlines). The program website, toll-free number, and media relations supports the promotional campaigns. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada works with provinces and with third party delivery agencies to ensure a coordinated communications approach and to ensure federal identity on cost-shared programs.

The Department continues to build on the program websites as a key source of program information and on options for communicating information to program clients in order to support the Department's mandate to strengthen program service and delivery.

Communication activities comply with the Official Languages Act requirements. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also works with the National Program Advisory Committee to engage its producers.

The expected results:

• Producers set aside funds to cover various financial risks; and
• Account balances help producers manage risk and make on-farm investments in a timely fashion.

The performance indicators related to the expected results:

• Value of government contributions as a percentage of maximum allowable contributions.
• Percentage of participants using AgriInvest funds to address income declines or make investments to reduce on-farm risks or increase farm revenues.

Business Risk Management programs are generally marketed to producers as a package. In advance of key program deadlines, direct mail and advertising are used by administrators to raise program awareness, and encourage enrolment and compliance with participation requirements (for example, meeting key deadlines). The program website, My AAFC Account, a toll-free number, and media relations will support the promotional campaigns. The My AAFC Account allows producers to get up-to-date information on-line for their AgriInvest Account.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada works with provinces and with third party delivery agencies to ensure a coordinated communications approach and federal identity on cost-shared programs. The Department continues to build on the program websites and My AAFC Account as key sources of program information and on options for communicating information to program clients in order to support the Department's mandate to strengthen program service and delivery.

Communication activities comply with the Official Languages Act requirements. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also works with the National Program Advisory Committee to engage with producers and consults with national industry associations and producer groups on program directions and major program changes.

The expected result:

• To maintain, increase and diversify exports to international markets and seize domestic market opportunities through industry-led promotional activities that differentiate Canadian products and producers, and leverage Canada's reputation for high quality and safe food.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Number of market development activities supported; and
• Value ($) of agriculture and agri-food exports.

The expected result:

• Industry is able to better manage business risks and remain viable in the long-term.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of risk management tools developed.

Microgrants projects: Academic institutions.
Research and Development projects:
Not-for-profit industry organizations representing agricultural and agri-business stakeholders, such as producer associations, commodity groups, and farm services associations; cooperatives, mutual insurance companies, and reciprocals.
Administrative Capacity Building projects:
Proponents of industry-led Administrative Capacity Building projects resulting from previously funded AgriRisk Initiatives Research and Development projects; proponents of industry-led Administrative Capacity Building projects where the research and development phase was funded from industry sources; proponents of not-for-profit and for-profit administrations delivering agricultural risk management tools; and provincial and territorial governments.

Information on the AgriRisk Initiatives Program, as well as the eligibility criteria and application process, is available on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's website. The program website, a toll-free number, and media relations supports the promotional campaigns.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada works with provinces and recipients to ensure a coordinated communications approach and federal identity on cost-shared programs, and appropriate acknowledgement on relevant project communications material.

The Department continues to build on the program websites as a key source of program information and on options for communicating information to program clients in order to support the Department's mandate to strengthen program service and delivery. Communication activities comply with the Official Languages Act requirements. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also works with the National Program Advisory Committee to engage its producers.

The AgriScience Program accelerates the pace of innovation in the sector by supporting industry-led research and development to increase market opportunities in the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector.

The program is delivered through two types of initiatives: the AgriScience – Clusters Component (Clusters) and the AgriScience – Projects Component (Projects). Clusters are national in scope and bring together scientific expertise from industry, academia, and government to collaborate to address multiple industry priorities of a specific commodity (such as wheat, beef, et cetera) or cross-cutting issues (for example, bioproducts, food processing).

Projects may be individually led research projects or a small group of projects that are national, regional or local in scope.

The expected results:

• Research and development supported innovation are generated; and
• The sector's knowledge base is increased.

The performance indicators related to the expected results:

• Number of new technologies (new products, practices, processes and systems) that are developed under funded activities; and
• Number of papers published in peer-reviewed journals.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada communication efforts may include mail outs, news conferences, or news releases.

