2020–2021 Departmental Results Report

2020–2021 Departmental Results Report (PDF version, 2.06 MB)

International Standard Serial Number: 2560-9505

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau
Privy Councillor, Member of Parliament
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

From the Minister

Year after year, Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry drives our economy and provides Canadians with high-quality food, especially last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis exposed strengths and vulnerabilities in our supply chain, but producers, processors, frontline workers and the entire sector showed incredible resilience, earning the heartfelt gratitude of Canadians for keeping food on their tables throughout the crisis. Despite the significant challenges faced by farmers and food processors, including labour shortages, processing plant closures, volatile prices and supply chain disruptions, our agri-food exports and farm incomes both reached record levels during Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s 2020–21 fiscal year.

While continuing our solid track record of targeted investments to help farmers innovate, access new markets, manage risk and protect our environment, our amazing team at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also rolled out key federal investments in record time to help farmers, food processors and Canadians impacted by the crisis. This included tools to help farmers and processors maintain their cash flow and workforces, access new credit, keep their workers safe and manage processing slowdowns and surpluses, while helping ensure that all Canadians, including the most vulnerable, continued to have access to high-quality, safe food.

Throughout 2020–21, we continued to work with industry to realize our vision for Canada’s agriculture and food sector as a global leader in sustainability – environmentally, economically and socially. Environmentally, farmers are on the front lines of climate change, and we announced key investments to help them build on their great work and continue to help us meet Canada’s climate goals. That included $351 million in the new Agricultural Clean Technology and Agricultural Climate Solutions programs, to help farmers tap into clean technologies and work with scientists in the field to develop and share new environmental practices using our globally-acclaimed Living Laboratories model respectively.

To strengthen economic sustainability, we continued our aggressive trade diversification strategy by expanding our trade agreements, which already drive about three-quarters of our agri-food trade. During the fiscal year we secured our relationship with our largest trading partner to the south, with the implementation of the new Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). And we continued to work hard to open and expand markets for Canadian farmers by advocating for science-based trade rules, addressing trade barriers and supporting market development for agri-food and seafood products.

At the same time, we maintained our strong support of Canada's supply-managed sectors through investments to help the sector adapt to market changes resulting from our trade agreements with the European Union and Trans-Pacific zone. Payments under the $1.75-billion Dairy Direct Payment Program were accelerated from eight to four years, with Canadian dairy farmers eligible for $468 million in payments in 2020–21. We also honoured our commitment to poultry and egg producers, with $691 million in program funding over 10 years to drive innovation and growth. And we remain committed to compensating supply-managed producers and processors for any impacts from CUSMA.

Other emerging challenges including climate change and trade uncertainties sharpened the focus on producers’ business risk management programs. To get dollars to farmers fast during the pandemic, we unlocked new benefits from our programs, helping them manage livestock backlogs and cash flows.

Furthermore, working with provincial-territorial agriculture ministers, we delivered on a long-standing producer demand to remove the reference margin limit from the AgriStability program, projected to increase the overall program payouts by $95 million nationally. We continue to work with the industry, provinces and territories to ensure all our business risk management programs help producers respond to evolving risks facing their businesses.

Finally, we moved forward on social sustainability in 2020–21. Delivering $250 million in emergency food assistance and surplus food rescue programs not only helped vulnerable Canadians during the pandemic but opened up valuable new networks with food banks and other food aid organizations. To build a more diverse and inclusive sector, I launched the new Canadian Agricultural Youth Council to advise to provide advice on the policies and programs that will shape the future for young farmers. Our AgriDiversity program continued to help underrepresented groups, such as women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities, take on a greater leadership role in the sector. And we continued to roll out initiatives under our first-ever Food Policy for Canada, including the $20-million Food Waste Reduction Challenge, which received well over 300 entries, about one-third from women, youth and visible minorities.

So, while it was a challenging year, I’m optimistic that there’s a bright future ahead for Canada’s agriculture and food industry. We have an innovative, sustainable industry that’s well positioned to meet the world’s growing demand for food.

This year, we are beginning consultations with industry, the provinces and territories on the next five-year policy framework for agriculture, which will chart the course for a strong and sustainable industry over the coming decade. Together, we will help Canada’s farmers and food processors capture new opportunities and come back from the COVID-19 crisis stronger than ever.

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau
Privy Councillor, Member of Parliament Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Results at a glance

The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is a complex and integrated supply chain that brings significant benefits at both provincial and national levels. In 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued its work in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, industry and other partners to create conditions for the long-term profitability, sustainability and adaptability of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector. The Department delivered year three of the five-year, $3 billion Canadian Agricultural Partnership policy framework, including through federal programs and activities, and by supporting provinces and territories in their delivery of cost-shared programming in their jurisdictions. Efforts focused on the Partnership's priority areas of growing trade and expanding markets; innovative and sustainable sector growth; and a diverse, dynamic and evolving sector.

Although Canada’s total gross domestic product declined in 2020, and many industries such as food services saw a similar decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the share of the agriculture and agri-food system towards national gross domestic product actually increased over 2019, mainly due to growth in the primary agriculture sector. Overall, the agriculture and agri-food system, including food retail and food service, contributed approximately $139 billion to the country's gross domestic product in 2020.

Departmental results achievements in 2020–21, as outlined below, aligned with commitments from the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food's mandate letter, broader Government of Canada priorities, and the Department's three core responsibilities. The total resources utilized by the Department in 2020–21 are as follows:

Total actual spending	Total actual full-time equivalents
$3,037,615,395	4,865

Supporting farmers, food businesses, and Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Canada and its economy, posing challenges for farmers and food businesses and disrupting global supply chains. However, the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector demonstrated its resilience and adapted throughout 2020–21 to meet these challenges. Federal, provincial, and territorial governments worked to support essential businesses throughout the pandemic, to address supply chain issues or labour shortages in the sector, to support farmers and processors in covering additional costs resulting from the pandemic, and to ensure that Canadians continued to have access to safe and nutritious food. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada was able to deliver emergency programs or adjust existing programs to help the agriculture and agri-food sector maintain cash flow and workforces, keep facilities and workers safe, manage processing and production slowdowns, and support food security organizations. Early on in the pandemic, the Department quickly established mechanisms to regularly and proactively distribute whole-of-government information to the agriculture and agri-food sector and gather intelligence on COVID-19 impacts to inform the government’s response. The Department also adapted internally to the challenges of the pandemic whether maintaining engagement with industry stakeholders, supporting employees in a remote work environment, or positioning the work of the Department to address emerging issues related to labour shortages or trends in the retail sector.

Leveraging opportunities from trade agreements and government investments to enhance trade diversification

Aligned with broader government objectives to increase and diversify Canadian exports, the Department continued to assist the sector to maintain or improve access to international markets and take advantage of market opportunities, including through trade agreements (such as the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement implemented on July 1, 2020 and the Canada–United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement fully implemented by April 1, 2021), promoting Canadian agri-food and seafood products, and by resolving or mitigating market barriers. The 2020–21 fiscal year also saw the Department refocus its trade and market development efforts to aid the sector in adapting and evolving to the new market conditions and impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including facilitating a significant shift to virtual initiatives.

The overall value of Canadian agriculture, agri-food and seafood exports reached nearly $74 billion in 2020, representing a 10.6 percent increase from 2019 and putting the agriculture and agri-food sector on track to surpass the target of $75 billion in exports by 2025. With over half of the value of Canadian agricultural production being exported, the growth of the sector continues to be influenced by global demand for agricultural products, shifting consumer preferences, access to new and emerging markets, and continued access to existing markets. However, the threat of protectionism in other countries, leading to the introduction of tariffs or non-tariff barriers, impacts the economic outlook for producers who depend on export markets. The Department’s role in advocating for a predictable and stable trade environment can help to mitigate these risks. As well, improving domestic and international market conditions helps the sector strengthen its competitiveness and contribute to growing the Canadian economy.

Implementing the Food Policy for Canada

The Food Policy for Canada, launched in June 2019, is a roadmap for a healthier and more sustainable food system in Canada – one that builds on the Government’s ambitious agenda to support the growth of Canada’s farmers and food businesses. As outlined in the Minister's mandate letter commitments, the Policy focuses on laying the long-term vision for a more sustainable, inclusive, and healthy food system in Canada along with actions in the near-term to: help Canadian communities access healthy food; make Canadian food the top choice at home and abroad; support food security in northern and Indigenous communities; and reduce food waste.

In implementing the Food Policy for Canada, the Government of Canada is investing $134 million in Food Policy initiatives to address food system priorities, including the Local Food Infrastructure Fund which funds projects to increase accessibility of healthy, nutritious, and ideally, local foods in communities across Canada. In 2020–21, in addition to initiatives to respond to emergency needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department launched the Food Waste Reduction Challenge. This $20 million initiative grants awards for innovations that prevent or divert food waste at any point from farm-to-plate.

Advancing agricultural science and research to generate knowledge and innovation

In 2020–21, the Department was able to successfully resume the majority of its research projects and activities that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department's work to support and advance scientific research helps increase the knowledge base of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector, enabling innovations in products, processes, and practices. In turn, these efforts help to strengthen the sector's competitive advantages and foster growth, while supporting Government of Canada commitments related to clean growth and the climate change agenda.

Efforts at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continue to advance scientific research by exploring ways to improve agriculture's use of natural resources to respond to climate change, or by maximizing the use and value of resources to strengthen economic opportunities. In addition to programs supporting innovative projects, the Department continues to launch new Living Laboratories sites in Canada, growing the nationwide network to bring federal research teams, farmers, and other partners together to explore and test innovative solutions in a real-life context. Through this work, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued making critical contributions to agricultural science and innovation research, including with respect to environmental and clean technology projects. Recognizing the importance of Indigenous leadership in the future of a sustainable agricultural sector, the Department is also increasing efforts to ensure long-term, reciprocal research relationships with Indigenous partners that will support these priorities.

