2023-24 Departmental Results Report: Gender-based analysis plus

Program Goals

Trade and Market Expansion (TME) aims to support Canada's producers and processors by helping to improve market access, expand market opportunities and strengthen international trade rules. This broad program category includes contributions to the negotiation of free trade agreements (FTAs) and the AgriMarketing Program.

The AgriMarketing Program helps industry increase and diversify exports by supporting promotional activities that differentiate Canadian products and producers.

Target Population

FTAs are intended to provide ultimate benefits to all Canadians. AAFC applies GBA Plus to these negotiations to ensure benefits also include underrepresented and marginalized groups who are engaged in Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector.

The AgriMarketing Program is targeted towards specific industry/sectors by focusing on national agricultural sector organizations, such as the Canola Council of Canada, or Canada Beef.

Distribution of Benefits – AgriMarketing Program

Specific demographic group outcomes

The AgriMarketing Program's direct beneficiaries would be those operating and/or overseeing agri-businesses directly engaging in or planning to engage in export activities in the primary agriculture and food processing sectors.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program include those employed in the primary and food processing sectors, followed by owners and those employed along the value chain, ranging from food retail and wholesale to food service and adjacent services, such as exporters and those involved in shipping and delivery. Further-reaching indirect beneficiaries include members of Canadian society, benefiting from the economic impacts of the agri-food sector in terms of job creation, and the development of viable communities, particularly in rural areas.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

As part of the TME, all FTAs are subject to GBA Plus. AAFC supports Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in assessing the impacts of Canada's FTA provisions related to trade in agricultural goods to ensure that the benefits and opportunities resulting from FTAs are widely shared, including among Indigenous Peoples and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. In 2023, AAFC provided numerous sector specific GBA Plus assessments/input to GAC throughout the negotiation process of each FTA to ensure negotiators were aware of possible diversity impacts of proposed FTAs and potential inequitable outcomes to those engaged within Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. AAFC findings fed into the analyses done by the lead Department and GAC, and impacts were addressed as necessary.

The renewed AgriMarketing Program under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) (2023–28) was launched in April 2023. Program design was informed by a 2022–23 GBA Plus assessment. Analysis of GBA Plus data was used to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the participation of and support for underrepresented and marginalized groups in all Sustainable CAP programs, including the AgriMarketing Program. As a result, AAFC included plans for enhanced data collection for all programs under Sustainable CAP. More details are included below.

The Program includes a priority focused on inclusive trade that expands eligible recipients to include associations that represent underrepresented stakeholders such as Indigenous-led and Women-owned groups in the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector, including fish and seafood, that can deliver a project from a national perspective.

Key program impact statistics - AgriMarketing Program

GBA Plus data collection plan

AAFC designed an enhanced data collection plan for GBA Plus for Sustainable CAP programs under the next iteration of programs beginning April 1, 2023, including the AgriMarketing Program. The enhanced plan includes collecting information in response to voluntary questions in support of GBA Plus. This includes additional self-identification data from applicants on the majority ownership of their business, the mandate of their organization, expected direct beneficiaries and information regarding business planning to support diversity, equity and inclusion. This enhanced data collection will allow the program to further disaggregate applicant information to identify who is accessing the program and determine the overall reach and impact on underrepresented and marginalized groups. Program reports are prepared annually.

Furthermore, plans were made to start measuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples, women and youth across programs under Sustainable CAP, including the AgriMarketing program. In addition to the applicant data collected, AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.

Program Goals

In 2023–24, the broad Sector Engagement and Development program category included four programs:

1. The AgriCompetitiveness Program assists industry-led efforts to provide producers with information needed to build capacity and support the sector's development.
2. The AgriDiversity Program supports activities that strengthen Canada's agriculture sector to better leverage the potential offered by youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, racialized groups (visible minorities), 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and official language minority communities.
3. The Youth Employment and Skills Program contributes to projects that employ youth and youth facing barriers.
4. The Wine Sector Support Program aims to provide short-term financial support to licensed Canadian wineries as they transition and adapt to ongoing and emerging challenges impacting the financial resilience and competitiveness of the wine industry.

Target Population

The program broadly targets specific regions or sectors of the economy (that is, the agriculture and agri-food sector). These sub-programs, under this broad program category, target the following populations:

• The AgriCompetitiveness Program is designed to target not-for-profit organizations or Indigenous organizations in the agriculture and agri-food sector to leverage, coordinate and build on existing capacity, enhance safety, adapt to changing commercial and regulatory environments, seize new opportunities, share best practices and provide mentorship opportunities.
• The AgriDiversity Program is designed to assist Indigenous Peoples and other underrepresented and marginalized groups within the agriculture and agri-food sector, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, racialized persons/visible minorities, 2SLGBTQI+ communities and official language minority communities.
• The Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) is designed to assist particular sub-groups of diverse people, including youth, Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities by providing a wage subsidy to employers who hire them.
• The Wine Sector Support Program (WSSP) is designed to assist specific sub-sectors of the economy (that is, licensed Canadian wineries) within the agricultural sector.

Distribution of Benefits - AgriCompetitiveness Program

Distribution of Benefits - AgriDiversity Program

Distribution of Benefits - Youth Employment and Skills Program

Distribution of Benefits – Wine Sector Support Program

Specific demographic group outcomes

The AgriCompetitiveness Program is focused on youth with a subset of Indigenous Peoples and women demographics. Given that farming is dominated by an older male demographic, building capacity and interest in participating/ leading in the agri-food sector will help ensure a new generation of capable, competent producers and processors enter the field or continue their family legacy.

The expected outcome of the AgriDiversity Program is that more underrepresented and marginalized groups (youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons/visible minorities, 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and official language minority communities) have the resources to build their entrepreneurial capacity and business skills, allowing them to better participate in the sector. GBA Plus considerations were applied to inform the design of the renewed program, such as offering an additional cost share ratio under this program to help address financial barriers underrepresented and marginalized groups may face. Based on the analysis, design for the current iteration of the program was adapted to further enhance the reach of the programming by including racialized groups and 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

The indirect beneficiaries of the AgriCompetitiveness and AgriDiversity Programs are those living and working in communities supported predominantly by the agricultural sector. Increased capacity building from these programs would trickle down via knowledge transfer and mentorship in different organizations, along the value chain.

The YESP's primary beneficiaries (Canadian youth aged 15 – 30) are gaining work experience, as well as an opportunity to develop their work-related skills, such as their soft skills, to enhance their ability to join the workforce. The demographic groups most likely to benefit are youth who face physical or social barriers (for example, systemic bias, family care responsibilities, etc.) which can include women, Indigenous persons, racialized persons and/or their or other intersectional identity factors. To further promote access for underrepresented and marginalized youth, an additional cost-shared ratio is provided when hiring youth facing employment barriers (80:20 vs 50:50), and additional funds (up to $5,000) are available to these same youths to address the specific employment barriers.

Indirect beneficiaries of YESP include those whose income and livelihood are reliant on the economic health of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, which includes diverse demographics. Those working in the primary agricultural sector are considered an aging population, so increasing capacity for youth's participation benefits the sector's workforce planning.

The WSSP directly supports licensed Canadian wineries, which are predominately owned by men. Additionally, based on the information available for grape-growing farms, it can be expected that the WSSP indirectly benefits older, male farmers operating very small to small scale farms. There are also indirect benefits to the communities where wine production and wine tourism occur, including employment opportunities in the accommodation and food service industry, that provide significant employment to youth (15-24) and women.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Across the Sector Engagement and Development programs, GBA Plus considerations are applied to inform the design and delivery of the programs. Analysis of GBA Plus-related data was used to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups in the program. More details are included below.

Key program impact statistics - AgriCompetitiveness Program

Key program impact statistics - AgriDiversity Program

Key program impact statistics - Youth Employment and Skills Program

Key program impact statistics - Wine Sector Support Program

Other key program impacts

The Department's regional offices across Canada work to build and strengthen relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including those from underrepresented and marginalized groups. Through direct engagements with these client groups in all regions, AAFC aims to ensure that there is awareness of its programs and services and that the unique perspectives of diverse stakeholders and Indigenous rightsholders are taken into consideration in program and policy design. In addition, the Department actively includes Indigenous and other underrepresented and marginalized groups as part of its departmental, Ministerial and other outreach activities, with participants sharing insights on barriers and opportunities facing the sector as a whole, and those specific to Indigenous and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. For example, a roundtable was held on March 8, 2024, with national and regional women leaders. Some examples of lived experiences shared by these stakeholders include the need to:

• address unconscious bias in the sector, among hiring practices, and in general;
• identify and remove barriers for accessing capital, funding, and other necessary resources;
• support the mental health of farmers; and
• hold ongoing and regular engagements with underrepresented and marginalized groups.

