FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURAL AND AGRI-FOOD POLICY FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
PART TWO - CHAPTER COMPONENTS OF THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
SECTION D - RENEWAL
27 DEFINITIONS
27.1 In this Section:
"beginning farmers" means, subject to an applicable provincial statutory definition, individuals who are entering or are in the process of establishing a farm either through a farm transfer or the establishment of their own farm;
"farm transfer" means transferring ownership of farm assets, either through succession, sale or other disposition thereof; and
"farmers planning a farm transfer"means individuals who plan to withdraw from farming, either through a farm transfer or through a career change.
28 COMMON GOALS
28.1 The Parties agree on the following renewal outcome goals for farmers:
28.1.1 to increase their profitability;
28.1.2 to enable them to make choices about sources of income;
28.1.3 to help them meet market and consumer demands respecting food safety and food quality and environmentally-responsible production; and
28.1.4 to help capture opportunities from science and innovation.28.2 The Parties agree on the following renewal management goal:
28.2.1 to ensure farmers have access to public and private sector programs and services that will,
28.2.1.1 help beginning farmers acquire the requisite skills, knowledge, tools and risk management opportunities to be successful farm operators;
28.2.1.2 help farmers upgrade management and technical skills, particularly as these skills relate to environmental management, food safety and food quality, new products and markets, and science and innovation;
28.2.1.3 help farmers choosing to pursue alternative income opportunities develop the requisite skills to do so;
28.2.1.4 help farmers planning a farm transfer to have the skills and options necessary to ensure a successful transition out of farming; and
28.2.1.5 help farmers to,
a) assess the performance and potential profitability of their farm business;
b) enhance their ability to make business management decisions; and
c) explore and develop market opportunities.
28.3 For the purposes of clause 28.2, the targeting of programming will be established in the Implementation Agreements in a manner that respects the jurisdictions of the Provinces and Territories in the areas of training and education, and such targeting may vary in accordance with the composition of the agricultural sector in different Provinces, Territories and regions.
29 TARGETS AND INDICATORS
29.1 The Parties agree that targets and indicators respecting the Common Goals for Renewal will be established in the Implementation Agreements.
29.2 The Parties shall refer to Annex 2 of the Framework Agreement, either in whole or in part, for the purposes of selecting targets and indicators referred to in clause 29.1.
30 IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES
30.1 The Parties agree to support and develop networks, before the end of the Implementation Period, relating to scientific and innovative advances so as to create new economic opportunities for farmers by:
30.1.1 promoting research to increase the transfer of technology resulting from advances in science and innovation;
30.1.2 improving the dissemination of information relating to science and innovation; and
30.1.3 establishing or further developing programs to foster new economic opportunities through to commercial feasibility.
30.2 The Parties agree, before the end of the Implementation Period, to facilitate access to capital for beginning farmers and farmers expanding their business or moving into value-added and diversified production by:
30.2.1 improving access to, and awareness of, services that assist farmers in securing financing for farms and other agri-business ventures; and
30.2.2 encouraging private investors to engage in farm and agri-business opportunities.
30.3 The Parties agree, before the end of the Implementation Period, to support the enhancement of public and private management and consulting services providing business and succession information. Support may be provided by:
30.3.1 using contracted expertise or public expertise, or any combination thereof, to deliver services;
30.3.2 creating greater awareness of advisory services in the private sector; and
30.3.3 improving access to advisory services and training, including the possibility of implementing a voucher system to access both public and private advisory services.
30.4 The Parties agree to develop options to respond to situations where farmers may not otherwise qualify for, or be adequately covered by, risk management programs.
30.5 The Parties agree to make benchmark management and marketing information available to assist farmers in enhancing their profitability.
30.6 The Parties agree to establish, before the end of the Implementation Period, a joint public and private process to develop a consensus on the types of skills, including regional and sector specific skills and other labour market information, that are needed for the future development of the agriculture sector. When those processes already exist in a Province or Territory, the roles and responsibilities of that Province or Territory will be respected.
30.7 The Parties agree to help change attitudes and behaviours regarding advice and business planning, to make a follow-up service available to assist farmers in making decisions on their future and to increase awareness of renewal programming. The Parties agree to adopt such measures as:
30.7.1 support mechanisms such as farm management clubs, "syndicats de gestion" and beginning farmer networks;
30.7.2 develop access to mentoring, networking and peer support; and
30.7.3 provide access to available information regarding best practices used by the most profitable farms identified by region and sector.
30.8 The Parties agree to promote learning opportunities in business management, environmental management, food safety and food quality in order to meet the objectives of the Framework Agreement.
30.9 The Parties agree to provide access to training and support programs for farmers who, in their pursuit of off-farm options, choose to further develop and apply their skills to other career-related activities.
31 CO-OPERATIVES
31.1 The Parties recognize that co-operatives have long been important to the development of the agricultural sector, and, for the purposes of the Framework Agreement, constitute a risk management and renewal tool.
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| Date Modified: 2005-04-20 | Important Notices | |
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