Helping the sector to manage business risks by providing faster and better adapted support to producers

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada recognized the vital importance of temporary foreign workers to the Canadian economy, including their contribution to the Canadian food system. Working with Employment and Social Development Canada, the Department acted to support and protect workers who are vulnerable to COVID-19 and to help secure labour to fill workforce gaps in the agriculture and agri-food sector, including through the Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program. This program was originally in place for the 2020 growing season but extended with additional funding announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and in Budget 2021.

In addition to the challenges faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or other economic forces within a competitive global marketplace, farmers also face increased threats to food production and income posed by extreme weather events and animal or plant disease outbreaks. Sustainable growth rests on the effective implementation of a suite of business risk management tools for producers when they face significant risks. In collaboration with provincial and territorial governments and industry, and in alignment with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food’s mandate letter commitment, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued to deliver its suite of Business Risk Management programs under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, to assist producers in managing risks that could threaten the viability of their operations.

In 2020–21, the Department worked with provincial and territorial partners to deliver adjustments to the AgriStability program by removing the reference margin limit, and implemented stays of default under the Advance Payments Program for the 2020 program year, to better help producers affected by market disruptions and other production challenges resulting from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department also collaborated with provinces to include labour as an eligible peril under the AgriInsurance program and Ontario implemented this change for the 2020 program year. In 2020–21, up to $125 million in federal support was made available through AgriRecovery to help producers with extraordinary costs incurred as a result of the pandemic.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also continued providing programs and enabling services that help position the sector to meet consumer expectations and demands regarding production and product assurances. The creation and improvement of assurance systems, such as those related to food safety, help position the sector to meet the demands of domestic and international markets, while protecting against threats to animal, plant, and human health. Supporting industry efforts to develop and adopt standards, systems, and tools will allow them to make verifiable claims about agriculture and agri-food products and build public trust in Canada’s food supply chain.

For more information on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s plans, priorities, and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.

Results: what we achieved

Core responsibilities

Domestic and International Markets

Description: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provides programs and services and works in collaboration with the sector to support its competitiveness at home and abroad. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also works to increase opportunities for the sector to export its products by maintaining and expanding market access and advancing agricultural interests internationally.

The Domestic and International Markets core responsibility is focused on advancing the following departmental results:

• The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy.
• Access to international markets is increased by resolving or mitigating market barriers and advancing trade positions.

Results highlights - Domestic and International Markets

Seizing opportunities in both domestic and international markets is critical to the economic growth and profitability of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector. Increasing global integration offers an unprecedented opportunity for Canadian industry to reach new markets and expand existing markets. As well, a strong domestic sector contributes significantly to international success. However, Canada's success also depends on the predictability of the global trade environment, which saw notable challenges in 2020–21 related to the COVID-19 pandemic, erratic weather, and international trade issues.

The activities of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada enhance competitiveness and position the sector to leverage both domestic and international market opportunities, despite increased trade uncertainty. Departmental efforts under this core responsibility supported the Government of Canada's commitment to increase and diversify agriculture, agri-food, and seafood exports in order to reach the target of $75 billion by 2025.

Result 1: The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy

The agriculture and agri-food sector is a significant component of the Canadian economy, contributing approximately $139 billion to Canada's gross domestic product in 2020. The profitability and potential for growth in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector lies in its ability to increase domestic production and maintain and expand markets abroad. Despite challenges, the economic performance of the agriculture and agri-food sector surpassed its annual growth target of 2.5 percent (reaching 3.6 percent in 2020–21), and the overall value of Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports reached nearly $74 billion in 2020, representing a 10.6 percent increase from 2019 and putting the sector well on track to surpass the target of $75 billion in exports by 2025.

While the agriculture and agri-food sector continues to experience growth overall, the departmental results indicator that measures annual gains in products sold (both internationally and domestically) is not following the expected trajectory to achieve the target of 4.5 percent by 2025. This is due to an ongoing combination of complex risk factors including labour shortages, foreign market access issues, transportation infrastructure disruptions, low capital investment, and regulatory challenges. Results for 2020–21 show a percentage change in agri-food products sold of 3.3 percent, with an increase over previous years driven in part by preferential market access secured under Canada's trade agreements and increased domestic consumer demand. Although some agri-food sectors saw reduced sales as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a post-pandemic rebound in industry capacity and increased demand could still make this result target achievable by 2025.

With over half of the value of Canadian agricultural production being exported, the growth of the sector is significantly influenced by increasing global demand for agricultural products, shifting consumer preferences, access to new and emerging markets, and continued access and development of existing markets. Trade agreements, such as the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), have supported the diversification of Canadian agricultural trade, in line with Canada's Export Diversification Strategy and the objective to increase overall Canadian exports by 50 percent by 2025. Continued delivery of departmental programs such as AgriMarketing and further investments in the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service contribute to meeting these objectives for the growth and diversification of Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports. While the United States remained the top destination for Canadian agri-food and seafood exports in 2020, its share of Canadian exports fell compared to the previous year to nearly 51.9 percent, followed by China at 12.7 percent, Japan at 6.6 percent, and the European Union at 6.3 percent. The European Union (excluding the United Kingdom) showed a notable 34.5 percent increase in value compared to 2019.

On July 1, 2020, the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) was implemented, advancing Canada’s interests through a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement and preserving duty-free access for a wide range of Canadian agricultural products. Canada and the United States alone enjoy the largest agri-food and seafood bilateral trading relationship in the world, with trade between the two countries reaching over US$51.3 billion (C$68.8 billion) in 2020. The Department played an important role in negotiating and implementing the Agreement, in collaboration with other federal departments and portfolio partners, such as Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Throughout 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has continued to promote the opportunities and benefits of CUSMA to maintain Canada's strong integrated supply chains and preferential trade.

The Department maintained its support of Canada's supply-managed sectors through programming intended to help the sector adapt to market changes resulting from the implementation of these trade agreements. Under the second year of the 4-year $1.75 billion Dairy Direct Payment Program announced in Budget 2019, Canadian dairy farmers eligible for $468 million in payments in 2020–21. This complements other initiatives launched in 2017–18 for the dairy sector: the $250 million Dairy Farm Investment Program and the $100 million Dairy Processing Investment Fund. In November 2020, the Government of Canada announced $691 million in program funding over 10 years for chicken, egg, broiler hatching egg, and turkey farmers to drive innovation and growth in these industries.

The 2020–21 fiscal year saw the Department refocus its trade and market development efforts to aid the sector in adapting and evolving to the new market conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department proactively engaged with key trading partners to support global supply chains and facilitate trade in support of Canadian businesses and agriculture, while pivoting trade promotion activities to align with the global shift to virtual and e-commerce tools and platforms. Innovations to traditional market and business development approaches were adopted to ensure continued support to Canadian agri-food and seafood exporters throughout the pandemic, including virtual trade shows, online business-to-business matchmaking, and exporter preparedness initiatives. These activities maintained the Department’s focus on sector growth despite the economic climate and offered access to important virtual market development and trade opportunities, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. Additionally, the Department tracked and reported on the impacts of COVID-19 on international trade, global supply chains and market recovery efforts, as well as engaged with like-minded partners to discuss ongoing and emerging issues as Canada faced import measures due to COVID-19.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continues to advance the agriculture sector's long-term prosperity through the Sector Engagement Tables, by instituting a more strategic and inclusive approach to sector–government collaboration, with an added focus on cross-cutting issues through thematic tables. The Tables include four thematic tables (Agile Regulations, Consumer Demand and Market Trends, Skills Development, and Sustainability) and five sector advancement tables (by various commodity groupings), as well as fora for underrepresented groups including youth, women, and Indigenous Peoples in agriculture and agri-food. While the Agile Regulations and Sustainability thematic tables have been launched, the remaining tables are expected to be introduced in 2021–22.

The Canadian Agricultural Youth Council membership was announced in July 2020 and held its inaugural meeting in September 2020. Council members represent a diverse mix of representatives from across the agriculture and agri-food sector and the country. Members provide advice on issues affecting the sector, enable dialogue on food-related challenges and opportunities, share information and best practices, and provide advice on the strengths and weaknesses of policies and programs affecting the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Result 2: Access to international markets is increased by resolving or mitigating market barriers and advancing trade positions

The continued growth and profitability of Canada's agriculture sector is highly dependent on its trade relationships. Nearly three quarters of Canada's agriculture and agri-food exports are destined for countries where Canada has a trade agreement that is signed or in force. As a result of Canada's strong trade network, the sector has been able to capitalize on opportunities such as increased demand for agriculture and agri-food products in new and existing markets.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has continued its efforts to support Canada's international market presence, including opening, maintaining, and expanding access for Canadian products; pursuing free trade agreements with key partners; advocating for trade rules based on risk-analysis and science; and addressing trade issues. Increasing market access and advancing agricultural trade interests serve to strengthen competitiveness and support sector growth beyond the domestic market. Success is measured by indicators assessing the degree to which the Department resolved or mitigated market access issues and advanced trade policy positions, both of which surpassed their targets for the 2020–21 year.

Following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union (“BREXIT”), Canada maintained preferential market access through the Canada–United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement which came into force on April 1, 2020. Both nations have committed to launch negotiations of a future new comprehensive free trade agreement. While CETA and the CPTPP have given preferential market access in both Europe and Asia, the Department has continued to advance Canadian agriculture and agri-food interests in 2020–21 through trade negotiations with MERCOSUR countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay); with India; through other trade initiatives with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; and through the accession of CPTPP members.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also advanced Canadian trade interests in multilateral fora during 2020–21, including at the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the Group of 20 (G20), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and others. At both the Ministerial and officials level, the Department participated in several virtual meetings on the impact of COVID-19 in the agricultural sector and approaches to mitigation and economic recovery, notably a G20 Extraordinary Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also supported efforts for the release of a World Trade Organization statement on joint efforts to ensure open and predictable trade for food and agricultural products amid the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting open borders and transparency in COVID-19-related measures in support to the agricultural sector.

Gender-based analysis plus - Domestic and International Markets

Advancing diversity and inclusion in the agriculture and agri-food sector remained a priority in 2020–21, and the Department continued to explore ways to enhance diversity by supporting the participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups across the agricultural value chain. The Department is committed to undertaking gender-based analysis plus for all memoranda to cabinet, Treasury Board submissions, and budget submissions and has dedicated support (gender-based analysis focal points, a network of advisors, and a senior management champion) to advance this work. The Department is also committed to thorough gender-based analysis plus of all trade agreements, working with Global Affairs Canada to assess the impacts of Canada's Free Trade Agreement provisions.