Program clients are engaged through email, web presence and other outreach, and through project assessment and monitoring.

Additional efforts include broader industry engagement, including outreach to the series of Sector Engagement Tables, companies and industry associations, and an annual meeting with AgriScience Cluster recipients.

The expected results:

• Individualized whole-farm protection from large income declines is offered to producers; and
• Producers' incomes are protected from severe income declines.

The performance indicators related to the expected results:

• Value of program participants' farm market revenues as a percentage of all farm market revenues; and
• Percentage of producers whose income is greater than their allowable expenses in a program year.

Business Risk Management programs are generally marketed to producers as a package. In advance of key program deadlines, direct mail, and advertising are used by administrators to raise program awareness and encourage enrolment and compliance with participation requirements (for example, meeting key deadlines). The program website, My AAFC Account, a toll-free number, and media relations will support the promotional campaigns. The My AAFC Account allows producers to get up-to-date information online for their AgriStability account.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada works with provinces and with third party delivery agencies to ensure a coordinated communications approach and to ensure federal identity on cost-shared programs. The Department continues to build on the program websites and My AAFC Account as a key source of program information and on options for communicating information to program clients in order to support the Department's mandate to strengthen program service and delivery.

Communication activities comply with the Official Languages Act requirements. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also works with the National Program Advisory Committee to engage with producers and engages in consultations with national industry associations and producer groups on program direction and major program changes.

The expected result:

• Program recipients develop tools and strategies to adapt to changing circumstances and/or respond to urgent and/or critical issues.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of tools and strategies (training materials, methodologies, etc.) that are developed to adapt to changing circumstances and/or respond to urgent and/or critical issues.

The excepted result:

• Supply managed dairy producers are financially resilient

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Percent of dairy farms compensated identified by the Canadian Dairy Commission.

The Local Food Infrastructure Fund strengthens food systems and facilitates access to safe and nutritious food for at-risk populations.

The fund supports community-based, not-for-profit organizations to improve their food systems through investments in infrastructure that are directly related to addressing food insecurities and increasing the accessibility of healthy, nutritious, and ideally, local foods within their community.

Local Food Infrastructure Fund
The expected result:

• Investments in local food infrastructure are made to increase the availability of healthy and nutritious food.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of infrastructure investments.

Local Food Infrastructure Fund
For-profit and not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives, regional and municipal governments, and agencies (can include schools or school boards) and Indigenous groups.

Local Food Infrastructure Fund
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada communication efforts may include mail outs, news conferences, or news releases. Program clients may also be engaged through email, web presence, videoconferences, teleconferences, outreach activities, and project assessment and monitoring.
Additional efforts include broader industry engagement, including outreach to federal, provincial, and territorial counterparts, and various food-related associations across the country.

The expected result:

• Stakeholders across Canada are engaged in the Food Waste Reduction Challenge to explore innovations for reducing food waste.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of applications received per challenge issued.

National consultations were held in 2017 on a national food policy and published in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's “What We Heard” report in 2018. The Government announced the Food Policy For Canada on June 17, 2019, followed by the Food Waste Reduction initiative on July 4, 2019.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's other communications efforts include mail outs, news conferences or news releases, and posting on social media. The program administration met with over 40 diverse innovators working in food waste reduction to validate program design.

Potential applicants are also engaged through email, web presence, and other outreach methods such as workshops.

The expected result:

• Producers and agricultural co-operatives have access to affordable capital to make investments in their operations.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Dollar value of registered loans awarded to established farmers by lending institutions during the fiscal year;
• Number of loans made to beginning farmers during the fiscal year;
• Defaulted loans as a percentage of the value of total loans at the end of the fiscal year; and
• Percentage of loans received and registered from lenders within 15 business days

The primary marketing channel for the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act program is through the financial institutions who deliver the program. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supports these efforts in a variety of ways to encourage awareness and uptake, including: social media campaigns (for example, Facebook, Twitter); direct mail to producers; print advertising in farm/lender publications; as well as print on demand fact sheets for the agricultural lenders which help maintain common messaging and brand identity.

