Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s role in emergency management

In Canada, emergencies are managed first at the local and then at the provincial or territorial level; if they need help, the province or territory can ask the federal government for more resources.

For further information on provincial/territorial activities, visit Emergency management organizations.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada collaborates with provincial and territorial governments, industry, and other partners to protect Canada’s agricultural resources and to improve current emergency management practices. This is achieved through:

  • information and tools to identify and help manage potential risks
  • management of risk on farm operations
  • development and implementation of plans, tools, and a range of programs
  • guidance to implement prevention strategies

Activities include:

  • supporting industry risk mitigation/prevention through incentive programs (for example, AgriAssurance)
  • preparing for emergency events through development of plans, protocols, and exercises
  • monitoring events as they unfold; convening stakeholders, provincial and territorial governments, and other federal departments to identify/resolve issues by providing ongoing situational awareness (for example, situation reporting)
  • responding and supporting recovery through financial and non-financial support

Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments also collaborate with industry to develop tools and approaches to help prevent or lessen the impact of, prepare for, respond to and recover from agricultural emergencies.

As emergency events continue to increase in size, scope and frequency, efforts to prepare for emergency events are more important than ever. Through collaborative efforts of industry and all levels of government, we can strengthen the resiliency of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.

Other federal and national initiatives

AAFC participates in broader emergency management and national security initiatives that impact the agriculture and agri-food sector:

Contact Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

For more information about the work on agriculture emergency management, please send an email to aafc.agem-guag.aac@agr.gc.ca.