The Indigenous Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative supports diversity with its objective to increase economic development opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and communities. This initiative supports communities and entrepreneurs who are ready to launch agriculture and food system projects or who want to build capacity to better participate in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continues to operate the Indigenous Pathfinder Service, which connects Indigenous Peoples and communities with agricultural programs and services offered by the Department as well as federal, provincial or territorial partners. The service provides personalized, one-on-one assistance to help Indigenous organizations or individuals navigate programming and develop opportunities in the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Program creates employment and skills-building opportunities for all Canadian youth (aged 15 to 30). The program offers additional financial support to youth facing barriers to workforce participation (e.g., up to $5,000 to address issues such as: physical or mental health needs; challenges to accessing work due to living in remote locations; and challenges with family care needs). Additional support is provided for Indigenous youth, offering an 80-20 cost-share ratio versus the normal 50-50. This support enables potential future workforce participation, and employer willingness to hire these vulnerable youth. Further information on the underrepresented groups served can be found in the Gender Based Analysis Supplementary Table.

The introduction of the Sector Engagement Tables in 2020–21 provided an opportunity to further engage underrepresented groups including women, Indigenous Peoples, and youth. The updated engagement structure includes the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council launched in 2020. Discussions are currently underway around establishing specific forums for Indigenous Peoples and women in agriculture.  

Experimentation - Domestic and International Markets

Experimentation refers to activities that explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions by the Department to inform evidence-based decision-making and ultimately improve program outcomes for Canadians. In Fall 2020, the Department launched an experiment through the AgriDiversity program, designed to enhance national collaboration among regional groups of Canadian women in agriculture, and to increase uptake of the program regarding women-focused projects. The advancement of women’s participation in the agriculture and agri-food sector is a key priority for the Department as women and women’s groups have historically been underrepresented.

As part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the AgriDiversity program aims to help underrepresented groups, including youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities fully participate in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector. These national initiatives aim to build the capacity of underrepresented groups to address the key issues and barriers to participation that they often face, and develop business and leadership skills in order for them to take on greater roles in the sector. Prior to the launch of the experiment, the AgriDiversity program had received only one application for a project targeted towards women.

Discussions undertaken through this experiment included: the current needs and challenges for women in the sector; the future advancement of women in agriculture; and opportunities to seek support from the AgriDiversity program. The regional groups are now working towards establishing a National Women in Agriculture Network, where provincial groups of women would come together for the purposes of collaboration, and having one strong voice representing women in the agriculture and agri-food sector from across Canada.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by Canada and all 193 United Nations member states in 2015, is a global framework centered around an ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering the interconnected economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. A 2030 Agenda National Strategy, led by Employment and Social Development Canada, was published in February 2021 and seeks to create a shared vision of how Canada will implement the 2030 Agenda and identify actions to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, both at home and abroad.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's efforts under the Domestic and International Markets core responsibility support Canada's efforts to address the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. In general, Canada's agricultural trade policy encourages open trade and science-based approaches to governing food systems. This helps farmers around the world to reach customers, earn better incomes, and escape poverty and hunger, ultimately contributing to several of the SDGs:

• ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture (SDG 2);
• promoting inclusive and sustained economic growth, productive employment, and decent work for all (SDG 8); and
• ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12).

In 2020–21, the delivery of initiatives under the Food Policy for Canada also contributed towards sustainable development objectives, notably by making linkages to the following SDGs:

• ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture (SDG 2);
• ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages (SDG 3);
• ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12); and
• taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13).

For example, the Emergency Food Security Fund (developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic under the Local Food Infrastructure Fund) helped to improve food access for Canadians experiencing food insecurity by providing funding to over 3,000 food service organizations including food banks and community or Indigenous organizations across the country. Under the Food Policy for Canada, the $20 million Food Waste Reduction Challenge was also introduced in 2020–21 to reduce food waste across the food supply chain in Canada. Encouraging more solutions to food waste in Canada can increase food availability, save consumers and businesses money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen our food systems.

Results achieved - Domestic and International Markets

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2018–19 Actual results	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy	Percentage change in the economic performance of the agriculture and  agri-food sector	At least 2.5%[1]	March 2025	2.5%[2]	2.5%[2]	3.6%[2]
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy	Percentage change in agri-food products sold	At least 4.5%[1]	March 2025	2.8%[3]	2.8%[3]	3.3%[4]
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy	Value of agriculture and agri-food exports	At least $75.0 billion	March 2025	$66.2 billion	$67.0 billion	$73.9 billion
Access to international markets is increased by resolving or mitigating market barriers and advancing trade positions	Degree to which Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada advances the resolution or the mitigation of market access barriers, World Trade Organization disputes and technical trade issues	At least 80%[5]	March 2021	85%	84%	85%
Access to international markets is increased by resolving or mitigating market barriers and advancing trade positions	Degree to which Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada advances trade policy through negotiations, agreements and discussions	At least 80%[6]	March 2021	87%	87%	90%
Note: Actual results are reported for the fiscal year that data becomes available. Targets were amended in 2020–21 to reflect re-based GDP data from 2007 to 2012 which affected the calculation of the results indicator baseline. Result is based on calendar year data and uses the compound annual growth rate between 2017 and the year of reporting. Result is based on calendar year data and uses the compound annual growth rate between 2017 and the year of reporting. A complex interaction of risk factors have contributed to this indicator not reaching its target from 2018 to 2020, including labour shortages, foreign market access issues, transportation infrastructure disruptions, low capital investment and regulatory challenges. However, this indicator saw an increase in 2020–21 which was driven in part by preferential market access secured under Canada's free trade agreements and increased domestic consumer demand. Performance against this indicator and target is self-assessed based on a scale of 0% to 100%, whereby a score of 80% to 99% indicates the following: (1) that activities required to advance the resolution and mitigation of market access barriers are undertaken effectively; (2) that, with respect to World Trade Organization disputes and technical trade issues, all Canadian partners and stakeholders are engaged to understand issues; (3) that policy advice is provided in response to most requests; and (4) that frequent problem-solving discussions are held. Additional information on the scale and methodology used is available on GC InfoBase. Performance against this indicator and target is self-assessed based on a scale of 0% to 100%, whereby a score of 80% to 99% indicates strong engagement to bring Canada's position forward; and evidence that key issues have been advanced in promoting or advancing Canadian policy positions. Additional information on the scale and methodology used is available on GC InfoBase

Budgetary financial resources (dollars) - Domestic and International Markets

2020–21 Main Estimates	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	2020–21 Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
252,308,691	252,308,691	947,846,290	905,392,316	653,083,625

Note: Actual spending was greater than planned spending due to support for the Dairy Direct Payment Program which was not reflected in planned spending due to the timing of approval. It also reflects emergency support provided in response to COVID-19 for emergency food banks and local food organizations (Emergency Food Security Fund), the Surplus Food Rescue Program and under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy program.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) - Domestic and International Markets

2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Actual full-time equivalents	2020–21 Difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
534	519	(15)

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Science and Innovation

Description: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada conducts scientific research, develops new knowledge and new technologies, and transfers the results to the agriculture and agri-food sector. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also works with industry and other partners to strengthen the sector’s capacity to develop and adopt innovative practices, products and processes.

The Science and Innovation core responsibility is focused on advancing the following departmental results:

• The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector knowledge base is increased through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supported scientific and innovative research.
• The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices.

Results highlights - Science and Innovation

During the 2020–21 fiscal year, the Department successfully resumed most research projects and activities that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Risk mitigation measures were coordinated nationally to safely reintegrate staff and incrementally resume on-site research activities, beginning with time-sensitive support to the industry and fieldwork. Levels of work in research facilities were aligned with local public health measures and restrictions and adjusted as local conditions evolved, to optimize research while protecting the health and safety of employees. While on-site activities were not able to fully return to pre-pandemic levels, the Department worked diligently to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research projects and collaborative projects. To adjust for COVID-related impacts on collaborative projects, the Department reviewed 554 collaborative research agreements and arrangements, of which 193 were amended to adjust for COVID-19 implications. As research continues, the Department is in regular contact with stakeholders and partners to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research projects, and is actively working to ensure research activities continue to the highest degree possible.

The agriculture and agri-food sector continues to grow in complexity. New technologies are emerging, the federal policy and program landscape is changing, and the capacity of other key entities such as provincial and territorial governments, universities, and the private sector continues to evolve. Under the Science and Innovation core responsibility, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada collaborates with industry, academia, and other federal, provincial, and territorial government partners to better position the agriculture and agri-food sector for future success, including in the important areas of climate change and soil and water conservation. Departmental efforts are essential for improving the competitiveness of the agriculture and agri-food sector, while enhancing environmental sustainability and fostering Canada’s economic growth.

Result 1: The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector knowledge base is increased through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supported scientific and innovative research

In 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued to advance its scientific research to focus on climate change, particularly risk reduction and strengthened economic opportunities. This included exploring ways to improve agriculture's use of natural resources and minimizing waste to respond to climate change.

In December 2020, the Government of Canada unveiled A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, an enhanced climate plan that puts in place measures to help Canada exceed its 2030 emission targets and puts the country on a path towards net-zero emission targets by 2050. Looking ahead, the climate plan includes a $165.7 million investment over seven years to support the agriculture industry in developing transformative clean technologies, and to help farmers adopt commercially available clean technology. Working with provinces and territories under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Department will boost climate-smart agriculture, including actions related to crop and livestock production. As part of this plan, the Government also announced a national emission reduction target of 30 percent below 2020 levels from fertilizers, with a commitment to work with fertilizer manufacturers, farmers, provinces and territories to develop an approach to meet this target.