Each year, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada officials also typically attend two or three selected industry trade shows/annual general meetings to communicate the benefits of the program directly to producers and to learn and gather feedback from producers on the program.

Supply Management Initiatives includes programs designed to ensure that those in Canada’s supply-managed sectors receive full and fair compensation for recent trade agreements.

The Market Development Program for Turkey and Chicken helps increase domestic demand and consumption of Canadian turkey and chicken products through industry-led promotional activities that differentiate Canadian products and producers, and leverage Canada’s reputation for high quality and safe food.

The expected result:

• Increased market development activities to strengthen the domestic market

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of marketing activities approved.

Not applicable – new program

Not applicable

There are two programs under the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act:

• The Advance Payments Program provides producers with access to credit through cash advances based on the expected value of their agricultural products. This enables producers to meet their financial obligations and provided increased marketing opportunities by allowing them to sell agricultural products based on the market rather than the need for cash flow.
• The Price Pooling Program provides cooperative marketing agencies with a price guarantee on eligible products as a form of security against unanticipated declines in the market price for their products. This helps them to secure financing to issue initial payments to their producer members as they deliver product to the cooperative marketing pools.

Advance Payments Program

The expected result:

• Producers can access low cost capital to address cash flow needs over the production period and increase marketing opportunities.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Number of producers receiving Advance Payments Program advances per production period;
• Dollar value of Advance Payments Program advances issued per production period;
• Advance Payments Program defaults as a percentage of total Advance Payments Program advances taken per production period; and
• Percentage of Advance Guarantee Agreements sent to producer organizations within 8 weeks following receipt of a fully documented application.

Price Pooling Program
The expected result:

• Producers have access to timely payments upon delivery of eligible commodities to pool.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Guarantee price provided through the Price Pooling Program as a percentage of average market price; and
• Number of days between delivery of product(s) to pool and producer receiving payment

The primary marketing channel for the Advance Payments Program is through the approximately 35 producer organizations which administer the program. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supports these efforts in a variety of ways to encourage awareness and uptake, including: social media campaigns (for example, Facebook, Twitter); print advertising in farm publications; as well as print-on-demand fact sheets that help maintain common messaging and brand identity.

Each year, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada officials hold meetings with program administrators, and may also attend selected industry trade shows/ annual general meetings to gather feedback on program uptake and performance and to ensure producers continue to benefit from the program.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is currently undertaking a review of Agricultural Marketing Program Act programs, as required under the Act. This legislative review will include consultations with stakeholders (administrators, lenders and producers) across the country to determine if the programs and program provisions are meeting the needs of all stakeholders. It is expected that the review will be completed in Spring 2022.

Supply Management Initiatives includes programs designed to ensure that those in Canada’s supply-managed sectors receive full and fair compensation for recent trade agreements.

The Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program supports on-farm investments in increasing efficiency or productivity, improving on-farm food safety and biosecurity, improving environmental sustainability, and responding to consumer preferences.

The expected results:

• Increased investment in new production equipment by supply-managed poultry and egg producers to improve capacity, efficiency; and/or to align with market and/or regulatory demands (e.g., environmental, animal welfare, consumer preference)
• The poultry and egg sector is financially resilient.

The performance indicator related to the expected results:

• Number of investments made in new production equipment, improved capacity and/or efficiency, improved environmental impacts, alignment with market, regulatory and/or consumer preferences (e.g., cage free eggs) production

• The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy
• The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes or practices
• The agricultural sector is financially resilient
• The agriculture and agri-food sector is equipped with assurance systems and supporting tools

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Cost-shared Markets and Trade:

• Transfer payments are provided to the provinces and territories for programming to assist the Canadian agricultural sector in creating market-based opportunities for individual farms and firms and providing industry with the knowledge and tools to compete at home and abroad. Specific provincial and/or territorial programs support the sector in identifying new domestic and global opportunities that enhance competitiveness and prosperity.