The Department continues to increase the inclusion of all underrepresented and marginalized groups in its Sector Engagement Tables and Councils. AAFC continues to monitor the membership of these fora, striving for gender parity (50%) and enhancing representation from underrepresented and marginalized groups, aiming for a significant 30% representation, which is in-line with the Government of Canada's 50-30 Challenge.

GBA Plus data collection plan

The AgriCompetitiveness Program, AgriDiversity Program, YESP, and WSSP all collect GBA Plus-related data to enable them to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity. The application form asks applicants self-identification questions in support of GBA Plus. In addition, employers and interns who participate in the YESP are asked to complete a survey that asks them to voluntarily identify additional information that helps with GBA Plus and other analysis such as program results.

AAFC designed an enhanced data collection plan for GBA Plus-related data for Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) programs under the next iteration of programs, including the AgriCompetitiveness and AgriDiversity Programs, under Sustainable CAP beginning April 1, 2023. The enhanced plan includes collecting information in response to self-identification questions in support of GBA Plus. This includes additional voluntary data from applicants on the majority ownership of their business, the mandate of their organization, expected direct beneficiaries and information regarding business planning to support diversity, equity and inclusion. This enhanced data collection will allow the program to further disaggregate applicant information to identify who is accessing the program and determine the overall reach and impact on underrepresented and marginalized groups. Program reports are prepared annually.

Furthermore, plans were made to start measuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples, women and youth across programs under Sustainable CAP, including this program. In addition to the applicant data collected, AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.

Program Goals

The Farm Products Council of Canada (FPCC) oversees the agencies created under Parts II at III of the Farm Products Agencies Act. It reviews the agencies' operations, marketing/promotion and research plans and approves their proposed orders and regulations. FPCC also conducts inquiries into the merits of establishing an agency upon receipt of an application and recommends to the Minister accordingly.

Target Population

FPCC is designed to support specific sectors of the economy (that is, agriculture and agri-food sector) by acting as the regulator of national marketing agencies and promotion and research agencies of certain farm products.

Specific demographic group outcomes

The agriculture sector in general is characterized by an aging population; however, supply managed sectors tend to have a higher number of younger farmers.

Supply managed operations can be found across Canada. For poultry and egg, there were 5,296 commercial producers in 2021 across Canada, with the vast majority being located in Ontario (2,061) and British Columbia (1,266). These two provinces account for 62.8% of all Canadian poultry and egg farms.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program include those whose income and livelihood are reliant on the economic health of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, which includes diverse demographics. The program also provides important benefits to consumers through evidence-based information for consumers on production, nutrition and food preparation.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Given the nature of the work and its third-party offering structure, FPCC does not collect demographic data to monitor or report program impacts by gender and diversity. This is to respect the confidentiality and privacy of those seeking out these services. As a result, demographic data on affected groups is from secondary Statistics Canada sources.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

Demographic data on affected groups can be assessed every four years from the Census of Agriculture and the Census of Population. This data is used to inform assumptions on the reach of agencies overseen by FPCC.

Program Goals

The Supply Management Initiatives broadly capture the following programs:

• The Dairy Direct Payment Program aims to help dairy producers transition to new market realities by reducing the impact of market access to the Canadian dairy market as a result of recent international trade agreements. The program provides grant payments over a ten-year period to compensate Canadian cow's milk producers.
• The Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program (PEFIP) aims to help supply-managed poultry and egg producers adapt to market changes resulting from the implementation of recent international trade agreements.
• The Market Development Program for Turkey and Chicken will help increase domestic demand and consumption of Canadian turkey and chicken products through industry-led promotional activities that differentiate Canadian products and producers, and leverage Canada's reputation for high quality and safe food.
• The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund (SMPIF) provides non-repayable contributions to support investments in dairy, poultry, and egg processing facilities that improve productivity and/or efficiency through the purchase of new automated equipment and technology.

Target Population

The sub-programs under this program category are designed to target specific regions, sectors or sub-sectors within agriculture:

• The Dairy Direct Payment Program, introduced in 2019-20, is designed to target a specific sub-sector of supply management within agriculture (that is, producers in the dairy sector).
• The Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program, introduced in 2021–22, is designed to target a specific sub-sector of supply management within agriculture (that is, producers in the chicken, turkey, egg and broiler hatching egg sub-sectors).
• The Market Development Program for Turkey and Chicken, introduced in 2021–22, was determined by the industry for the Turkey Farmers of Canada and the Chicken Farmers of Canada to implement and plan market development and promotional activities to increase domestic demand and consumption of Canadian turkey and chicken.
• The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, introduced in 2022–23, is designed to target a specific sub-sector of supply management within agriculture (for example, processors in the dairy, poultry, and egg sub-sectors).

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The programs are designed to benefit the supply management sub-sectors; therefore, the programming benefits dairy, chicken, turkey, eggs and hatching eggs producers and processors. While these sub-sectors are unique in a variety of ways, diversity is limited.

Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/ visible minorities.

Based on the latest available census data (2021), 3% of all dairy farms are operated solely by women (compared to 52.6% male only), and 44.5% by both men and women operators. In the poultry and egg sector, 11.7% of farms are operated by women only (compared to 49% male only) and 39.3% have both men and women operators.

Indigenous Peoples are also underrepresented in the supply managed sectors. The share of Indigenous operators is lowest among dairy farmers at 0.5%. Indigenous farmers comprised approximately 1.9% of all farmers in the poultry and egg sector.

The agriculture sector in general is characterized by an aging population; however, supply managed sectors tend to have a higher number of younger farmers. For example, according to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 60.5% of all agricultural farm operators are over the age of 55, compared to 52.9% of poultry and egg producers and 42.6% of dairy producers.

While supply managed operations can be found across Canada, the majority are located within Ontario and Quebec. In 2021, there were 9,952 dairy farms in Canada, the vast majority being located in Quebec (4,675) and Ontario (3,336). These two provinces account for 80.5% of all Canadian dairy farms. For poultry and egg, there were 5,296 commercial producers in 2021 across Canada, with the vast majority being located in Ontario (2,061) and British Columbia (1,266). These two provinces account for 62.8% of all Canadian poultry and egg farms.

Processors of supply managed commodities are major employers, especially in rural communities across Canada. While supply managed sector employees do not receive direct financial support from the programs, their job/income stability could be indirectly impacted depending on whether or not the farms or operations they work for receive support. It was reported, in 2020, that 3.4% of workers in food manufacturing are temporary foreign workers. According to the Food Processing Skills Canada 2020 labour market information survey report, about one-third (35%) of food and beverage processor positions were filled by women, one quarter (24%) of workers were under the age of 30 and 14% were over the age of 55. Recent immigrants accounted for 9% of workers and 2% of positions were filled by First Nations, Inuit, or Métis individuals. Approximately one-third (31%) of the industry's workforce consists of immigrants, compared to 23% of the overall labour force.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

GBA Plus considerations are applied across the Supply Management Initiatives to inform the design and delivery of its programming. Analysis of GBA Plus-related data was used to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups in the program. For example, under the PEFIP, subject to certain conditions, AAFC may provide up to 85% (instead of 70%) of eligible project costs for young producers who were 35 years old or younger on January 1, 2021 (and are actively engaged in farming). More details are included below.

Key program impact statistics - Dairy Direct Payment Program

Key program impact statistics - Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program

Key program impact statistics - Market Development Program for Turkey and Chicken

Key program impact statistics - Supply Management Processing Investment Fund

GBA Plus data collection plan

The Supply Management Initiatives collect and analyze applicant and recipient data to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the program's support for underrepresented and marginalized groups. Program reports are prepared annually.

The following programs included voluntary self-identification questions on the application: Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, and Market Development Program for Turkey and Chicken. The Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program also included targeted questions related to whether or not the program participant is led by a young producer / young producers, and whether or not the program participant is majority owned by a young producer / young producers. This data is assessed to determine the program's impact and inform the design and delivery of future supply managed programs.

In 2023–24, the Dairy Direct Payment Program initiated the collection of voluntary self-identification data in support of GBA Plus into its registration form.