In addition, the Government of Canada Natural Climate Solutions Fund announced in March 2021, included an investment of $185 million over the next 10 years for the new Agricultural Climate Solutions program. The program builds on the Living Labs approach and will facilitate the establishment of a strong, Canada-wide network of regional living lab collaborations that will bring together farmers, scientists and other sectoral stakeholders to develop and share beneficial management practices that best store carbon and mitigate greenhouse gases and support environmental co-benefits. This work supports commitments in the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food’s mandate letter to support efforts to reduce emissions and build resilience in the agriculture sector, and to use nature-based solutions to fight climate change.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continues to work collaboratively with provincial, territorial, academic, and industry partners, to identify future research areas. For example, in 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provided the University of Manitoba with funding under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership for the development of a new Protein Research Strategy to better capitalize on untapped market potential, investment opportunities and innovation, and to bridge the gap between Manitoba's research and protein processing sectors. 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's efforts to increase federal agriculture science capacity in new areas of research, and to leverage the Department's strengths to collaborate and convene research and development activities, contribute to the increase of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector's knowledge base. The Department continues to support discovery science and innovation under the Advanced Agricultural Discovery Science and Innovation Initiative funding first announced in Budget 2017. In 2020–21, the Department recruited and hired 16 new scientists in emerging fields such as predictive analytics, phenomics, and clean technologies, in addition to the 29 from the previous year. By the end of 2021–22, it is expected that approximately 75 new positions will have been filled, growing the federal agriculture science capacity in these critical new areas.

Departmental results in this area are assessed against indicators that measure the level of collaboration or citation involved in departmental scientific publications. For 2020–21, these results remain on track despite limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, meeting the targets established for at least 75 percent of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientific publications produced in collaboration, and an average of at least 15 citations per departmental scientific publication over the past five years. Given the delay between publication and citation of scientific publications, there is a risk that Departmental results may be affected in future years as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Result 2: The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices

Supporting scientific research helps the sector to identify new ideas and solutions, and to keep pace with the demand for sustainability attributes in agri-food products. Building on that research through investments to help commercialize and adopt new practices and technologies, allows those ideas to be transformed into new business practices. In 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued to assist industry in addressing the financial gap between research and application and to mitigate the risks associated with adopting new technologies in commercial-level production.

By supporting Canadian farmers in their role as responsible stewards of the land, farmers increase sector competitiveness through the development and adoption of improved management practices, and through cost-shared programming within the Canadian Agricultural Partnership policy framework. The Department supported the sector in transforming ideas into new products, processes and practices by continuing to meet its outcome of generating and commercializing new agriculture and agri-food technologies within the policy framework. In 2020–21, the Department continued to meet its target for the development of 100 new innovations annually.

Through the Living Laboratories Initiative, a nationwide network of living laboratories that focuses on innovative solutions to environmental issues related to agriculture such as climate change, soil health, water quality and biodiversity, farmers work directly with scientists and other partners to conduct experiments on the producer’s land. Living Lab sites in the Eastern Prairies and the Atlantic region were launched successfully in 2019, a Quebec site was launched in 2020, and a site announced for Ontario in May 2021. In 2020–21, the Living Lab-Quebec project was launched on farms in the Lac St-Pierre region, led by the Union des producteurs agricoles with 16 partners including the Waban-Aki First Nation, and supported by 29 departmental scientists and researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Farmers within these watersheds are taking part in research projects that include the implementation of smart riparian buffers or areas, cover and inter-cropping, and improving feeding and manure management.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also launched a new cloud-based application for the Living Laboratories Initiative in 2020–21 to enable departmental employees to accelerate the development and adaptation of sustainable practices and technologies by Canadian farmers. The tool, which enables participants to collaborate and publish data, will be available to external members in 2021–22.

Mitigating and adapting to climate change is critical for environmental sustainability and the economy, and the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector can be an important contributor to climate change solutions. In 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada developed its first climate risk assessment to review, prioritize, identify, and more clearly document adaptation measures to address existing and evolving climate risks to its mandate and areas of responsibility. This assessment provides an overview of climate change impacts on Canadian agriculture, identifies further actions the Department could take to include climate change considerations in departmental processes, and highlights existing programs and services designed to help the sector adapt to climate change and address related soil and water conservation issues.

The Department undertook innovative research and development activities to contribute to the sustainable growth of the sector with climate change considerations in mind. Using an approach similar to Living Labs, which brings together partners to share knowledge and foster innovative solutions to environmental issues, the Department held a series of workshops on improving crop rotations by incorporating cover crops. Farmers, farm advisors, members of a watershed organization, and researchers from the Huron river watershed in Quebec participated, and as a result, local farmers implemented improved crop rotations on ten farms in the Huron river watershed and monitored their effects on crop yields and environmental losses.

Departmental research on sustainable agricultural practices to improve water quality was also undertaken, as well as continued efforts to advance the development of decision-support tools related to drought, crop yield, pest monitoring, forecasting, and resource use and efficiency to help manage environmental and climate challenges on farms. For example, long-term water quality work conducted by the Department is contributing to recommendations on fertilizer application and timing, all with a goal of improving nutrient management on agriculture landscapes that will help to improve water quality and profitability.

Gender-based analysis plus - Science and Innovation

In 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada established a Special Advisor for Indigenous Relations to lead the development of tools and approaches for federal science activities with the aim to better support Indigenous innovation and strengthen Indigenous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) capacity across government. The Department has made considerable progress in support of Indigenous-led and driven research related to agriculture. The 2020–21 fiscal year saw the mobilization of the Interdepartmental Indigenous Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (I-STEM) Cluster which includes 11 federal departments and agencies and aims to inform and enhance federal policies, programs, activities and recruitment related to STEM disciplines in order to increase and expand support for Indigenous aspirations and innovation in land-based research and environmental stewardship. As an example, nine I-STEM Cluster intercultural competency training sessions were delivered to over 80 researchers and science professionals.

The Indigenous Science Liaison Office was established to support the development of Indigenous agricultural science initiatives and to provide an Indigenous science lens on departmental policies, programs and initiatives moving forward. As an example, the updated departmental policy on intellectual property and collaboration arrangement template reflects OCAP© data principles (the First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession). The Department has also developed an Indigenous Agriculture Science Partnerships Program that enables Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers to have the flexibility and funding for these early engagement activities. The Department's Indigenous Support and Awareness Office has also continued to support staff, researchers, and managers in effectively and respectfully building relationships, engaging, and co-developing science activities and research projects with Indigenous partners.

In the last half of 2020–21, 59 percent of new hires in scientific positions were women, with an overall rate of 54 percent for the year. In addition, the Department put in place a dedicated staffing board in 2019 to lead Indigenous hiring in science and one new Indigenous scientist was hired in 2020–21. The Department continues to ensure that hiring managers are engaged and working toward the objective of meeting gender parity and increasing representation of women and Indigenous groups.

Experimentation - Science and Innovation

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada remains committed to using experimentation in its Science and Innovation efforts through program delivery models. In 2020–21, efforts continued to increase capacity to analyze the results of past research to link data with results from provincial, territorial, and industry-led initiatives. The Department experimented with this information in different ways to assess applications and inform program design. For example an amendment to the Terms and Conditions in delivery of the Agricultural Clean Technology Program which was approved in 2018 and included industry and academia as eligible funding recipients, resulted in an 867 percent increase in applications to the program from 2018 to 2020 while still maintaining the program objective of supporting provincial-and territorial-led solutions for achieving greenhouse gas reductions. The research gathered using this experimental approach is being considered in the development of the next agricultural policy framework.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s activities under the Science and Innovation core responsibility support Canada’s efforts to address the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Department continues to modernize its delivery of science and technology to provide leadership in the growth and development of a competitive, innovative, and sustainable Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector. Overall, the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and various research areas guided by the Department’s science priorities contribute toward:

• ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture (SDG 2);
• ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (SDG 6);
• ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all (SDG 7);
• promoting inclusive and sustained economic growth, productive employment, and decent work for all (SDG 8);
• building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation (SDG 9);
• ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12);
• taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13); and
• protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably managing forests, combatting desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss (SDG 15).

As an example, the implementation of the Living Laboratories Initiative, beginning in 2019 and continuing with new sites launched in Manitoba and Quebec during 2020–21 and announced in Ontario in May 2021, supports the development of innovative and sustainable production practices in the Canadian agriculture sector.

Results achieved - Science and Innovation

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2018–19 Actual results	2019–20 Actual results	2020-21 Actual results
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector knowledge base is increased through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supported scientific and innovative research	Percentage of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientific publications produced through collaboration	At least 75% Collaboration with external collaborators rises to at least 75% of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada peer-reviewed scientific publications	March 2023	73%	77%	79%
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector knowledge base is increased through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supported scientific and innovative research	Number of citations as a proportion of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientific publications	At least 15 citations per Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada peer-reviewed publication	March 2021[1]	15 (based on citations from 2013 to 2018, for peer-reviewed publications published in 2013)	15 (based on citations from 2014 to 2019, for peer-reviewed publications published in 2014)	17 (based on citations from 2015 to 2020, for peer-reviewed publications published in 2015)
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices	Number of new technologies, products, practices, processes or systems that are available for transfer to the sector	Average development of 100 new innovations annually with the goal of achieving 500 over the Canadian Agricultural Partnership framework (2018–2023)	March 2023	106	108	121
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices	Percentage of revenues generated on farms adopting innovative practices	At least 55% of total Canadian agricultural gross revenues are generated by farms that adopt innovative products, processes, or practices between 2023 and 2025	December 2025[2]	Not available	Not available	64% (based on results from the 2019 Farm Financial Survey for the period from 2017 to 2019)
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices	Percentage of processors developing and/or introducing innovations	75% of food processors with sales of $1million or more introducing at least one product, process, marketing or organizational innovation between 2021 and 2023[3]	December 2023	Not available	72% Based on survey results for 2016 to 2018	Not available
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices	Index of Agri-Environmental Sustainability (water, soil, air quality, biodiversity)	At least an Index  of 71[4]	March 2030[5]	Not available	Not available	Not available (results available in late 2021, based on the 2016 Census of Agriculture)
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices	Percentage change in the productivity of the agriculture and agri-food sector	At least 1.4% Agriculture sector: maintain annual productivity growth rate at 1.4% between 2016 and 2026	December 2026[6]	Not available	Not available	Not available (results available in 2022)
The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is effective in transforming ideas into new products, processes, or practices	Percentage change in the productivity of the agriculture and agri-food  sector	At least 0.2% Agri-food sector: Compound annual growth rate increases to at least 0.2% between 2016 and 2026	December 2026[7]	Not available	Not available	0.1% (compound annual growth rate for 2016–17)
Note:  Actual results are reported in the fiscal year that the data becomes available. Results that are “not available” are due to lag times in data availability as noted below. Indicator measures citations in the span of five years, between time of publication and citations. Indicator has a two-year lag time. Data from the Farm Financial Survey is available every two years. Baseline and target were established based on the 2016–2018 “Survey on Innovation in the Food Processing Industry” in 2019. The next reference period for the Survey will be 2021 to 2023, with data available in 2025. The Index ranges from 0-100, whereby 0-19 represents an “undesirable” status, 20-39 represents “poor”, 40-59 represents “moderate”, 60-79 represents “good” and 80-100 represents “desired”. An index of 71 would indicate that overall water, soil, air, and biodiversity quality related to agricultural lands is rated as “good” or, in other words, that agri-environmental health is at low risk of being significantly degraded. Indicator is dependant on Census of Agriculture data, which is collected every five years, and then has a five-year lag time for the data to be processed, analyzed, and reported. Indicator is dependant on Census of Agriculture data, which is collected every five years, and then has a three-year lag time for results calculation; 2026 result will be available in December 2029. Indicator has a four-year lag time; 2026 result will be available in March 2030.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars) - Science and Innovation

