About the evaluation
- The Office of Audit and Evaluation at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada conducted an evaluation of the Pest Management Program to assess its relevance, efficiency and effectiveness.
- The evaluation assessed Pest Management Program activities from 2018-19 to 2023-24 using multiple methods: a literature review, a review of program documentation and data, key informant interviews, a case study, on-site observations and consultations with subject matter experts.
- The Pest Management Program is delivered by the Pest Management Centre. It is comprised of two long-standing programs: the Minor Use Pesticides Program (MUPP) and the Pesticide Risk Reduction Program (PRRP).
What we found
The Pest Management Program summary
- The MUPP supports the registration of pesticides for minor use by generating data for submission to Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
- The PRRP supports applied research and knowledge transfer on reduced-risk alternative approaches for pest management.
- The Pest Management Program is delivered by the Pest Management Centre, located in AAFC’s Science and Technology Branch.
- From 2018-19 to 2023-24, the Pest Management Program had $60 million in expenditures, including $52.5 million for the MUPP and $7.5 million for the PRRP.
Relevance
- The MUPP filled a critical market gap by enabling the registration of pesticides to protect minor crops, which are important to regional economies and represent over one-fifth of crop production in Canada.
- The PRRP is intended to address a gap for reduced-risk pest management strategies in Canada, but a bridge between research and adoption continues to be a need for the sector.
Efficiency
- The MUPP and the PRRP faced capacity pressures that constrained the production of outputs.
Performance
- The MUPP generated scientific research in support of new registrations and the PRRP produced tools, approaches and information on reduced-risk approaches.
- The PRRP developed and promoted reduced-risk solutions, but the Program has limited influence over grower access to or adoption of existing alternatives.
- Programming supported sector adaptation in the long term, but not adaptation to immediate challenges.
- Some outcomes in the Pest Management Program performance information profile lack clarity. Indicators are missing to capture the reach of activities, progress towards likely adoption of solutions and contributions from program partners.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1: The Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Technology Branch, should refine the scope of the PRRP to make a distinctive contribution to reduced-risk pest management.
Recommendation 2: The Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Technology Branch, should strengthen the MUPP’s capacity to respond to sector needs for minor use pesticides, such as through further leveraging external support.
Recommendation 3: The Assistant Deputy Ministers of Science and Technology Branch, in consultation with the Corporate Management Branch, should update the Pest Management Program performance information profile to clarify expected outcomes and collect data to measure impact for the sector.
Management response
Management agrees with the evaluation recommendations and has developed an action plan to address them by March 2026.