Program Goals

The mandate of the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA) is to advance the integrity of pari-mutuel betting conducted in Canada on horse racing. It is subject to the Revolving Funds Act, and may only make expenditures related to "(a) race track supervision in Canada; (b) reimbursing race associations for certain supervisory services provided by them under regulations made pursuant to section 204 of the Criminal Code; and (c) research relating to the use of drugs on horses and race surveillance techniques." By enforcing the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations, and Section 204 of the Criminal Code, the CPMA's operational/program areas evaluate and issue authorizations for various betting systems and products, supervise licensees (Canadian racetracks and betting theatres), and provide drug testing of race horses.

Target Population

The activities of the CPMA advance the interests of all Canadians that either enjoy or participate in the conduct of horse racing, and related gambling. Various stakeholders have an interest in, and are affected by, the CPMA. These include:

• Race courses. These may be owned by private or public corporations, and may be run on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis;
• Horse groups. These are groups that are involved in the owning, training and breeding of race horses;
• Betting public. Through the levy on betting, the public supports the activities of the CPMA; and,
• Provincial regulatory bodies. These bodies are responsible for managing, directing, regulating, supervising, and officiating horse racing, as well as licensing owners, trainers, drivers, and others.

Specific demographic group outcomes

In 2023, Canadians placed $1.065 billion in wagers on horse races held both in Canada and in other locations around the world. The vast majority of betting activities are conducted remotely, at betting theatres and through online, account-based betting platforms.

Beneficiaries of the program include those whose income and livelihood are reliant upon the stability of the horse racing and related gambling industries, which encompasses diverse demographics.

Key program impact statistics

Supplementary Information Sources

Equestrian Canada (2023) The Canadian Equine Sector: Socio-Economic Insights 2023 (PDF)

GBA Plus data collection plan

The Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency's mandate is solely to establish compliance with the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations and Section 204 of the Criminal Code. Regional information has been collected by the CPMA statistic systems on the following: Western (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba), Central (Ontario, Quebec) and Eastern (Atlantic Canada). No data on Canada's territories are available. This data can be used to help understand the program reach.

Program Goals

The vision for the Food Policy Initiatives is for all people in Canada to be able to access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious, and culturally diverse food, and for Canada's food system to be resilient and innovative, to sustain our environment and support our economy. This broad program category captures three programs:

• The Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF) aims to improve access to healthy, nutritious and local food while promoting community development, improving health outcomes for Canadians most at risk of food insecurity, and promoting environmentally sustainable food systems. The fund supports community-based, not-for-profit organizations in improving their food systems through investments in infrastructure that are directly related to addressing food insecurities and increasing the accessibility of healthy, nutritious and local foods within their community.
• The Food Waste Reduction Challenge supports innovation in reducing food waste in three key sub-sectors: food processing, food retail and food services.
• The AgriCommunication Program focuses specifically on supporting activities which increase appreciation and pride in the contributions of farmers and the food industry and enhance public trust.

Target Population

The Food Policy Initiatives broadly target all Canadians to ensure they have access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food within a food system that is resilient, innovative and sustainable. The sub-programs under this broad program category target the following populations:

• Local Food Infrastructure Fund is designed to target particular demographic groups including Indigenous Peoples, youth and seniors, rural and isolated communities, and people at risk of food insecurity.
• Food Waste Reduction Challenge is designed to target a specific sector of the economy (that is the agriculture and agri-food sector).
• AgriCommunication Program is designed to increase consumer awareness, appreciation and pride in the contributions of farmers and the food industry, as well as sector awareness of consumer preferences.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

All Canadians will indirectly benefit from the Food Policy Initiatives, though specific sub-populations of underrepresented and marginalized groups that are more vulnerable to the impacts of food insecurity may benefit more. For example, LFIF targets those vulnerable to and at-risk of food security, including, but not limited to, Indigenous Peoples, rural and Northern communities, Black or other racialized persons, youth, women, low income households, etc.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Across all Food Policy Initiatives, GBA Plus considerations are applied to inform the design and delivery of the program. Analysis of GBA Plus data was used to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups in the program. For example, the LFIF program design, includes funding for Indigenous, Northern and remote communities to help them build a food system that will meet both current and future community needs. More details are included below.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

A data gap that was identified under the Food Waste Reduction Challenge is understanding how or whether the innovators considered how benefits of their solutions could reach underrepresented and marginalized groups. In order to help address this gap, a webinar took place in Fall 2023 that focused on supplier diversity, the 50-30 challenge, Rainbow Registered accreditation, and diversity and inclusion in general. The release of program details ahead of the intake process provided potential applicants with additional time to review the program guide, create partnerships with neighbouring communities, ask questions, and get feedback from program officials.

Supplementary information sources

Household Food Insecurity in Canada, 2021

GBA Plus data collection plan

The Food Policy Initiatives collect and analyze applicant and recipient data to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the program's support for underrepresented and marginalized groups. All programs collected data to support GBA Plus. The Food Waste Reduction Challenge and AgriCommunication Program collected data at the application stage, and LFIF collected data both at the application stage and through performance reports submitted to the Department following project completion. These data are assessed to determine the program's impact and inform the design and delivery of future iterations. Program reports are prepared annually.

Analysis of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge showed that having a low-barrier application process, a jury made of diverse expertise and lived experience, non-financial supports for networking and business development, a program team that strove for equity, inclusion and diversity, and an initial stakeholder engagement in the understand phase have all helped pave the way for the success of the Challenge in supporting such a high proportion of women-led organizations and businesses.

Program Goals

GBA Plus is not applicable to this program, which involves the divestiture by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada of its legacy water infrastructure projects through Government-to-Government transfers with no change in operation. While part of the Department's program inventory, it simply constitutes a change in governance and is therefore not applicable to the purpose of monitoring and reporting impacts by gender and diversity.

Program Goals

The Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Cost-shared Markets and Trade programming continued to leverage funding and mobilize the agriculture and agri-food sector through provincial/territorial government Markets and Trade Programs among producers, processors, organizations and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The FPT Cost-shared Markets and Trade Programs contributed to the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) priority areas through market access by removing obstacles to capitalize on market opportunities, such as non-tariff trade barriers and the need for adapting products for international markets.

Target Population

The programs captured here are designed to target specific regions or sectors of the economy (agriculture and agri-food sector). Provinces and Territories deliver programming for the agriculture and agri-food sector specific to their regions.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

According to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector, stakeholders are more likely to be older white men. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of all farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities. In 2021, 41.1% of those employed in food processing were women, 2.7% were Indigenous, 37.1% were racialized/visible minorities, 31.3% were youth and 6.4% were official language minority communities.

Provincial and Territorial census data is also available for the primary and processing sectors.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program include those employed in the primary and food processing sectors, followed by owners and those employed along the value chain, ranging from food retail and wholesale, to food service, and adjacent services such as exporters, and those involved in shipping and delivery. Further-reaching indirect beneficiaries are members of Canadian society due to the economic impacts of the agri-food sector in terms of creating employment, and the creation of viable communities, particularly in rural areas.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

In 2023–24, FPT governments initiated implementation of the renewed program under Sustainable CAP (2023–28), including considerations for applying GBA Plus. See the data collection plan for more information.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

Under Sustainable CAP (2023–28), FPT governments committed to collecting voluntary self-identification data on the participation of women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples, and GBA Plus considerations were also integrated into the Sustainable CAP performance reporting by measuring the proportion of underrepresented and marginalized groups accessing programs under the Sustainable CAP framework. Program reports are prepared annually. The data is used understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing program support.

In addition to the applicant data collected, AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.

Program Goals

The Foundational Science and Research Program is designed to transfer, or make available for transfer, scientific knowledge (that is, products, technologies, beneficial management practices) to the agricultural sector and the science community.

Target Population

The program targets specific industries and sub-sectors within the agricultural sector and the science community.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The program directly benefits researchers (from academia and AAFC) and businesses in the agriculture agri-food sector in Canada, which tends to be dominated by men. This has the potential to benefit businesses owned by men disproportionally based on evidence that there is less representation of women in companies in Canada and that women-owned businesses receive less capital due to ongoing biases in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics industries.

The program indirectly benefits Canadians at large. The research activities contribute to the development of new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, environmental sustainability, increase value-added and new products. This is expected to lead to job creation across the agriculture and agri-food sector (directly in the farm, in food processing and equipment manufacturing firms) as well as better environmental quality.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

A mandatory question on GBA Plus considerations was included in the 2023–24 STB Call For Proposals process asking researchers whether they anticipate GBA Plus impacts related to their project outcomes based on gender, age, ethnicity, income, region, culture, or other factors. Researchers were also asked to consider the differences between sex and gender data for projects involving humans or human-derived samples. Results from the 2023-24 Call for Proposals indicated all proposal projects answered the GBA Plus question, however, the awareness and education around the question needs to be expanded to obtain better articulated impacts.