2020–21 Main Estimates	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	2020–21 Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
601,832,955	601,832,955	782,974,843	722,050,477	120,217,522

Note: Actual spending was greater than planned spending as it reflects emergency support provided in response to COVID-19 under the Emergency Processing Fund and the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) - Science and Innovation

2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Actual full-time equivalents	2020–21 Difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
2,641	2,614	(27)

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Sector Risk

Description: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provides tools to mitigate the financial impact of risks beyond producers' control that threaten the viability of their operations. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also works with the sector to ensure that systems, standards and tools are developed to support its ability to prevent and control risks and address market demands.

The Sector Risk core responsibility is focused on advancing the following departmental results:

• The agricultural sector is financially resilient.
• The agriculture and agri-food sector is equipped with assurance systems and supporting tools.

Results highlights - Sector Risk

The growth and resiliency of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector relies on an effective suite of risk management tools that help farmers face various uncertainties in managing their operations. These may include production risks resulting from weather events, pests or diseases that impact their crops and livestock, or risks related to market conditions such as supply and demand fluctuations and volatilities in world markets.

The Department, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, continues to deliver a comprehensive suite of Business Risk Management programs and services that help producers when the risks are beyond their capacity to manage, including risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Department supports the industry-led development and implementation of “assurance systems” that respond to consumer demands for specific product attributes, while protecting the sector against threats to plant and animal health. The Department’s sector risk activities are critical to ensure a reliable supply of Canadian food products, to maintain confidence in the agricultural supply chain, and to support the ultimate result of a financially resilient agriculture and agri-food sector.

Result 1: The agricultural sector is financially resilient

The Business Risk Management programs suite provides $1.6 billion on average in annual support to producers, under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and through cost-shared programming with provincial and territorial governments. These programs are designed to help Canadian agricultural producers manage significant risks that can threaten the viability of their operations – risks such as drought, flood, hail, declining international or regional commodity prices, increasing cost of inputs, pests and diseases, or border closures. When these risks are beyond their capacity to manage, Business Risk Management programs help to ensure that producers can withstand the impacts from a severe event and remain productive.

As the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Canada's economy and posed challenges for the agriculture and agri-food sector, the Department continued to deliver its suite of Business Risk Management programs along with adjustments announced in 2020–21 to help the sector deal with the impacts of the pandemic:

• AgriInsurance provides producers with cost-shared insurance against natural hazards to reduce the financial impact of production or asset losses. In 2020–21, the Department collaborated with provincial governments to include labour as an eligible peril under the AgriInsurance program and Ontario implemented this change for the 2020 program year.
• AgriInvest is a savings account that includes government-matched producer contributions, and balances can be used to help manage income declines or make investments that mitigate risks or improve market income. Federal and provincial governments provide on average, approximately $250 million in matching contributions to AgriInvest accounts every year. Currently, producers have access to $2.4 billion in AgriInvest fund balances which they can use to either offset income losses or to make on-farm investments to mitigate risks in the future.
• AgriRecovery is a framework that facilitates a coordinated federal, provincial and territorial response to natural disasters and pest or disease outbreaks, to help producers with the extraordinary cost of activities necessary for recovery. In 2020–21, up to $125 million in federal support was available through AgriRecovery to help producers with extraordinary costs incurred as a result of the pandemic. This support included $100 million in federal assistance for livestock producers.
• AgriRisk provides funding to support the development and launch of new, industry-led risk management tools for use in the sector. For example, in 2020–21 the program supported a project to develop an agricultural forecasting decision support tool to provide producers with a seven-day forward-looking forecast for soil moisture and water resource conditions, quantitatively demonstrating the value of soil health and landscape management strategies in real-time. Total AgriRisk program funding is approximately $55 million over the five years of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
• AgriStability helps to manage market and production risks by providing whole-farm, margin-based support when producers experience a severe income decline. Adjustments to the AgriStability program announced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic extended the enrollment deadline for 2020, and increased interim payments in most jurisdictions from 50 to 75 percent.

In addition to these programs, the Advance Payments Program is a federal loan guarantee program which provides agricultural producers with easy access to low-interest cash advances of up to $1 million with the Government of Canada paying the interest on the first $100,000. More than $2.6 billion in advances were provided to 19,718 producers in 2020 and up to $178 million in advances were eligible for delayed repayment in 2020 through stays of default to help producers manage cash flow during difficult times.

In 2020–21, the Department continued to work with provincial and territorial partners and industry stakeholders following assessments on the effectiveness and impact of the Business Risk Management program suite, to ensure that the programs continue to work as intended. This ongoing work supports the commitment in the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food's mandate letter to undertake a review of risk management programs, with a special focus on AgriStability, and to provide faster and better-adapted support to producers in managing business risks.

In December 2019, federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture agreed to the launch of a two-year cash reference margin pilot (for the 2020 and 2021 program years) in select jurisdictions. The pilot makes it easier for new and returning AgriStability program participants to apply for benefits by reducing the amount of historical information they need to provide. It is also meant to gauge existing producers’ interest in having their reference margins based on the cash versus accrual basis going forward.

The Department first tabled a proposal to enhance the AgriStability program during the federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture conference in November 2020. At that time, Ministers agreed that the business risk management programs needed improvement to better target emerging risks that threaten the viability of the farm. Ministers also agreed that programs should be simple, predictable, and respond quickly for producers, while treating farms fairly and equitably.

In March 2021, Ministers agreed to remove the reference margin limit for AgriStability, retroactive to the 2020 program year, projected to increase the overall program payouts by $95 million nationally. The deadline for producers to enroll in the 2021 program year was also extended to June 30, 2021. This change helps to simplify the program and help farmers in need by increasing the level of support for agricultural operations with lower allowable expenses, and is an important step towards making the program more accessible and fairer for some sectors. Costs for the removal of the reference margin limit will be shared, as outlined in the Canadian Agricultural Partnership: 60 percent by the federal government and 40 percent by provincial and territorial governments.

There are two indicators that are used to assess the financial health of farms, one is the financial resiliency metric that focuses on sector income and the other is the Farm Financial Survey that provides a full overview of farm finances. With respect to sector income for the 2018 program year, net operating income (including program payments) was 91 percent of its five year average (2013–2017), which is above the target of
85 percent for the financial resiliency indicator. This indicator measures whether the sector has experienced a significant decline in income, after accounting for Business Risk Management assistance. While sector income is expected to remain above the 85 percent target, shocks to the sector as a result of severe weather, disease outbreaks or trade-related issues could affect the achievement of this particular [result] target in any given year.

Based on data from the 2019 Farm Financial Survey, 86 percent of farms were assessed as financially healthy in 2019. While the decline in farm product prices and in farmland values from record highs and an increase in long-term debt have contributed to this result indicator falling below the Department’s target of 90 percent, future results are expected to improve due to expected increases in the value of farmland and other farm assets, and anticipated increases in net operating income driven by stronger commodity prices.

The agriculture and agri-food sector overall continues to experience growth, and the measures for financial resilience indicate that farms are generally financially healthy and rely less on program payments over the long-run. Business Risk Management programs are demand driven and support can vary from year to year, with increases intended to offset declines in market income.

Result 2: The agriculture and agri-food sector is equipped with assurance systems and supporting tools

Beyond risk management, trust in Canada’s food and agriculture sector is critical to ensure the competitiveness of individual businesses and the sector as a whole. Equipping the agriculture and agri-food sector with assurance systems and tools helps the industry to demonstrate that their agriculture products have certain characteristics, or are produced using specific methods.

Assurance systems provide a framework for producers to adopt food safety, biosecurity, traceability, and emergency management measures to proactively manage their risks. In addition to their risk management attributes, assurance systems also assure buyers and consumers of production practices that support sustainability, animal welfare, and other attributes (e.g., organic, halal, kosher). Assurance systems can help increase producer credibility and consumer confidence, both domestic and abroad, by assuring that a product is produced as advertised. This is important as buyers are increasingly demanding that products have certain characteristics, or are produced using specific methods, and are requiring industry to prove any such claims.

In 2020–21, the Department continued to support the industry, through the AgriAssurance program, to develop and adopt systems, standards, and tools that allow them to make meaningful and verifiable claims about agriculture and agri-food products, and to respond to buyers' demands that the food meet requirements related to safety, quality, traceability, sustainability, or animal welfare. By helping to verify that practices along the food supply chain meet given standards, these projects are intended to build trust in Canadian products. Funding available under the program's national industry association component supports projects at a national level that help industry to meet demands for specific product attributes or production methods. Funding is also available to small and medium-sized enterprises, providing targeted support to help them implement third-party assurance certifications required to access foreign markets.

