2019-2020 Departmental Results Report - Up-front multi-year funding

On June 30, 2020 a Compulsory Performance Evaluation (CPE) was submitted as required under the terms of CAPI's 15-year funding agreement (Article 11) to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and represents the third of four CPEs required under the terms of the agreement. The consultant retained to complete the CPE, worked efficiently and collaboratively to deliver a quality product which represents a fair and objective assessment of CAPI over the past five years. The consultant was meticulous in employing a range of tools to collect information on CAPI's performance, then collated findings and recommendations outlined in the Final Report.

Highlights from the Report findings:

• CAPI continues to address a distinct and relevant need to identify priority issues, consolidate and integrate existing research findings, convene dialogue meetings of key stakeholders, and translate and disseminate results to inform policy formulation.
• CAPI consistently operates independently and impartially so it is able to conduct independent policy research that cannot be readily performed by governments even permitting it, CAPI, to examine issues and options that may run counter to current government policies. CAPI stakeholders exhibit high rates of agreement that CAPI's policy research, stakeholder dialogues and knowledge products are directly relevant to their needs.
• The use of CAPI's research and dialogue documents is common among stakeholders that are aware of the organization, most commonly to inform analyses of agri-food policy issues and less so to inform the development of positions on agri-food policy issues and formulation of agri-food policies. If there were no CAPI, no other organization would emerge to play the role it plays or would take a substantial amount of time to emerge and develop a similar independent and neutral role.

The Report recommends that CAPI:

• Implement a proactive communications and outreach strategy to expand awareness and understanding of CAPI's mandate, operating model, activities and outputs among its key target stakeholders, particularly government stakeholders in federal departments and provincial/territorial ministries, and the research community.
• Proactively promote and disseminate CAPI's knowledge products to stakeholders, to foster their use in policy analysis and formulation, including regular updates on research priorities, progress on current work programs, and the availability of new knowledge products.
• Test and apply online approaches to discussing and debating policy issues and options to maintain CAPI's visibility and contributions to policy analysis and formulation during the current social distancing restrictions and, in the longer-term, as a complement to CAPI's in-person dialogue events.
• Implement a performance measurement and reporting system to track the production of outputs and achievement of outcomes, and thereby enable CAPI to demonstrate the impacts of its work.
• Increase participation by Quebec-based stakeholders by expanding opportunities for them to participate in CAPI events and making CAPI knowledge products available in both French and English.

CAPI's renewed value proposition and new strategic orientation are already helping them to move forward in responding to the recommendations for improvement. They are pleased to see the emphasis on focusing on a proactive communications and outreach strategy to expand awareness and understanding of their mandate as the Board has recently approved a new CAPI Communications and Engagement Strategy to increase visibility and awareness of CAPI and stakeholder engagement. Over the past 15 years, CAPI has addressed a distinct and relevant need and will continue to do so. To this end, CAPI's Board of Directors, and the CAPI management team, will be reviewing the Report's recommendations in detail and taking all appropriate steps to incorporate them into our forward planning.

CAPI also renewed the focus of its efforts from four identified in past years – Enhancing Natural Capital, Optimizing Growth, Facilitating Trade, and Securing Public Trust – to two pressing, critical, interrelated and generational challenges: Canada in a Multi-Polar Global Context and Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change. These two broad challenges now frame CAPI's policy research work going forward and present an opportunity for agriculture to become a truly strategic asset for Canada, while maintaining and enhancing producer and processor livelihoods.

The following represents a synopsis of CAPI's research dialogues and papers undertaken in 2019-20.

Convening dialogues:

• Optimizing Land Use for Sustainable Growth (April 2019)

  Following a very successful CAPI Dialogue in Calgary, Alberta in February, the final CAPI Dialogue of the Optimizing Land Use for Sustainable Growth dialogues took place in Guelph in April 2019 with over 150 participants from primary production, processing and other parts of industry, governments, academics and non-government organizations to discuss how land use can be optimized and environmental outcomes improved while securing the sector's long-term competitiveness and prosperity. The Guelph dialogue hosted a Next Gen panel for next generation participants to provide their perspectives on the issues discussed and potential solutions.

  These two dialogues combined produced over 20 presentations and seven commissioned papers published on CAPI's website. CAPI published a Summary Report of both dialogues to its website in September 2019. The dialogues helped raise awareness about sustainable land use practices and their impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, air and water quality, biodiversity, and sector profitability and competitiveness, as well as the options available to optimize land use for sustainable growth. Another integral part of the dialogues was discussing the most effective policy instruments and voluntary and industry initiatives that can be used to promote sustainable production. These dialogues helped improve their understanding of how agricultural land use can be a solutions provider for climate change and have provided the foundation for much of CAPI's work in this fiscal year and beyond.