AAFC's Science and Technology Branch will develop and implement an approach over the next three years to better educate, raise awareness and support the research community on the application of GBA Plus considerations within their work and the Call for Proposals process. Efforts will include developing informational materials and leveraging additional tools and resources to better to measure impacts by gender and diversity.

The increased awareness and understanding of GBA Plus impacts on research will result in improved quality of data and help to inform project design and impact assessment. The current GBA Plus question will be reviewed following the education and awareness campaign to determine if the question is sufficient or needs to be expanded while taking into consideration feedback from the research community.

Program Goals

The AgriScience Program under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) provides support for industry-led research, development and knowledge transfer, with the aim of developing innovative agriculture, agri-food and agri-based practices, processes and products to address agricultural sector challenges and increases market opportunities. The Program includes two components: (a) Clusters, which support national not-for-profit, industry-led entities that assemble scientific expertise from industry, academia and government, to address sector or commodity-specific priority issues with a 5-year strategy; and (b) Projects, which are individual, sector-led research activities or small groups of projects that are local or regional in scope.

Target Population

The Program is designed to target a specific sector of the economy (that is, the agriculture and agri-food sector) by providing funding and support for pre-commercial science activities and cutting-edge research.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcome

The program directly benefits researchers (from academia and AAFC) and businesses in the agriculture agri-food sector in Canada, which tend to be dominated by men. This has the potential to benefit businesses owned by men disproportionally based on evidence that there is less representation of women in companies in Canada. Further, women-owned businesses receive less capital due to ongoing biases in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries. In Canada, women occupy less than 25% of those employed in STEM related careers (Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission). Although numbers specific to the Agricultural STEM sector are not currently available, it is likely similar. According to Statistics Canada, although women hold 34% of STEM related degrees, they make up only 23% of those in the STEM workforce.

The program indirectly benefits Canadians at large. The research activities contribute to the development of new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, environmental sustainability, increase value-added and new products. This is expected to lead to job creation across the agriculture and agri-food sector (directly in the farm, in food processing and equipment manufacturing firms) as well as better environmental quality.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The renewed AgriScience Program was launched in April 2023 under Sustainable CAP (2023–28). Program design was informed by a 2022–23 GBA Plus assessment. Analysis of GBA Plus data was used to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers and seek opportunities for enhancing the participation of and support for underrepresented and marginalized groups in the program were considered. As a result, AAFC included plans for enhanced data collection for all programs under Sustainable CAP.

The 2022–23 GBA Plus assessment also helped identify potential barriers to the programming and informed the plans for the design and delivery of the next iteration of the program under Sustainable CAP. The program includes the following measures:

• Introduced an additional cost-share ratio for Indigenous organizations with no stacking limitations.
• Added a dedicated carve-out in the Projects Component to promote and support Indigenous science initiatives.
• Implemented a specialized intake process for applications to the Indigenous sub stream, including a specialized Project Summary Form and co-development support from AAFC's Indigenous Science Liaison Office.
• Provided ongoing assistance, coaching and capacity building related activities to support Indigenous Persons.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

The data supporting the efficacy of the implementation of the mentioned changes to program delivery to influence program outcomes on gender and diversity during 2023–24 is not yet available, as 2023–24 is the first fiscal of the AgriScience program under Sustainable CAP (2023-28) and cannot be compared to the program's preceding years.

GBA Plus data collection plan

AAFC designed an enhanced data collection plan for GBA Plus for Sustainable CAP programs, including AgriScience. The enhanced plan includes collecting information in response to self-identification questions in support of GBA Plus. This includes self-identification data from applicants on the majority ownership of their business, the mandate of their organization, expected direct beneficiaries and information regarding business planning to support diversity, equity and inclusion. This enhanced data collection will allow the program to further disaggregate applicant information to identify who is accessing the program and determine the overall reach and impact on underrepresented and marginalized groups. Program reports are prepared annually.

In addition, as of the 2020-21 reporting period, recipients are required to report on the gender and diversity of the highly qualified personnel (HQP) who were working on funded activities in the final performance report. The collection of disaggregated HQP data under Sustainable CAP utilizes the SimpleSurvey platform. In the new survey, the demographic categories are: location, Indigenous (First nations, Métis, Inuit, Unknown), persons with disability, visible minority and/or racialized group, woman, 2SLGBTQI+ communities, official language minority communities and if they are between the ages of 18 to 35. Additionally, for the Sustainable CAP AgriScience – Cluster Component, applications that lacked involvement of underrepresented groups, in particular Indigenous organizations, approvals included the condition that the recipient developed an approach to strengthen the involvement of these groups as part of the research and outcomes. This approach is part of the funding agreement they enter into with AAFC.

Furthermore, plans were made to start measuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples, women and youth across programs under Sustainable CAP, including this program. In addition to the applicant data collected, AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.

Program Goals

AgriInnovate is a business-facing innovation program that aims to accelerate the demonstration, commercialization and adoption of innovative technologies, processes or services that will make the agri-food sector more competitive and sustainable, while also driving demand for Canadian inputs, addressing priority issues facing the sector, and expanding the availability of cutting-edge technologies for real-world adoption.

Target Population

The AgriInnovate Program is designed to target a specific sector of the economy (that is, agriculture and agri-food sector), by supporting projects that develop and introduce innovative, processes, practices, services and technologies to the market and improve the productivity and competitiveness of the sector.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The direct client base of the AgriInnovate program includes agri-food innovation and technology businesses, which tend to have higher representation of men, so it can be expected that the program disproportionately benefits men-owned businesses. Evidence suggests that there is less representation of women in technology companies in Canada, and that women-owned businesses receive less capital due to fewer women studying in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries. In Canada, women occupy less than 25% of those employed in STEM related careers (Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission). Although numbers specific to the Ag STEM sector are not currently available, it is likely similar. According to Statistics Canada, although women hold 34% of STEM related degrees, they make up only 23% of those in the STEM workforce.

The Canadian economy will indirectly benefit from the AgriInnovate program. The benefits will result from the higher labour productivity due to reduced costs of production arising from investments in innovation, leading to sustainable economic development. As Canada's investment in innovation and technology increases, there will be important benefits to workers, consumers, businesses and government. The adoption of innovation by participating firms will lead to job creation. Lower production costs translate to lower prices of goods and services. Finally, there will be increased commodity production contributing to exports and higher profits for future investments.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The renewed AgriInnovate Program under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) (2023–28) was launched in April 2023. Program design was informed by a 2022–23 GBA Plus assessment and opportunities for enhancing the participation of and support for underrepresented and marginalized groups in the program were considered. As a result, AAFC included plans for enhanced data collection for all programs under Sustainable CAP. The AgriInnovate program offers additional cost-share ratios for underrepresented and marginalized groups; increased stacking of up to 100:0 for priority groups (Indigenous Peoples); and conditional repayable funds to help mitigate the risk with small enterprises, start-ups, and emerging innovators undertaking projects to commercialize or demonstrate significant innovations. More details are included below.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

An AAFC impact assessment of the AgriInnovate program undertaken in 2022 evaluated the effect of the program on the financial performance of participating firms. The study looked at GBA Plus variables and found a positive and statistically significant relationship between the share of women employees in the workforce and the financial performance of a firm.

GBA Plus data collection plan

AAFC designed an enhanced data collection plan for GBA Plus for Sustainable CAP programs, including the AgriInnovate Program. The enhanced plan includes collecting information in response to self-identification questions in support of GBA Plus. This includes voluntary data from applicants on the majority ownership of their business, the mandate of their organization, expected direct beneficiaries and information regarding business planning to support diversity, equity and inclusion. This enhanced data collection will allow the program to further disaggregate applicant information to identify who is accessing the program and determine the overall reach and impact on underrepresented and marginalized groups. Program reports are prepared annually.

Furthermore, plans were made to start measuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples, women and youth across programs under Sustainable CAP, including this program. In addition to the applicant data collected, AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.