Results data measuring the functionality of implementation plans for assurance projects is not yet available, given the long-term nature of this work. In 2020–21, the Department continues to surpass its target of 20 applications to the AgriAssurance program per year, with 101 applications received and 68 projects approved as of March 31, 2021. To date, some of the assurance systems which the program has helped to support include:

• The development and implementation of Dairy Farmers of Canada’s DairyTrace as a fully functional national dairy cattle traceability system under the responsibility of Canadian Dairy Network as the national Responsible Administrator. The project is also designed to enhance public trust by furthering the development and implementation of the livestock traceability module of proAction® and by pursuing stakeholder engagement and consensus on an industry traceability strategy;
• National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council’s project to enhance surveillance capacity of the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System at the national level through collaboration with surveillance networks in order to serve as a central surveillance information hub, establishing surveillance priorities, and developing a national report on animal health surveillance;
• Canadian Forage and Grassland Association’s pilot project to help develop an assurance system for Canada’s grassland owners to gain the knowledge and experience required for future participation in rapidly expanding carbon markets, driven by increasing private-sector demand. In turn, grasslands will be conserved across Canada by compensating landowners for continued responsible management; and
• The Canadian Pork Council’s PigSAFE-PigCARE On-Farm Program project aims to successfully launch the Canadian Pork Excellence platform, which integrates the Canada Pork Council’s three principal on-farm programs (i.e., food safety and biosecurity program–PigSAFE, animal care program–PigCARE, and traceability program–PigTRACE). The output of the project will be the advancement of the national pork assurance systems, helping producers demonstrate the use of the most current on-farm standards through credible and effective assurance programs.

The Department continues to collaborate with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to recognize industry-led food safety standards, and develop biosecurity and traceability tools, to help prevent and mitigate the occurrence of food- and disease-related incidents and build trust in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food system.

In addition, the Department remains actively engaged with industry stakeholders, provincial and territorial governments, and other federal departments to enhance awareness of emergency preparedness and planning, share information related to key risks, and develop best practices to mitigate the impacts of emergency events. Given the significant threat that African Swine Fever continues to pose to the Canadian pork supply chain, federal, provincial, and territorial partners are supporting the government–industry Pan-Canadian African Swine Fever Action Plan, which will enable a timely and coordinated response to reduce the risk of an outbreak in Canada and, should an outbreak occur, support industry with a pan-Canadian coordinated, cooperative and prompt response to market challenges and disease eradication. In response to the risk of an African Swine Fever outbreak, the Department has proactively developed policy objectives and a toolbox of options to help prevent an outbreak, or to prepare and respond to potential impacts in the event that an outbreak occurs. 

Gender-based analysis plus - Sector Risk

Enhancing access to Business Risk Management programs for underrepresented groups, including youth, women, and Indigenous communities continues to be a focus for federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as work towards improving the suite of programs is ongoing. Analysis of the 2019 Farm Financial Survey demonstrated that women are underrepresented in the AgriStability program, as female farm operators represented an estimated 27 percent of AgriStability participants (while they accounted for 29 percent of all farm operators). Data from the 2019 Farm Financial Survey also shows that the share of financially healthy farms was 85 percent for farms with at least one female operator and 87 percent for male-only farms. Efforts to better understand the participation of underrepresented groups in the agriculture and agri-food sector will enable identification of barriers and what data requirements are needed to better inform policy and program development and enhance diversity in the sector.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is even greater need to ensure that Business Risk Management programs are providing the necessary support to women and other underrepresented groups, as initial analysis indicates that in general, impacts of the pandemic are being experienced disproportionately by women and other marginalized groups. The Department is working towards identifying the severity of COVID-19 impacts on women and other underrepresented groups in the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Experimentation - Sector Risk

Beginning in 2019–20, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada engaged with the Privy Council Office Fellowship program in the design of an experimental project for the “My AAFC” account portal with a goal to generate more interest and uptake in the portal. A pilot project was initiated in 2020–21 to examine how AgriInvest and AgriStability clients could use their My AAFC account portal exclusively to communicate, submit requests, and receive their program documents, rather than receiving hard-copy documents by mail. Given the move toward a more digitally-driven environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada team is undertaking a course correction on this experiment and aims to continue pursuing opportunities to increase client participation on the “My AAFC” account portal by ensuring re-platforming is completed and by adapting business processes and sign-up procedures to move a select number of clients exclusively towards their online account by March 2022.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's activities under the Sector Risk core responsibility support Canada's efforts to address the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Business Risk Management programming suite under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, contributes towards:

• ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture (SDG 2); and
• promoting inclusive and sustained economic growth, productive employment, and decent work for all (SDG 8).

For example, adjustments made to the AgriStability program in 2020–21, in particular removing the reference margin limit and extending the deadline to sign up for the program, supported producers facing financial challenges including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, delivery of the Mandatory Isolation for Temporary Foreign Workers Program helped to ensure that the Canadian food supply chain had adequate labour and that workers in the agriculture and agri-food sector were protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an interdepartmental task team provided logistics support to ensure the safe arrival and employment of Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada for the 2020–21 growing season.

Results achieved - Sector Risk

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2018–19 Actual results	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results
The agricultural sector is financially resilient	Sector's income as a proportion of historical income	85% Sector income is maintained above the 85% threshold of five-year average income	March 2021[1]	113% (for the 2016 program year)	104% (for the 2017 program year)	91% (for the 2018 program year)
The agricultural sector is financially resilient	Percentage of financially healthy farms	90% Percentage of financially healthy farms is maintained at least at 90%	March 2021[2]	Not available	Not available	86 % (based on data in the 2019 Farm Financial Survey for the period from 2017 to 2019)
The agriculture and agri-food sector is equipped with assurance systems and supporting tools	Percentage of implementation plans for assurance projects reported to be functioning	Range between 65% and 85%	March 2023[3]	Not available	Not available	Not available
Note: Actual results are reported for the fiscal year that data becomes available. Results that are “not available” are due to lag times in data availability as noted below. The indicator demonstrates whether producers have been able to maintain their primary agriculture incomes, after accounting for Business Risk Management programs. A percentage less than 100% indicates that the sector’s income is worse than the five year average. Indicator has a two-year lag time; results for the 2020–21 program year will be available in 2023. Indicator has a two-year lag time; Data is only available every two years based on the Farm Financial Survey. Indicator has a lag time; actual results will be available in March 2023, due to the time required for participants to develop systems and for those systems to be taken up by the sector.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars) - Sector Risk

2020–21 Main Estimates	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	2020–21 Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
1,531,629,689	1,531,629,689	1,254,634,438	1,217,957,856	(313,671,833)

Note: Actual spending was less than planned spending mainly due to a decrease in demand and participation in the AgriStability program, lower than expected payments under AgriRecovery disaster response initiatives, current low interest rates and several stays of default resulting in lower defaults and loan guarantee payments under the Advance Payments Program and lower claims under the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act program. In addition, actual spending was net of $11.9 million related to a return of funding from statutory grant and contribution programs. The decrease was offset by emergency support provided in response to COVID-19 under the Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program and the Cattle Set-Aside and Hog Recovery programs under the AgriRecovery program to manage livestock backed-up on farms.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) - Sector Risk

2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Actual full-time equivalents	2020–21 Difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
445	438	(7)

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Internal services

Description: Internal services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the internal services delivery model in a department. These 10 service categories are:

• Acquisition Management Services
• Communications Services
• Financial Management Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Legal Services
• Materiel Management Services
• Management and Oversight Services
• Real Property Management Services

Results highlights - Internal services

In 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada undertook internal service initiatives in support of the Department's mandate and to strengthen our capacity to deliver results to Canadians.

Strengthening service delivery and transparency

Despite the unprecedented challenges faced in 2020–21 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued to support client-centered, digitally enabled, and integrated services to meet stakeholder expectations and achieve quality results for Canadians. The Department quickly transitioned to virtual service delivery with little disruption to its clients and continued its investments in digital technology to modernize how programs and services are provided to Canadians, including by enhancing accessibility through both phone- and web-based channels and improving ease-of-use. The Department’s Contact Centre operations made significant improvements to their employee training package and delivery approach which permitted successful onboarding of new programs in a virtual environment while strengthening its emergency response, making their support system more sustainable. The Contact Centre continues to provide a first contact approach for the Department including through the onboarding of new COVID-19 emergency programs.

In 2020–21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued to implement process improvements to ensure timely delivery of information, programs and services, and the use of business intelligence to support better decision-making. The Department has also committed to reviewing its activities and service delivery models to initiate digital transformation plans to support the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service and Digital.

Improvements to cyber security continues to help the Department to address digital and information technology challenges and align with the Government of Canada’s Strategic Plan for Information Management and Information Technology 2017 to 2021.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also continued to advance the Government of Canada’s Open Data and Open Information initiatives, by ensuring that the Department’s timely, useable, and relevant data and information resources were released to the public through the Open Government Portal. Discussions are also underway at an internal and interdepartmental level to ensure that special considerations are provided in regard to Indigenous data governance as part of these ongoing initiatives.

In addition, as technology changes, this exponential acceleration of data generation requires increasingly powerful tools to manage and share that data. The Department has committed to, and will continue to, build its cloud capacity. This will not only support the delivery of its programming but also enable its science programs to adequately harness the power of cloud computing and storage (e.g., Living Laboratories) while building the new digital working environment for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. These activities all contribute to the Government of Canada commitments to a cloud smart approach as well as increasing transparency, engagement and innovation.

Cultivating wellness in the workplace

Fostering a healthy workplace that is inclusive, respectful, and harassment-free continues to be a priority for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In support of broader government initiatives on workplace wellness, including the new federal Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations which came into force on January 1, 2021, the Department continued its efforts to ensure a workplace where mental health is addressed constructively and openly to foster support, awareness and cultural change.