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Cost-shared Science, Research, Innovation and Environment:

• Transfer payments are provided to the provinces and territories for programming to accelerate the pace of innovation in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector. A key focus of such innovation is the research, development and commercialization of products, practices, processes and systems that enhance productivity, competitiveness, economic growth and adaptability to environment and climate change in the sector.

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Cost-Shared Assurance:

• Transfer payments are provided to the provinces and territories for agricultural assurance programming to develop tools and support proactive mitigation activities. Specific provincial or territorial programs support the sector in its endeavors to prevent and control risks to the animal and plant resource base, provide safe food, and meet new market demands for assurance.

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Cost-shared Markets and Trade
The expected result:

• Canadian companies are accessing generic and customized information and intelligence to assess market opportunities.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of clients reporting that market information and intelligence meets needs for awareness and knowledge of market opportunities.

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Cost-shared Science, Research, Innovation and Environment
The expected result:

• New agriculture and agri-food technologies are generated and commercialized.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of new technologies (products, practices, processes and systems) that attain Intellectual Property protection.

Federal, Provincial and Territorial cost-shared Assurance
The expected result:

• The sector is adopting risk management activities to maximize resilience.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Number of risk management/assurance projects completed on-farm; and
• Number of risk management/assurance projects completed on processing facilities.

• Individuals
• Partnerships
• Limited Partnerships
• For-profit and not-for-profit companies
• Trusts
• Cooperatives
• Marketing boards
• For-profit and not-for-profit organizations
• International organizations
• Academic institutions such as universities and colleges
• Provincial, territorial and municipal governments, including their institutions, agencies and corporations
• Indigenous communities and governments
• Crown Corporations

The expected result:

• Processors’ productivity is increased.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Percentage increase in volume of raw inputs used in production.

Not applicable – new program

Not applicable

Informal engagement sessions with key representatives of the dairy, egg, and poultry sectors occurred in August and December 2021. The objective was to inform and confirm the proposed program parameters.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's other communications efforts will include mail outs, news conferences or news releases, and posting on social media.

The expected result:

• More youth, women, Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities have the resources to build their entrepreneurial capacity and business skills, allowing them to better participate in the sector.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of approved projects

The expected result:

• The supply management system for poultry and eggs works in the balanced interest of stakeholders, from producers to consumers.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• The degree to which national marketing agencies operate in accordance to the Farm Products Agencies Act, under effective oversight by the Farm Products Council of Canada.

The expected result:

• Challenges are issued to develop technology-based solutions for the agriculture sector.

The performance indicator related to the expected result:

• Number of grants issued per challenge.

• The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy
• The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes or practices

The expected results:

• Maintain and expand trade and market access opportunities;
• Connect the sector to global resources and knowledge; and
• Cooperate internationally to build relationships and influence others in advancement of objectives.

The performance indicator related to the expected results:

• Number of international projects.

• 2015-16 (portion under Trade and Market Expansion)
• 2016-17 (portion under Foundational Science and Research)

The expected result:

• Scientific knowledge (for example: products, technologies, beneficial management practices) is transferred or available for transfer to the agriculture sector and the science community.

The performance indicator related to this expected result:

• Number of new products, processes and technologies available for transfer to stakeholders.

Pre-consultative process: a series of five awareness-raising workshops that gathered issues and generated ideas, drawing on the expertise of academic stakeholders; industry; non-governmental organizations; municipal, provincial, and territorial government partners; and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada staff were conducted in 2018.

Program clients are also engaged through email, web presence, videoconferences, teleconferences and other outreach, and project assessment and monitoring.

The expected result:

• Canadian youth, particularly youth facing barriers, have the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience that facilitates their ability to participate in the workforce.

The performance indicators related to the expected result:

• Number of participants;
• Number of participants facing barriers;
• Number of participants who demonstrated strengthened and/or new skills; and
• Number of participants who found employment.