Program Goal

The Environment and Climate Change Program is a broad program category capturing the following three programs:

Agricultural Climate Solutions Program has two streams:

• Living Labs aims to accelerate co-development, testing, adoption, dissemination and monitoring of technologies and practices, including beneficial management practices (BMPs), that sequester carbon and/or mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• On-Farm Climate Action Fund supports producers in adopting BMPs in the areas of nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing practices, in order to reduce net GHG emissions and provide environmental co-benefits.

Agricultural Clean Technology has two streams:

• The Adoption Stream supports the purchase and installation of commercially available clean technologies and solutions that address priority areas (for example, green energy and energy efficiency, bioeconomy, and precision agriculture) to reduce greenhouse gas, fertilizer and methane emissions.
• The Research and Innovation Stream supports pre-market innovation activities to help develop transformative clean technologies and enable the expansion of current technologies in priority areas (for example, green energy and energy efficiency, bioeconomy, precision agriculture) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge seeks to advance innovative, scalable and economically viable practices, processes, and technologies that contribute to the net reduction of enteric methane emissions from the cattle sector, specifically cow-calf operations, feedlot, and dairy.

Target Population

The Environment and Climate Change programs category includes programs that are designed to target specific sub-sectors within agriculture and agri-food by supporting the research, development, and adoption of beneficial management practices and technologies that reduce GHG emissions or increase carbon sequestration.

The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge specifically targets cow-calf, feedlot, and dairy operations across Canada. The program is designed to offer financing to innovative ideas proposed by individuals working in STEM fields, who may not have access to similar funding opportunities.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcome

Direct beneficiaries include Canadian farmers, processors as well as producer associations, commodity organizations, Indigenous groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), clean technology businesses, and the agricultural scientific and research community. Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous; 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities.

The direct client base of the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge is expected to be comprised primarily of men. Research on gender differences in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professions points to a lower participation rate for women. In 2021, women made up 29% of STEM bachelor's degree holders. According to the 2022 Labour Force Survey, women accounted for 19.9% of total employment in natural and applied sciences and related occupations.

However, the demographic composition of those in STEM varies significantly. According to the 2021 census of population, in Canada 36% of those employed in Natural and applied science fields identify as racialized minorities, this compares to 26.9% in all occupations.

Climate change impacts can be worse for farmers who self-identify as being within an underrepresented and marginalized group (that is, women, racialized people, Indigenous, etc.). These individuals with farms tend to operate within the smaller revenue classes. Small-scale farms tend to operate on lower margins and therefore have less capital to invest in mitigation/adaptation, have minimal access to crop insurance to recover from catastrophic loss, and have reduced financial security to withstand multiple poor production years.

Indirect benefits coming from more sustainable land management practices, climate change mitigation, and healthier ecosystems will benefit all Canadians. Climate change has clear intergenerational implications, as the effects of climate change are projected to become more frequent and intense in the future. Taking action on climate change will reduce the intergenerational burden we have placed on future generations. The benefits of overall GHG emissions reductions in the atmosphere, one of the main objectives of the proposal, will be especially beneficial to those with compromised or underdeveloped respiratory systems including children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Across all Environment and Climate Change Programs, GBA Plus considerations are applied to inform the design and delivery of the program. Analysis was used to identify potential barriers and seek opportunities for enhancing the participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups in the program. As a result, where applicable, the programs were designed with measures to further support underrepresented and marginalized groups. More specifically: Under the Agricultural Climate Solutions Program, the Living Labs stream offers:

• Flexible design to facilitate equitable participation
• Targeted calls for proposals to address gaps in regional and recipient group distribution
• Dedicated funding and support for collaborations with Indigenous organizations and communities across the country

Under the Agricultural Climate Solutions Program, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund stream offers several flexibilities that may be beneficial to Indigenous recipients, including allowing in-kind contributions as eligible for cost-share, providing flexible application timelines and flexibility with cost-share ratios including facilitating additional cost-share ratios for Indigenous recipients.

For both streams under Agricultural Climate Solutions Program, the contribution agreements include a clause that asks recipients to provide all project-related services in both official languages to ultimate recipients (the program financially supports this).

Under the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, both streams offer the possibility of a 10% additional cost-share ratio (that is, 60:40 for the Research and Innovation) where the majority of the recipient organization (more than 50%) is owned or led by one or more underrepresented or marginalized groups. More details are included below.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge was informed by the analysis of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge, which found that the successful Challenge was supported by a low-barrier application process, a jury made of diverse expertise and lived experience, non-financial supports for networking and business development, a program team that strives towards equity, inclusion and diversity, recognizing that true innovation is only possible when all voices are sought out, and an initial stakeholder engagement in the understanding phase that reflected this.

To promote greater diversity among applicants and solutions, the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge was designed to reduce barriers to participation by traditionally underrepresented and marginalized groups. This includes incorporating non-traditional eligibility criteria and developing a robust promotional strategy that leverages various networks who work with industry, academics, Indigenous partners and youth. During the design phase, the program team interviewed equity deserving groups and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion experts to anticipate and mitigate potential barriers.

GBA Plus data collection plan

The Environment and Climate Change Programs collect and analyze applicant and recipient data to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the program's support for underrepresented and marginalized groups. These data are assessed to measure the program's impact and inform the design and delivery of future iterations of the programming. Program reports are prepared annually.

The Agricultural Climate Solutions Program Living Labs collects GBA Plus data at the application stage so that access and performance data can be disaggregated to examine the reach and impact of the program on specific underrepresented and marginalized groups. This data is assessed in annual performance reporting and results are considered in the design and delivery of the program. The application form asks applicants questions in support of GBA Plus.

In addition, the gender and diversity of the highly qualified personnel (HQP) who were working on funded activities, and the breakdown of underrepresented and marginalized groups in the partnerships established with core producers, will be collected as part of the recipient performance reporting process. However, the data collection survey for HQP will only be conducted in late fall after all the performance reports have been approved.

The Agricultural Climate Solutions Program On-Farm Climate Action Fund collects select GBA Plus-related data at the application stage so that access and performance data can be disaggregated to examine the reach and impact of the program on specific underrepresented and marginalized groups. This data is assessed in annual performance reporting and results are considered in the design and delivery of the program. The application form asks applicants select questions in support of GBA Plus.

In addition, results for some of the program's performance indicators (for example, number of producers implementing new practices or expanding practices on new acres of land with support from the Fund) were disaggregated by underrepresented and marginalized group.

The Agricultural Clean Technology Program – Adoption Stream collects GBA Plus-related data at the application stage so that access and performance data can be disaggregated to examine and report on the reach and impact of the program on specific underrepresented and marginalized groups, and better inform program design and delivery. The Project Summary Form and application forms ask applicants one question in support of GBA Plus.

The Agricultural Clean Technology Program – Research and Innovation Stream collects GBA Plus-related data at the application stage so that access and performance data can be disaggregated to examine and report on the reach and impact of the program on specific underrepresented and marginalized groups, and better inform program design and delivery.

In addition, the gender and diversity of the HQP working on funded activities will be collected as part of the recipient performance reporting process. However, the data collection survey will only be conducted in late fall after all the performance reports have been approved.

The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge collects and analyzes applicant and recipient data to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing the program's support for underrepresented and marginalized groups. The Methane Reduction Challenge collected data at the application stage. This data is assessed to determine the program's impact and inform the design and delivery of future Challenges. Program reports are prepared annually.

Program Goals

The objective of the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program is to help the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector ('agricultural sector') seize opportunities, respond to new and emerging issues, and pathfind and pilot solutions to new and ongoing issues in order to adapt and remain competitive.

Target Population

The Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program is designed to benefit a specific sector in the economy (that is, agriculture and agri-food sector).

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities. In 2021, 41.1% of those employed in food processing were women, 2.7% were Indigenous, 37.1% were racialized/visible minorities, 31.3% were youth and 6.4% were official language minority communities.

Indirect beneficiaries include those whose income and livelihood are reliant on the economic health of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, which includes diverse demographics. Those working in the primary agricultural sector can be considered an aging population.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

The Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program collects GBA Plus data at the application stage so that performance data can be disaggregated to examine the impact of the program on specific underrepresented and marginalized groups. The application form includes self-identification questions in support of GBA Plus. Program reports are prepared annually.

Program Goals

The Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Cost-shared Science, Research, Innovation and Environment Programs contributed to Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) through investments in discovery and applied science for major commodities within the sector, support for minor commodities within the sector, emerging and transformative areas, enhanced efforts in clean growth, environment and climate change, accelerating the growth of the sector, particularly in agri-food and agri-based value-added processing, strengthening knowledge transfer and adoption activities, support for environmental sustainability and climate change initiatives to address agriculture's impacts on natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigate and adapt to the anticipated impacts of climate change.