• Trade and Sustainability of the North American Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector (July 2019)

  CAPI jointly hosted a dialogue with the United States Farm Foundation in a collaboration entitled “Trade and Sustainability of the North American Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector” in July 2019 in Chicago Illinois. This dialogue covered the challenges in developing a greater understanding of how trade and sustainability are interconnected. The event brought together experts with diverse backgrounds from academia, industry, government and grower segments of the food and agricultural sector in both the United States and Canada. Discussions were focussed on the state of global sustainability initiatives, the implications of disruptions in agricultural trade flows and the future of agricultural trade and sustainability. The discussion was summarized in a News Release on CAPI's website in August 2019.

• Trade in a Chaotic World (November 2019)

  CAPI hosted a small conversation with industry entitled “Trade in a Chaotic World” on November 20, 2019 in Toronto. The conversation was held between a small number of industry stakeholders and high-level government officials on changes in the Canadian and international agri-food landscape and implications of legacy agriculture policies and the art of the possible moving forward. The goal of this conversation was to provide insight for CAPI's future trade dialogues, to develop a shared understanding of the current issues, their long-term implications, and possibilities for moving forward beyond the current crisis with a new vision for Canada in global markets and for a renewed/redesigned multilateral system.

Conceptualizing and completing new research:

• Agricultural Systems, Land Use Practices and Water in Quebec (April 2019)

  This commissioned paper was presented at the Guelph Dialogue and examines environmental and water quality issues in Quebec caused by agriculture production, through the lens of human health, aquatic fauna and the recreational potential of rivers and lakes. Author Bruno Larue of Université Laval discusses past policy interventions and the challenges that lie ahead concerning specific water quality issues, while framing the conversation around the evolution of agriculture in Quebec and the past and current environmental pressures on water quality.

• Canola Disputes in Canada-China Agricultural Trade: A Chinese Policy Perspective (June 2019)

  In light of developments this past year which impacted trade in canola and other agricultural products between Canada and China, this paper provided a retrospective and systemic review of China's agricultural policies. The report examines canola's role in Canada-China agricultural trade, a description of the new governance trend under the Xi Jinping administration and concludes with recommendations for the measures Canada can take to improve its agricultural relations with China for long-term sustainability.

• A Framework for Policy Innovation and Reform for Environmental Conflicts in Ontario Agriculture (July 2019)

  Agricultural production practices are coming under increased scrutiny specifically relating to the effects of those practices on various  aspects of environmental production. Drawing on examples of environmental conflicts associated with agricultural production in Ontario, author Glenn Fox of the University of Guelph outlines a framework for agricultural environmental policy that integrates recent contributions to the economic theory of policy in a commissioned paper that was part of the Guelph Dialogue.

• Efficient Agriculture as a Greenhouse Gas Solutions Provider (September 2019)

  Jointly produced by CAPI and Agri-Food Economic Systems, this paper describes how Canadian agriculture has the potential to be a climate change solutions provider. Canada has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions in crop and livestock production as a result of policies, practices and initiatives that have led to the wide-spread adoption of beneficial management practices, precision agriculture, new crops, new technologies and education and training. Canada is now one of the most greenhouse gas emissions efficient beef producer in the world and has boosted carbon sinks. It is essential that the sector get this message out by developing data and metrics to measure its progress, and to continue to support this progress through effective policies.

• Measuring Externalities in Canadian Agriculture: Understanding the Impact of Agricultural Production on the Environment (January 2020)

  By placing a dollar value on the environmental impacts of agricultural production in Canada, a clearer picture has emerged regarding how Canadian Farmers are doing their part to reduce their impact on the environment. CAPI commissioned a team from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Guelph to develop a methodology and estimates of the impact agriculture is having on air and water quality, soil health, climate change and wildlife habitat and biodiversity, referred to as externalities. This is the first report to have estimated externalities for Canadian agriculture.

• Canadian Agri-Food Processing Competitiveness, Quality Growth and Global Opportunities: A Snapshot of Current Trends (February 2020)

  This commissioned paper showed that while Canada's food and beverage processing sector has brought itself from a trade deficit of −$1.1 billion in 2015 to a surplus of $2.7 billion in 2018, this CAPI report shows that more investment is needed from both government and industry to take advantage of the growth potential of the Canadian food and beverage processing sector. It is especially important for more investment in the Industry so Canada can remain resilient in times of trade disruptions and to meet export growth targets. With the current COVID-19 crisis, the resiliency of Canadian food and beverage processing, and agriculture and agri-food supply chains, is of the utmost importance.

