2020–2021 Departmental Results Report – Up-front multi-year funding

General information on up-front multi-year funding to the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

Recipient information	The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute
Start date	December 14, 2006
End date	March 31, 2022
Link to department’s Program Inventory	Not applicable
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment	The conditional grant for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute encourages independent policy research benefitting the Canadian agricultural and agri-food sector. The grant also helps ensure continued success in building an inclusive and forward-looking dialogue on the future of Canadian agriculture, and further provide a stable and sustained forum to discuss issues of importance to the industry.
Audit findings by the recipient during the reporting year, and future plan	Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute's financial activities in 2020-21 are set out in the "Financial Statements of Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute March 31, 2021". This report confirms that in the fiscal year April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations.
Evaluation findings by the recipient during the reporting year, and future plan	On June 30, 2020, a Compulsory Performance Evaluation (CPE) was submitted as required under the terms of Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute's 15-year funding agreement (Article 11) to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This represented the third of four CPEs required under the terms of the agreement and was disclosed in the 2019-2020 Departmental Results Report. No additional Performance Evaluation was required for 2020-2021.
Summary of results achieved by the recipient	Two broad challenges frame Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute's (CAPI) policy research work - Canada in a Multi-Polar Global Context and Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change - and present an opportunity for agriculture to become a truly strategic asset for Canada, while maintaining and enhancing producer and processor livelihoods. CAPI revisited and updated its research plans to adjust for COVID-19 and its impact on the sector (as is reflected in their Annual Report to the Minister for fiscal year 2020-2021). CAPI’s updated 2020-2021 research agenda focused on its Creating Prosperity from Chaos work plan. The goal of the plan is to develop practical policy alternatives aimed at securing the future success of the Canadian agri-food industry by identifying solutions on how to “do more and better with less” and seeking answers on “how to build a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous agri-food system in a post pandemic world. Research continues to be the foundation of CAPI’s work. This research is conducted and communicated through fellowships, commissioned research, dialogues, public events and partnerships. CAPI seeks to connect its work by using an interdisciplinary approach by drawing expertise from academia, farming, food production, government and civil society to conduct policy research. In 2020-2021 CAPI launched four research projects under the Creating Prosperity from Chaos work plan: i) Prosperity through increased trade and international cooperation, ii) development of green growth technologies and practices, iii) investing in value-added in Canada, and iv) improving efficiency and sustainable intensification in agriculture. Relevant Research Undertaken (2 examples) Meat Packing Industry Resilience vs Efficiency Professor James Rude from the University of Alberta was commissioned to examine the issues of resilience vs efficiency in the Canada’s Meatpacking Industry. The paper was submitted to CAPI in November 2020 (titled Resilience versus Efficiency: The feasibility of small local meatpacking plants in Canada, paper prepared for CAPI, Nov 2020). This was followed by an invite-only Dialogue on November 27th in which CAPI organized a small group of stakeholders from industry associations, the meatpacking industry and federal and provincial governments. At the Dialogue, Professor James Rude summarized the findings from his research. Key stakeholders in attendance had the opportunity to discuss their views on whether the current structure of the Canadian meat processing industry lends itself to resilience, the factors determining this, and the recommended changes needed to ensure it can be made more resilient in the face of future disruptions. The dialogue was followed by a Report – *What we heard: The Feasibility of Small Local Meatpacking Plants in Canada* released in May 2021 (note: 2021-22 FY) This report provides background and key findings of the commissioned paper; the Dialogue's purpose, choice of participants, issues addressed, and key points raised during the dialogue. Chronic Wasting Disease Initiated in late 2019, research into Chronic Wasting Disease was commissioned and shared with stakeholders during a Dialogue in February 2021. The report *Chronic Wasting Disease and the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food Sectors: Current Knowledge, Risks and Policy Options* was released in June 2021 and a *What We Heard* report from the February dialogue was released in June 2021. Additional Reports *Final Report: Growing Stronger: Aiming for resilience in our Canadian Food System Conclusions from Agri-Food Community Consultations on the COVID-19 Pandemic.* This was a collaborative project by Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph and the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (January 29, 2021). This report summarizes CAPI’s key takeaways and recommendations. *Managing Trade in an Increasingly Chaotic world: Synthesis Report and Key Recommendations from four CAPI Trade Dialogues* (October 21, 2020). CAPI and the United States-based Farm Foundation joined forces to organize four dialogues with issue experts from agri-food supply chains and the policy community, academia, and non-governmental organizations from the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Australia. CAPI held an additional conversation with the Canadian government and industry stakeholders as well. The objective was to identify multilateral strategies for sustainable trade in agriculture and agri-food products, and to discuss specific solutions to ongoing disruptions in global trade. Additional Dialogue Reports *What We Heard: The Resilience of the Canadian Agri-Food Supply Chain: A CAPI digital Dialogue* (April 4, 2020) On April 3, 2020 CAPI organized a Digital Dialogue with supply chain participants to learn more about how the sector is faring in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the short term, as well as to identify key issues towards longer-term solutions for the future resilience of the sector.
Total funding approved (dollars)	$15,000,000
Total funding received (dollars)	$15,000,000

Financial information (dollars)

Planned spending in 2020−21	0
Total authorities available for use in 2020−21	0
Actual spending (authorities used) in 2020-21	0
Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)	0
Explanation of variance	The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute agreement was signed on March 31, 2007 and the full amount of $15 million was paid to the recipient in the 2006-07 fiscal year in the form of an endowment to be drawn down at the rate of $1 million per year for 15 years ending March 31, 2022.