Target Population

The programs captured here are designed to target a specific sector of the economy (agriculture and agri-food sector). Provinces and Territories deliver programming for the agriculture and agri-food sector specific to their regions.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

According to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector, stakeholders are more likely to be older white men. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of all farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/ visible minorities. In 2021, 41.1% of those employed in food processing were women, 2.7% were Indigenous, 37.1% were racialized, 31.3% were youth and 6.4% were official language minority communities.

Provincial and Territorial census data is also available for the primary and processing sectors.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program are those employed in the primary and food processing sectors, followed by owners and those employed along the value chain ranging from food retail and wholesale, to food service. Further-reaching indirect beneficiaries are members of Canadian society due to the economic impacts of the agri-food sector in terms of creating employment, and the creation of viable communities, particularly in rural areas.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

In 2023–24, FPT governments-initiated implementation of the renewed program under Sustainable CAP (2023–28), including considerations for applying GBA Plus. See the data collection plan for more information.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

Under Sustainable CAP (2023–28), FPT governments committed to collecting self-identification data on the participation of women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples, and integration of GBA Plus considerations into Sustainable CAP performance reporting by measuring the proportion of underrepresented and marginalized groups accessing programs under the Sustainable CAP framework. Program reports are prepared annually. The data is used understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing program support.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada. AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

Program Goals

As part of the suite of BRM programs, AgriStability Program is a whole-farm margin-based program that protects Canadian producers against large declines in farming income for reasons such as production loss, increased costs, and market conditions. While the program is available to all Canadian producers, AAFC is continuing efforts to promote all of its activities to underrepresented and marginalized farmers.

Target Population

The AgriStability Program is designed to target a specific sector in the economy (that is agriculture and agri-food sector). AgriStability is open to Canadian farm businesses that have completed at least six months of farming activities and that would normally file an annual income tax return reporting farming income (loss) to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Status Indians farming on-reserve in Canada are exempt from the requirement to file an income tax return.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

AgriStability, like other BRM programs, is demand-driven and the program provides support to producers who experience significant income decline in any given year. As a result, funding distribution varies every year based on individual farm circumstances and sector conditions.

The program overall is not expected to have differential impacts that are driven by demographics. Rather, participants benefit from the program proportional to the size of their income loss. Program data shows that overall participation in AgriStability is less than 40% of eligible producers and that the participation rate is lower for small farms (with gross revenue less than $250,000). Given that underrepresented and marginalized groups tend to operate smaller farms, it is expected that they are less likely to participate in and therefore benefit from the program. On the other hand, the benefits of the program are restricted for very large farms as the maximum annual payment to an operator is $3 million.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program include all those whose income and livelihood are reliant on the economic health of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, which includes diverse demographics.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Under Sustainable CAP (2023–28), BRM programs are applying a GBA Plus lens to data collection. See the data collection plan for more information.

Key program impact statistics

Not available for 2023–24. See GBA Plus data collection plan.

Supplementary information sources

• Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture
• Farm Financial Survey 2021

GBA Plus data collection plan

Sustainable CAP (2023–28) includes data sharing clauses that include the collection of GBA Plus data for the BRM suite of programs, where that information is voluntarily provided by BRM participants. AAFC aims to begin the voluntary collection of relevant demographic data from producers participating in the AgriInvest program by 2025. This data will inform the Department's work with provincial and territorial partners to finalize a Results Reporting Strategy under the Sustainable CAP framework that will support Gender-Based Analysis Plus of AAFC's business risk management programming, including AgriStability.

Program Goals

As part of the suite of BRM programs, the AgriInsurance Program is a federal-provincial-producer cost-shared program that stabilizes producer income by minimizing the economic effects of production or assets losses. The program is administered by the provinces. The federal government's role is to provide oversight, deficit financing and premium cost sharing. The program does not have specific goals related to GBA Plus.

Target Population

The AgriInsurance Program is designed to target a specific sector in the economy (that is agriculture production). The Program is open to Canadian farmers who produce eligible agricultural products as established by each province. The program is currently available to a large number of producers in all provinces.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The program is available in all provinces to Canadians based on the crop they produce. Currently, the AgriInsurance Program does not collect administrative data on demographics identifying producers as Indigenous Peoples, women, persons with disabilities or young farmers. Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program include all those whose income and livelihood are reliant on the economic health of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, which includes diverse demographics.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) (2023–28), BRM programs are applying a GBA Plus lens to data collection. See the data collection plan for more information

Key program impact statistics

Not available for 2023–24. See GBA Plus data collection plan.

Supplementary Information Sources

• Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture
• Farm Financial Survey 2021

GBA Plus data collection plan

Sustainable CAP (2023–28) includes data sharing clauses that include the collection of GBA Plus data for the BRM suite of programs, where that information is voluntarily provided by BRM participants. AAFC aims to begin the voluntary collection of relevant demographic data from producers participating in the AgriInvest program by 2025. This data will inform the Department's work with provincial and territorial partners to finalize a Results Reporting Strategy under the Sustainable CAP framework that will support Gender-Based Analysis Plus of AAFC's business risk management programming, including AgriInsurance.

Program Goals

As part of the suite of BRM programs, AgriInvest Program is a self-managed government-matched savings account designed to help producers manage small income declines and make investments. A portion of a producer's savings is matched by the government and the money in these accounts can be withdrawn at any time and for any reason. While the program is available to all Canadian producers, AAFC is continuing efforts to promote all of its activities to underrepresented and marginalized farmers.

Target Population

The AgriInvest Program is designed to target a specific sector in the economy (producers in the agriculture sector). AgriInvest is open to Canadian farm businesses who earn income from the primary production of agricultural commodities, except those covered under supply management (dairy, poultry and eggs), in Canada and file the appropriate forms with Canada Revenue Agency.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

AgriInvest, like other BRM programs, is a demand-driven program and as a result, funding distribution varies every year based on individual farm circumstances and sector conditions. Payments to AgriInvest accounts are not linked to demographic factors.

While the program overall is not expected to have negative differential impacts, program participation is limited to producers that earn Allowable Net Sales higher than $25,000. This restriction on access could have an impact on farms operated by people of underrepresented and marginalized groups, given that these farms tend to be smaller. On the other hand, the benefits of the program are restricted for very large farms (with ANS greater than $1 million) as well because the governments' maximum matching contribution is $10,000.

Status Indians farming on-reserve in Canada that are exempt from filing income tax returns are eligible to participate in the program, provided they submit the information they would have otherwise reported for tax purposes.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program include all those whose income and livelihood are reliant on the economic health of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, which includes diverse demographics.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) (2023–28), BRM programs are applying a GBA Plus lens to data collection. See the data collection plan for more information.

Key program impact statistics

Not available for 2023–24. See GBA Plus data collection plan.

Supplementary Information Sources

• Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture
• Farm Financial Survey 2021

GBA Plus data collection plan

Sustainable CAP (2023–28) includes data sharing clauses that include the collection of GBA Plus data for the BRM suite of programs, where that information is voluntarily provided by BRM participants. AAFC aims to begin the voluntary collection of relevant demographic data from producers participating in the AgriInvest program by 2025. This data will inform the Department's work with provincial and territorial partners to finalize a Results Reporting Strategy under the Sustainable CAP framework that will support Gender-Based Analysis Plus of AAFC's business risk management programming, including AgriInvest.

Program Goals

As part of the suite of BRM programs, AgriRecovery Framework is a federal-provincial-territorial disaster relief framework intended to work together with the core suite of Business Risk Management programs to help agricultural producers recover from natural disasters.

Target Population

The AgriRecovery Framework is designed to target a specific sector in the economy (that is, producers in the agriculture sector). AgriRecovery is a framework that enables governments to create initiatives to provide support to Canadian producers impacted by severe natural disaster events.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities.

Indirect beneficiaries of the program include all Canadians and particularly those whose income and livelihood are reliant on the economic health of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, which includes diverse demographics. While the program is intended to help producers respond to the pressures brought on by natural disasters, the program has the potential to increase Canada's food security and sustainability, therefore indirectly benefiting all Canadians.

Furthermore, farm employees will also be indirectly impacted in a positive way, should the farms they work for receive funding supports under the AgriRecovery program. For example, farm employees may indirectly benefit from their farm operator receiving AgriRecovery payments and therefore being able to secure existing employment or create new job opportunities.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership Sustainable CAP (2023–28), BRM programs are applying a GBA Plus lens to data collection. See the data collection plan for more information.