• Agriculture and Food in, and Beyond, COVID-19: Shoring-Up and Strengthening a Canadian Essential Service (March 2020)

  A human disease crisis like COVID-19 impacts the health, movement and behavior of people. Contracting the disease as well as preventing its spread has changed the way we are now all conducting our personal and professional lives. The COVID-19 crisis poses a specific set of risks for Canada. Identifying these risks is step one, but step two is developing an improved focus and a debate on needs in policy and emergency planning. CAPI wants to set out, in a preliminary fashion, some of these risks and suggest possible policy and emergency planning that needs to be implemented in the agriculture and food supply chain. CAPI hopes this will engender a sincere dialogue amongst industry, government and the not-for-profit associations that develop public policy options.

Collaborating with the Next Generation:

• Why is the Beef Industry Under Fire? A Preliminary Comparison of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Canada's and India's Beef Industries (June 2019)

  CAPI's intern, Marlayna van Hoepen, explores how India might look to Canada for guidance to develop policy options to encourage Indian beef producers. Better land management practices such as improved water management and rotational grazing would reduce India's greenhouse gas emissions. Canada exemplifies success in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and engagement for continual progress.

• Wrap-up of 2017-2019 CAPI Doctoral Fellowship

  In 2017, CAPI selected a small multi-disciplinary team of four graduate students to research intersectional problems in water management and use in agriculture. Each student was tasked to complete an individual project that would relate to their own disciplinary perspective on agriculture and water. In addition, the entire team would complete a joint research report and present it in the Next Gen Seminar to a small group of expert stakeholders, which would be the culminating event of the 2017-2019 CAPI Doctoral Fellowship.

Group Research Paper

• The Contribution of Wetlands Towards a Sustainable Agriculture in Canada (November 2019)

  Along with their individual projects, the four CAPI Doctoral Fellows completed a robust group project on the theme of water and agriculture in Canada. This report provides an interdisciplinary overview of wetland ecosystems in relation to agriculture and demonstrate how these ecosystems can be an important asset for a more sustainable Canadian agriculture. The authors offer a set of recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and farmers that take into consideration the current state of wetland conservation and the potential for future actions.

Seminar

• CAPI Water & Ag Fellows 2017-2019 Final Seminar for Next Gen Researchers

  As the final piece of the 2017-2019 CAPI Doctoral Fellowship, CAPI hosted a seminar where the Doctoral Fellows had the opportunity to present their findings to a small group of over 30 experts and stakeholders. The presentation was followed by an expert panel responding to the research presented and an open discussion between participants followed. There was representation from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada Water Network, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Pork Council, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Carleton University, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Farm Credit Canada, National Farmers Union, and the University of Guelph, to name a few of those in attendance at this final seminar.

Individual Papers

• Environmental and Economic Consequences of Tile Drainage Systems in Canada (June 2019)

  2017-2019 Doctoral Fellow Vivekananthan Kokulan studied the environmental and economic consequences of tile drainage systems in Canada as the demand for agricultural drainage has increased recently to tackle uncertainties in precipitation patterns that are anticipated under a changing climate.

• Caught in the Crossfire – The Inter-Jurisdictional Issues Involving Agricultural Water Management in the Ottawa River Watershed (June 2019)

  2017-2019 CAPI Doctoral Fellow Alexandre Lillo explored, in this French only paper, the inter-jurisdictional issues involving agricultural water management in the Ottawa River watershed with the goal of bringing together government and non-governmental stakeholders through political-legal strategies.

• Irrigation, Potatoes and Unintended Consequences of Optimizing Water Management (October 2019)

  2017-2019 Doctoral Fellow Jean-Pascal Matteau studied the ways in which certain water management treatments affect the architecture of potato roots and tuber distributions and the consequences of this on potato harvests, with the aim of benefiting potato growers and serve as a guideline for more efficient water management and irrigation.

• Soil Health and Soil Security: Regional, National, and International Dimensions (October 2019)

  2017-2019 Doctoral Fellow Paul Benalcazar, explored the current and future risks of soil health and social security through a case study of Northern Ontario, by looking at the regional, national and international dimensions of policy options in an effort to encourage better farm practices and reduce soil degradation.