In 2020–21, the Department provided new resources to support mental health including a dedicated intranet page, training and webinars to encourage ongoing learning and development in an evolving workplace. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada consulted with employees through regular surveys to help gauge their mental wellbeing and to ensure that the Department’s mental health resources, events and services continued to support employees, promote wellness and ensure occupational health and safety. In addition, survey information and ongoing consultations have provided ideas and views on the workplace of the future including preferences regarding workplace arrangements, the use of digital tools, and reducing other potential barriers to productivity.

As efforts continued across the government of Canada to stabilize the pay system, supporting employees dealing with pay issues remained a management priority. Departmental efforts were focused on ensuring pay continuity, addressing outstanding remuneration issues and strengthening our employee and manager support infrastructure.

Supporting diversity in our workforce

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada strives to establish a culture of inclusiveness that values diversity, combats racism and addresses systemic barriers. Aiming to be an employer that is diverse in representation, and respectful and inclusive in its employment policies and practices, Agriculture and Agri-Food continues to ensure managers have the tools and resources they need to identify opportunities that address underrepresentation, promote inclusion, and meet the Department’s requirements to remove barriers to accessibility as outlined in the Accessible Canada Act.

The Department responded to events in 2020–21 that challenged many organizations worldwide to review their internal policies and behaviours to address systemic discrimination and racism. To this effect, the Department continues to work to improve the organizational culture by increasing awareness of the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace. This year, the Deputy Minister engaged directly with Diversity and Inclusion Networks to hear firsthand the barriers that employees are facing in the workplace. The Department also provided resources and hosted virtual learning events in 2020–21 to support and promote diversity and inclusion. Open discussions were facilitated through the creation of a speaker series and online forums where participants could share their stories of overcoming challenges relating to racism and discrimination and participants could learn how to be an ally. The Department also continues to offer initiatives such as the Indigenous Student Recruitment Initiative to ensure strong recruitment efforts among underrepresented groups in many roles within the Department, including science: in 2020–21, 44 Indigenous students were recruited with 27 in science roles.

The Indigenous Support and Awareness Office was established in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #57, and has developed an Indigenous education program for delivery to all Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada employees regarding the culture and history of Indigenous Peoples. In 2020–21, 17 Indigenous Awareness Learning Series sessions were provided to over 700 department employees.

In accordance with its commitment to develop an accessibility plan and to be a more accessible, inclusive and equipped organization, the Department consulted persons with disabilities to gain a deeper understanding of their concerns, the barriers they face and potential solutions. With the input collected, an evergreen action plan based on the priority areas of the Accessible Canada Act was established for broader consultation, which took place with the Persons with Disabilities Network, other diversity and inclusion networks, and among the divisions, regions and committees within the Department.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has also joined the 20 early adopter organizations of the Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport, which aims to facilitate meaningful conversations between employees and supervisors to ensure employees receive the accommodations and support they need to succeed in their roles. The passport initiative marks a shift towards an “accessible by default” model which creates the conditions for every employee to succeed, regardless of ability or disability.

The Department continues to support the activities of employee-led networks focused on diversity and inclusion. To support the government-wide priority to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusiveness, the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (previously named the Women in Science Network) has continued efforts to promote an environment in science and science-related activities in the Department that is inclusive and welcoming for women. In collaboration with the Indigenous Network Circle, a seminar ‘Aboriginal Women in Agriculture’ was presented during Women’s History Month, and a virtual leadership panel was coordinated to celebrate Women’s Day. The Network also continued their work to promote the achievements of women in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, both past and present, through internal and external departmental websites, the Canadian Agricultural Museum, and through award nominations such as Women and Gender Equity Canada’s “Women of Impact Gallery”. In 2020–21, the Women in STEM Network reached out to its members to determine ways to offer support during the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the coordination of nine work-life balance sessions. Other employee networks increased virtual support to their members during the pandemic, for example the regular virtual drop-in sessions held by the Indigenous Network Circle to offer support or engage in cultural activities such as beading.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars) Internal services

2020–21 Main Estimates	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	2020–21 Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
153,640,094	153,640,094	193,108,711	192,214,746	38,574,652

Note: Actual spending was greater than planned spending due to amounts carried forward from 2019–20, increased investment in information technology, ongoing service delivery improvements and increased efforts related to the Retail and Consumer Taskforce Team, the Mandatory Isolation for Temporary Foreign Workers Program, Environmental Policy, the Indigenous Agriculture Secretariat and the Next Policy Framework.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) - Sector Risk

2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Actual full-time equivalents	2020–21 Difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
1,217	1,294	77

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

Departmental spending trend

The following graph presents actual and planned spending (voted and statutory) over time.

Description of the above image

Departmental spending trend

	2018–191	2019–201	2020–212	2021–222	2022–232	2023–242
Statutory	1,134	1,487	1,864	1,961	1,964	755
Voted	1,024	1,081	1,174	1,062	967	485
Total	2,158	2,568	3,038	3,023	2,931	1,240

1. Spending for 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21 represents the actual expenditures incurred during the respective fiscal years, as reported in Public Accounts.
2. Spending for 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24 represents Planned Spending amounts as reported in the 2021–22 Departmental Plan.

Over the period 2018–19 to 2023–24, spending varies from a high of $3.0 billion spent in 2020–21 to a low of $1.2 billion planned for 2023–24. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's programs and initiatives vary from year to year in response to changes affecting the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector as outlined below.

Actual spending was higher in 2020–21 as it reflected emergency support provided in response to COVID-19 for emergency food banks and local food organizations (Emergency Food Security Fund); the Emergency Processing Fund; the Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program; the Surplus Food Rescue Program; the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund; the Cattle Set-Aside and Hog Recovery programs (AgriRecovery program) to manage livestock backed-up on farms; and funding under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program. It also reflected increased support for the Dairy Direct Payment Program.

Planned spending in 2022–23 is lower mainly due to the expiry of the Dairy Farm Investment Program and the Dairy Processing Investment Fund funding at the end of 2021–22.

The decrease in 2023–24 reflects that funding authorities will need to be renewed for the current five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in consultation with provinces and territories, continues to develop a successor to the Canadian Agricultural Partnership policy framework to position the industry to meet challenges in the decade ahead. The decrease also reflects the expiry of the current Dairy Direct Payment Program.

Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Core responsibilities and internal services	2020–21 Main Estimates[1]	2020–21 Planned spending[2]	2021–22 Planned spending[3]	2022–23 Planned spending[3]	2020–21 Total authorities available for Use[4]	2018–19 Actual spending (authorities used)[5]	2019–20 Actual spending (authorities used)[5]	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)[5]
Domestic and International Markets	252,308,691	252,308,691	705,003,048	651,080,857	947,846,290	280,684,647	622,424,048	905,392,316
Science and Innovation	601,832,955	601,832,955	615,035,822	574,942,432	782,974,843	560,826,128	590,348,161	722,050,477
Sector Risk	1,531,629,689	1,531,629,689	1,546,409,618	1,550,158,289	1,254,634,438	1,145,612,636	1,177,946,837	1,217,957,856
Subtotal	2,385,771,335	2,385,771,335	2,866,448,488	2,776,181,578	2,985,455,571	1,987,123,411	2,390,719,046	2,845,400,649
Internal services	153,640,094	153,640,094	156,366,349	155,083,368	193,108,711	170,822,226	177,211,477	192,214,746
Total	2,539,411,429	2,539,411,429	3,022,814,837	2,931,264,946	3,178,564,282	2,157,945,637	2,567,930,523	3,037,615,395
Note: For an explanation of the variances by Core Responsibility and Internal Services, please refer to the "Results: what we achieved" section of this report. Main Estimates figures are as reported in the 2020–21 Main Estimates Expenditures by Program or Purpose. Planned spending figures are as reported in the 2020–21 Departmental Plan. Planned spending reflects funds already brought into the Department's reference levels as well as amounts to be authorized through the Estimates process as presented in the Annual Reference Level Update. 2021–22 and 2022–23 Planned spending figures are as reported in the 2021–22 Departmental Plan. It does not reflect funding announced in Budget 2021. Total authorities reflect 2020–21 Main Estimates and a net total increase of $639.2 million consisting of statutory funding received under the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act, adjustments to statutory amounts to equal actual spending, Supplementary Estimates and allocations from central votes received during 2020–21, as well as other adjustments and amounts available from previous year, as reported in the Public Accounts of Canada 2021. Actual spending figures represent the actual expenditures incurred during the respective fiscal year, as reported in Public Accounts. In certain cases, where authorized amounts are unspent, they can be reprofiled for use in future years.

Actual human resources

Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services	2018–19 Actual full-time equivalents	2019–20 Actual full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents[1]	2020–21 Actual full-time equivalents[2]	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents[1]	2022–23 Planned full-time equivalents[1]
Domestic and International Markets	517	519	534	519	515	491
Science and Innovation	2,633	2,650	2,641	2,614	2,635	2,606
Sector Risk	442	443	445	438	421	421
Subtotal	3,592	3,612	3,620	3,571	3,571	3,518
Internal services	1,124	1,219	1,217	1,294	1,332	1,332
Total	4,716	4,831	4,837	4,865	4,903	4,850
Planned full-time equivalents are as reported in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 Departmental Plans. Actual Full-Time Equivalents reflect only those full-time equivalents funded through the Department's appropriated resources. In addition to the actual full-time equivalents of 4,865, there were 29 full-time equivalents employed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for research funded through collaborative agreements with industry partners and 435 full-time equivalents employed as students.

The increase in full-time equivalents in 2019–20 to 2021–22 is due to staffing required to support research priorities, including the Advancing Agricultural Discovery Science and Innovation Initiative as announced in Budget 2017, as well as to support service delivery improvements and modernization of agriculture science and technology initiatives, and the Food Policy for Canada, as announced in Budget 2019.

The decrease in planned full-time equivalents in 2022–23 is due to the expiry of the funding for the Dairy Processing Investment Fund, the Dairy Farm Investment Program and the funding for genomics, digitization and data mobilization of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's biological collections at the end of 2021–22.

Expenditures by vote

For information on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2020–2021.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's spending with the Government of Canada's spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2021 are available on the departmental website.

Financial statements highlights

The financial highlights presented within this Departmental Results Report are intended to serve as a general overview of the Department's financial position and operations. More detailed information is provided in the Department's consolidated financial statements which are prepared using an accrual basis of accounting.