Key program impact statistics

Not available for 2023–24. See GBA Plus data collection plan.

Supplementary Information Sources

• Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture
• Farm Financial Survey 2021

GBA Plus data collection plan

Sustainable CAP (2023–28) includes data sharing clauses that include the collection of GBA Plus data for the BRM suite of programs, where that information is voluntarily provided by BRM participants. AAFC aims to begin the voluntary collection of relevant demographic data from producers participating in the AgriInvest program by 2025. This data will inform the Department's work with provincial and territorial partners to finalize a Results Reporting Strategy under the Sustainable CAP framework that will support Gender-Based Analysis Plus of AAFC's business risk management programming, including AgriRecovery.

Program Goals

Livestock Price Insurance is a risk-management tool which allows producers to purchase price protection on cattle and hogs in the form of an insurance policy. The program is available in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and provides producers with protection against an unexpected drop in prices over a defined period of time.

Target Population

The Livestock Price Insurance Program is designed to target a specific sector in the economy (that is, producers in the cattle and hog sectors).

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Direct beneficiaries include Canadian cattle and hog producers. Among the 53,340 beef cattle farm operators in 2021, 31% were women and 69% men. Among beef cattle farms with gross revenues of $25K and over in 2019, 5% were operated by young operators (under 35 years), 86% had older operators only (35 years of age and older), and the remaining 9% were jointly operated by young and older operators. Among all Indigenous farm operators in Canada, 24.6% operated a Beef cattle farm, and those farm operators represented 2.7% of all beef cattle farm operators, in 2021.

In 2021, 6.2% of hog farms were operated solely by women and 36% were operated jointly by men and women. In 2019, 8% of hog farm operators with revenue $25k and over were under 35 years of age, 78% were 35 years of age and older. Among all Indigenous farm operators in Canada, 0.05% operated a hog and pig farm, and those farm operators represented 0.5% of all hog and pig farm operators, in 2021.

Key program impact statistics

Not available for 2023–24. See GBA Plus data collection plan.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Provinces have agreed to collect and share program participant demographic data and program information with AAFC for Indigenous peoples, women, and youth in cases where participants are willing to voluntarily provide such information. This information may also include demographic data for other underrepresented and marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, racialized groups, 2SLGBTQI+ and members of official language minority communities. If collecting demographic data is challenging, provinces will adjust their program application forms to collect participants' personal information in a way that will allow the province to assign demographic data collected from alternative sources (BRM suite) to Livestock Price Insurance participants via unique identifiers.

AAFC aims to begin the voluntary collection of relevant demographic data from producers participating in the AgriInvest program by 2025. This data will inform the Department's work with provincial and territorial partners to finalize a Results Reporting Strategy under the Sustainable CAP framework that will support Gender-Based Analysis Plus of AAFC's business risk management programming, including Livestock Price Insurance.

Program Goals

The Loan Guarantee Programs include three programs: the Advance Payments Program (APP), and the Price Pooling Program (PPP) under the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act, and the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act Program (CALA).

Through these programs, the federal government guarantees the repayment of loans (APP, CALA) or prices (PPP) in order to improve cash flow and improve marketing opportunities for Canada's agricultural producers (APP), encourage cooperative marketing (PPP), and provide access to the credit needed to establish and improve farming operations (CALA).

Target Population

The Loan Guarantee Programs are intended to strengthen the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector:

• The Advance Payments Program, which is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents engaged in farming in Canada as either an individual, corporation, cooperative, or partnership.
• The Canadian Agricultural Loans Act Program, which is open to all farmers engaged in farming in Canada as individuals, partnerships, cooperatives, or cooperative associations.
• The Price Pooling Program, which is open to Canadian agricultural marketing agencies that market agricultural or value-added products under a cooperative plan.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The programs do not target specific demographics or sub-groups. Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities.

The majority of APP advances are issued on grains, oilseed and pulse commodities. Among grain and oilseed farms with gross revenues of $25K and over in 2019, 6% were operated by young operators (under 35 years). 87% had older operators only (35 years of age and older), and the remaining 7% were jointly operated by young and older operators. Among all Indigenous farm operators in Canada, 19.6% operated a Grain and oilseed farm, and those farm operators represented 1.2% of all grain and oilseed farm operators, in 2021.

Underrepresented and marginalized groups face barriers to entering and advancing within the sector, including difficulty in accessing land coupled with high capital cost, and lack of collateral and start-up funding.

APP is well positioned to help underrepresented and marginalized groups including youth who may have relatively smaller farming operations with limited equity and assets. Security requirements for both the APP and CALA programs may result in barriers to access for Indigenous producers who live on-reserve. AAFC is investigating options to improve program access for Indigenous producers living on-reserve.

Indirect beneficiaries of the programs include those whose income and livelihoods are enabled by a strong agriculture and agri-food sector. All Canadians stand to benefit from an agricultural sector that is economically stable, as well as productive and innovative in their production. This is regardless of identity factors, socioeconomic status, or location.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

In June 2023, AAFC completed a review of programming under the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act (AMPA) and tabled the report before Parliament. While the review found there is a lack of data on APP participation by underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous, women and young (under 40) farmers, it suggested that the program could be more relevant for these farmers as they may be less likely to have access to traditional loans. AAFC began collecting this type of data in 2023 to identify current barriers to participation and for future program policy analysis

Supplementary Information

• Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture
• Farm Financial Survey 2021

GBA Plus data collection plan

In 2023–24, the Loan Guarantees Programs began collecting GBA Plus-related data. Producers may now self identify whether they belong to an underrepresented or marginalized group and their years of farming experience. Self-declaration information is reported to AAFC through the Advance Payments Program Electronic Delivery System by third party delivery agents who administer the program. Collection and analysis of this data will inform future design and delivery of the programs and inform on the programs' reach to and impact on underrepresented and marginalized groups. Program reports are prepared annually.

The CALA online system is administered through the Department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and it currently does not have the capacity to collect, monitor, and report by gender and diversity. However, in response to AAFC's continued implementation of GBA Plus in 2022–23, the CALA program incorporated changes to the program registration form to enable the collection of quantitative data. In collaboration with ISED, system changes are planned for 2024-25 to implement the new registration form that will allow the program to report on disaggregated data starting in 2025-26.

Program Goals

Farm Debt Mediation Service (FDMS) is a legislated financial service that helps farmers in financial difficulties mediate solutions with their creditors. This work is led by neutral third-party financial experts and, as such, the Service does not share or report on this information beyond the number of farmers helped to ensure the privacy of all involved.

Target Population

The Farm Debt Mediation Service is a legislated financial service designed to target a specific sector in the economy (producers in the agriculture sector). According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 60.5% of all agricultural farm operators are over the age of 55.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities.

As the Farm Debt Mediation Service is open to all in the agriculture and agri-food sector, it is assumed that the service's gender and diversity impacts are therefore comparable to the representation of the sector, and its commodities, as a whole. In 2023–24, the Farm Debt Mediation Service received 246 applications, 64% were majority distributed in the following commodities: beef (20%), grains and oilseeds (18%), horticultural crops (14%), and dairy (12%).

Indirect beneficiaries of the service include those whose income and livelihoods are enabled by a strong agriculture and agrifood sector. All Canadians stand to benefit from an agricultural sector that is economically stable, as well as productive and innovative in their production. This is regardless of identity factors, socioeconomic status, or location.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Given the nature of the work, the Farm Debt Mediation Service does not collect demographic data of its applicants. This is to respect the confidentiality and privacy of those seeking out these services. As a result, demographic data on affected groups is from secondary Statistics Canada sources, using the majority commodities of Farm Debt Mediation Service applications as a guide.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

The Farm Debt Mediation Service ensures that communications are done in a manner that all communities are aware of and can make use of the Service if required.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Due to the nature of the Farm Debt Mediation Service being to help farmers that are in financial distress, and one of its top priorities being the privacy of its applicants, the FDMS does not collect sufficient data to enable monitoring of impacts by gender and diversity from its applicant data. Agriculture sector demographics are being used a proxy to inform assumptions on the reach of the service's gender and diversity impacts. Demographic data on affected groups can be assessed every four years from the Census of Agriculture and the Census of Population.

Program Goals

Scientific data supporting safe use and registration of minor uses of pesticides and biopesticides are generated and reviewed. Also, tools, techniques and practices to reduce the risk to human health and the environment associated with pesticide use are made available to producers.

Target Population

The Pest Management Program is designed to target specific regions or sectors in the economy (that is, agriculture sector).

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Stakeholders are more likely to be older white men according to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector. In 2021 2.2% of farm operators were Indigenous; 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities.

In general, all Canadians will indirectly benefit from more sustainable agriculture. Healthy ecosystems are important for the resilience and well-being of all Canadians with a range of benefits that includes healthy, fertile soils that support food systems. Supporting long term sustainable agriculture production in Canada will help maintain the economic viability of farmers as well as ensuring the sector remains competitive in a global context which benefits all demographic groups in Canada. Indirect benefits coming from more sustainable land management practices, climate change mitigation, and healthier ecosystems will benefit all Canadians.

Key program impact statistics

Not available for 2023–24. See GBA Plus data collection plan.

GBA Plus data collection plan

As part of the program delivery, the Pest Management Center (PMC) has a system in place which utilizes Provincial representatives designated as minor use coordinators who engage stakeholders from various provinces and sectors across Canada to collect information on pest management priorities (that is, minor use pesticides and integrated pest management solution needs) for scientific research. These priorities are collated and ranked by province and then used in the priority setting process by stakeholders to determine the research projects to be undertaken by the PMC, which distributes research trials across designated Canadian research sites to meet specific location and crop production zone requirements for regulatory purposes. Although it can be assumed that all Canadians indirectly benefit from a more diverse pesticide landscape supporting healthy, fertile soils that support food systems, greater effort is required to deepen its GBA Plus monitoring/reporting on program impacts, research accessibility, and other areas of opportunity. Moving forward, PMC will work with AAFC's GBA Plus experts to explore how to leverage additional tools and resources to enhance the capacity to measure impacts by gender and diversity.

As an initial step, PMC will explore reporting results of its science by crop type. As AAFC has data on where these crops are commercially grown in Canada, it can determine what regions have the opportunity to utilize the results of PMC's research. These results (by commercial crop type/region) will be reported against starting in 2024-25.

Program Goals

The AgriAssurance Program is designed to benefit the agriculture and agri-food industry, by helping it develop and adopt systems, along with standards and tools to support health and safety claims about Canadian agricultural and agri-food products.

Target Population

The AgriAssurance Program National Industry Association component supports associations in a variety of production and processing sub-sectors to lead projects in the key categories of: food safety, traceability, animal welfare, market attributes and quality standards, and a greater demand for system integration. These projects support all aspects of the supply chain, across a myriad of sectors, to advance diverse priorities from food safety to public trust.

The AgriAssurance Program also has a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) component which represents a smaller proportion of the Program's funding. It is aimed at supporting companies to obtain third-party assurance certifications (quality, food safety, animal care, sustainability, etc.) and recognitions that address international market requirements or domestic requirements for Indigenous Peoples, thus helping expand export opportunities for Canadian agricultural and agri-food products.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

As these systems help producers, processors, and consumers, they benefit a diverse range of Canadians. According to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector, stakeholders are more likely to be older white men. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of all farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities. In addition, 41.1% of those employed in food processing were women, 2.7% were Indigenous, 37.1% were racialized/visible minorities, 31.3% were youth and 6.4% were official language minority communities.

The program is working to encourage participants to identify and support projects that more clearly benefit underrepresented and marginalized groups.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The renewed AgriAssurance Program under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) (2023–28) was launched in April 2023. Program design was informed by a 2022–23 GBA Plus assessment. Analysis of GBA Plus-related data was used to understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and consider opportunities for enhancing the participation of and support for underrepresented and marginalized groups in the program. As a result, AAFC included plans for enhanced data collection for all programs under Sustainable CAP. More details are included below.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

AAFC designed an enhanced data collection plan for GBA Plus for Sustainable CAP programs under the next iteration of programs, including the AgriAssurance Program, under Sustainable CAP beginning April 1, 2023. The enhanced plan includes collecting information in response to self-identification questions in support of GBA Plus. This includes additional self-identification data from applicants on the majority ownership of their business, the mandate of their organization, expected beneficiaries and information regarding business planning to support diversity, equity and inclusion. This enhanced data collection will allow the program to further disaggregate applicant information to identify who is accessing the program and determine the overall reach and impact on underrepresented and marginalized groups. Program reports are prepared annually.

Furthermore, plans were made to start measuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples, women and youth across programs under Sustainable CAP, including this program. In addition to the applicant data collected, AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.

Program Goals

The Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Cost-shared Assurance programs contribute under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) through support for assurance systems, the development of tools and resources to support public trust initiatives, innovation and transparency through evidence-based study, a better understanding of vulnerabilities and public sentiment, and communicating key findings, outcomes and industry activities to the public. These programs addressed animal or plant health surveillance, disease prevention and control in animal or plant production, control and surveillance of medication use and resistance, biosafety, plant and food safety, traceability, emergency measures, and animal welfare and were encouraged to support knowledge transfer activities for agriculture and agri-food stakeholders.

Target Population

The programs captured here are designed to target specific regions or sectors of the economy (agriculture and agri-food sector). The provinces and territories deliver programming for the agriculture and agri-food sector specific to their regions.

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

According to the demographic composition of the agriculture and agri-food sector, stakeholders are more likely to be older white men. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 2.2% of all farm operators were Indigenous, 30.4% were women; 8.6% were youth (under 35 years); and 4% of operators were racialized/visible minorities. In 2021, 41.1% of those employed in food processing were women, 2.7% were Indigenous, 37.1% were racialized/visible minorities, 31.3% were youth and 6.4% were official language minority communities.

Provincial and Territorial census data is also available for the primary and processing sectors.

Indirect beneficiaries of the programs include those employed in the primary and food processing sectors, followed by owners and those employed along the value chain, ranging from food retail and wholesale, to food service. Further-reaching indirect beneficiaries are members of Canadian society due to the economic impacts of the agri-food sector in terms of creating employment, and the creation of viable communities, particularly in rural areas.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

In 2023–24, FPT governments-initiated implementation of the renewed program under Sustainable CAP (2023–28), including considerations for applying GBA Plus. See the data collection plan for more information.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

Under Sustainable CAP (2023–28), FPT governments committed to collecting voluntary self-identification data on the participation of women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples, and the integration of GBA Plus considerations into Sustainable CAP performance reporting by measuring the proportion of underrepresented and marginalized groups accessing programs under the Sustainable CAP framework. Program reports are prepared annually. The data is used to better understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing program support.

In addition to the applicant data collected, AAFC will access data from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, starting as early as 2025, to prepare demographic profiles and measure progress annually.

The GBA Plus data collection plan is also complemented by other data sources, including sector data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.

Program Goals

The African Swine Fever Industry Prevention and Preparedness Program aims to enhance efforts to prevent African swine fever (ASF) from entering Canada and prepare for a potential outbreak. The program supports the industry to: address identified gaps in prevention and mitigation efforts; and develop the tools, partnerships, and activities needed to ensure the early detection of ASF, and an effective emergency response in case of an outbreak.

Target Population

The program is designed to target specific regions or sectors of the economy (the pork industry).

Distribution of Benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Direct beneficiaries include Canadian hog producers and processors. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, 6.2% of hog farms were operated solely by women and 36% jointly by men and women. In 2019, 8% of hog farm operators with revenue $25k and over were under 35 years of age, 78% were 35 years of age and older. Canada's hog farms are primarily in Quebec (31%), Ontario (26%) and Manitoba (24%).

Employees in hog production and processing indirectly benefit from the program. In 2021, 38.5% of those in meat product manufacturing were women and 61.5% men. For the meat processing sector, Indigenous Peoples make up 2% of the meat processing workforce. In 2021, 52.1% of those employed in meat product manufacturing self-identified as a member of a racialized group.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

The African Swine Fever Industry Prevention and Preparedness Program collects GBA Plus-related data at the application stage to enable the monitoring and reporting of program impacts by gender and diversity. AAFC will continue to monitor for impacts throughout implementation of the Program using established program administration and reporting mechanisms. The data is also used understand the program reach, identify potential barriers, and seek opportunities for enhancing program support. Program reports are prepared annually.

Program Goals

This program is not applicable. Return of Payments is used to record repayments to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for programs that have previously sunset. While part of the Department's program inventory, it is not applicable to the purpose of monitoring and reporting impacts by gender and diversity.