Condensed statement of operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2021 (dollars)

Financial information	2020–21 Planned results	2020–21 Actual results	2019–20 Actual results	Difference (2020–21 Actual results minus 2020–21 planned results)	Difference (2020–21 Actual results minus 2019–20 actual results)
Total expenses	2,641,023,000	4,063,711,000	2,599,899,000	1,422,688,000	1,463,812,000
Total revenues	64,509,000	53,179,000	54,545,000	(11,330,000)	(1,366,000)
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	2,576,514,000	4,010,532,000	2,545,354,000	1,434,018,000	1,465,178,000

Consolidated Future-Oriented Statement of Operations (Unaudited) can be found on the departmental website.

Condensed statement of financial position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2021 (dollars)

Financial information	2020–21	2019–20	Difference (2020–21 minus 2019–20)
Total net liabilities	1,820,897,000	949,969,000	870,928,000
Total net financial assets	1,741,354,000	884,671,000	856,683,000
Departmental net debt	79,543,000	65,298,000	14,245,000
Total non-financial assets	450,536,000	445,718,000	4,818,000
Departmental net financial position	370,993,000	380,420,000	(9,427,000)

Expenses and Revenues

Expenses incurred and revenues earned, in support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's programs and services that benefited Canadians during 2020–21, are detailed in the following graphs.

Expenses by core responsibility

Description of the above image

Expenses by Core Responsibility

Domestic and International Markets	Sector Risk	Science and Innovation	Internal Services	Total Expenses
$1,818.7 million / 44.7%	$1,234.8 million / 30.4%	$685.9 million / 16.9%	$324.3 million / 8.0%	$4,063.7 million

Total expenses were $4,063.7 million in 2020–21, an increase of $1,463.8 million from the previous year’s total expenses of $2,599.9 million. The increase was primarily attributable to the $406.0 million emergency support programming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–21 and the future year programming for the Dairy Direct Payment Program in the amount of $919.6 million, with the latter reflected in the Domestic and International Markets core responsibility. The COVID-19 emergency support programming was reflected in all the three core responsibilities. Under the Domestic and International Markets core responsibility, programming consisted of the emergency food banks and local food organizations (Local Food Infrastructure Fund): $140.0 million, Surplus Food Rescue Program: $50.0 million, and Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program: $8.7 million. Under the Science and Technology core responsibility, the increase was attributed to the Emergency Processing Fund: $83.4 million and Emergency On-Farm Support Fund: $30.6 million. The increase in the Sector Risk core responsibility was a result of the Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program: $71.7 million and AgriRecovery–Cattle Set-Aside Program: $20.8 million.

Planned expenses for 2020–21 were $2,641.0 million compared to actual expenses of $4,063.7 million. Actual expenses were $1,422.7 million higher than planned, mainly due to $406.0 million attributed to emergency support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an accrual of $919.6 million for the next two fiscal years of the Dairy Direct Payment Program. Expenditures relating to the COVID-19 response include the following programs: $140.0 million for emergency food banks and local food organizations (Local Food Infrastructure Fund) Program, $83.4 million for Emergency Processing Fund, $71.7 million for Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program and $50.0 million for Surplus Food Rescue Program.

Revenues by type

 

Description of the above image

Breakdown of Revenues by Type

Sale of goods and services	Interest	Joint project and cost sharing agreements	Miscellaneous revenues	Gain on disposal of assets	Crop Reinsurance Fund	Total revenues (Gross)
$61.8 million / 77.0%	$12.9 million / 16.1%	$3.3 million / 4.1%	$1.1 million / 1.4%	$0.6 million / 0.7%	$0.6 million / 0.7%	$80.3 million

Note: Revenues earned on behalf of government are included in this graph.

Liabilities

Liabilities arising from departmental activities at the end of 2020–21 were $1,820.9 million, an increase of $870.9 million compared to the previous year’s total liabilities of $950.0 million. The increase was primarily in the Department’s accounts payable and accrued liabilities, mainly due to the accrual of $919.6 million under the Dairy Direct Payment Program for 2021–22 and 2022–23. The accounts payable and accrued liabilities represents the largest portion of the overall liability at $1,675.3 million which is attributed to accruals in support of programs such as AgriStability and the Dairy Direct Payment Program. The Department does not hold any liabilities on behalf of government.

Liabilities by type

Description of the above image

Breakdown of Liabilities by Type

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	Other liabilities	Vacation pay and compensatory leave	Deferred revenue	Employee future benefits	Environmental liabilities	Total Liabilities
$1,675.3 million / 92.0%	$57.9 million / 3.2%	$51.9 million / 2.9%	$15.3 million / 0.8%	$11.2 million / 0.6%	$9.3 million / 0.5%	$1,820.9 million

Assets

At the end of 2020–21, the Department held total gross financial assets of $2,051.4 million, consisting primarily of the asset due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. This category represents the net amount of cash that the Department was entitled to draw from the Consolidated Revenue Fund without further authorities to discharge its liabilities. Taking into account financial assets held on behalf of government which were $310.1 million, total net financial assets at the end of 2020–21 were $1,741.3 million, an increase of $856.6 million from the previous year’s net financial assets of $884.7 million. The change in total net financial assets was primarily attributable to an increase in the amounts due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The increase is in accounts payable as a result of the large accrual under the Dairy Direct Payment Program for 2021–22 and 2022–23. The Department also held non-financial assets totaling $450.6 million at March 31, 2021, relatively unchanged compared to $445.7 million at the same time in 2020.

Assets by type

Description of the above image

Assets by Type

Due from Consolidated Revenue Fund	Tangible capital assets	Loans receivable	Accounts receivable and advances	Prepaid expenses and inventory	Total Assets (Gross)
$1,712.5 million / 68.4%	$446.7 million / 17.9%	$308.4 million / 12.3%	$30.5 million / 1.2%	$3.9 million / 0.2%	$2,502.0 million

Note: Assets held on behalf of government are included in this graph.

Corporate Information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau

Institutional head: Chris Forbes, Deputy Minister

Ministerial portfolio: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Enabling instrument: Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Act, (R.S.C. 1985, c. A-9)

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1994

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website.

For more information on the Department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letters.

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website.

Reporting framework

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2020–21 are shown below.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Departmental Results Framework

	Domestic and International Markets		Science and Innovation		Sector Risk		Internal Services
Core Responsibilities	AAFC provides programs and services and works in collaboration with the sector to support its competitiveness at home and abroad. AAFC also works to increase opportunities for the sector to export its products by maintaining and expanding market access and advancing agricultural interests internationally		AAFC conducts scientific research, develops new knowledge and new technologies, and transfers the results to the agriculture and agri-food sector. AAFC also works with industry and other partners to strengthen the sector’s capacity to develop and adopt innovative practices, products, and processes.		AAFC provides tools to mitigate the financial impact of risks beyond producers’ control that threaten the viability of their operation. AAFC also works with the sector to ensure that systems, standards, and tools are developed to support its ability to prevent and control risks and address market demands.
Results	The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector contributes to growing the economy	Access to international markets is increased by resolving or mitigating market barriers and advancing trade positions	The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector knowledge base is increased through AAFC supported scientific and innovative research	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
Indicators	Percentage change in the economic performance of the agriculture and agri-food sector Percentage change in agri-food products sold Value of agriculture and agri-food exports	Degree to which AAFC advances the resolution or the mitigation of market access barriers, World Trade Organization disputes, and technical trade issues Degree to which AAFC advances trade policy through negotiations, agreements, and discussions	Percentage of AAFC scientific publications produced through collaboration Number of citations as a proportion of AAFC scientific publications	Number of new technologies, products, practices, processes, or systems that are available for transfer to the sector Percentage of revenues generated on farms adopting innovative practices Percentage of processors developing and/or introducing innovations Index of Agri- Environmental Sustainability (water, soil, air quality, biodiversity) Percentage change in the productivity of the agriculture and agri-food sector	Sector’s income as a proportion of historical income Percentage of financially healthy farms	Percentage of implementation plans for assurance projects reported to be functioning

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Program Inventory (2020–21)

	Domestic and International Markets	Science and Innovation	Sector Risk	Internal Services
Programs	Trade and Market Expansion Sector Engagement and Development Farm Products Council of Canada Dairy Programs Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency Water Infrastructure Food Policy Initiatives Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Cost-shared Markets and Trade	Foundational Science and Research AgriScience AgriInnovate Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Cost-shared Science, Research, Innovation and Environment	AgriStability AgriInsurance AgriRisk AgriInvest AgriRecovery Loan Guarantee Programs Farm Debt Mediation Service Pest Management Assurance Program Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Cost-shared Assurance Return of Payments	Management and Oversight Services Communication Services Legal Services Human Resources Management Services Financial Management Services Information Management Services Information Technology Services Real Property Services Material Services Acquisition Services

Notes:

1. The Water Infrastructure program was removed from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada program inventory in 2020–21, as the Department has transferred a majority of ownership and operational responsibility of this program to the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, with remaining key infrastructure progressing towards potential transfer or divestiture through ongoing negotiations.
2. The Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program was added to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Program Inventory in 2020–21 under the Sector Risk core responsibility.
3. Emergency programs delivered in 2020–21 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were implemented under existing programs in the Program Inventory:
   • Emergency Food Security Fund (Local Food Infrastructure Fund) and Surplus Food Rescue Program – Food Policy Initiatives
   • Emergency On-Farm Support Fund and Emergency Processing Fund – Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities program

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada website:

• Reporting on Green Procurement
• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus
• Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
• Up-front multi-year funding

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Organizational contact information

Public Information Requests Services
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
1341 Baseline Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C5

Telephone: 613-773-1000
Toll-free: 1-855-773-0241
Fax: 613-773-1081
Telecommunications Device for the Deaf/Teletype: 613-773-2600
Email: info@agr.gc.ca
Website: www.agr.gc.ca

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental result that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2020–21 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2019 Speech from the Throne, namely: Fighting climate change; Strengthening the Middle Class; Walking the road of reconciliation; Keeping Canadians safe and healthy; and, Positioning Canada for success in an uncertain world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence-based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (repertoire des programmes)

Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.