GAINING RECOGNITION AT HOME AND ABROAD AND MAXIMIZING INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The success of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector has been founded on its ability to seize opportunities in the domestic and international marketplace. Both industry and governments recognize that sustained growth and increased profitability in the 21st century will depend critically on the sector's ability to continue to compete in an increasingly challenging marketplace both at home and abroad.

Canadian producers face increasing competition from foreign companies in our home market. And in seeking growth through export markets, they face new challenges and a more complex global trade environment. As traditional barriers to trade decline, animal and plant health and food safety and food quality standards will increasingly dictate market access.

Together, all the elements of the proposed Agricultural Policy Framework are designed to provide the infrastructure to help the sector innovate to build on past successes in the marketplace and stay ahead of the competition. It is designed to allow Canada to gain recognition as the world leader in meeting the demands of a highly segmented and rapidly changing world market.

A Comprehensive Strategy

Co-operation between governments and industry is both desirable and necessary if Canada is to translate the full potential of the APF into enhanced prosperity for the sector. It is proposed that governments and industry co-operate on a deliberate and co-ordinated strategy to translate the APF into gains in existing markets and to secure new ones.

In October 2001, governments agreed in principle to a comprehensive strategy to build on the APF by:

• gaining recognition at home and abroad of the industry's capacity to supply safe, high-quality food produced in an environmentally responsible manner, and to innovate; and
• improving global market access opportunities for Canadian agri-food products to maximize the potential of the sector to use a stronger Canada Brand.

In stakeholder consultations, stakeholders affirmed this direction, telling governments that an international strategy to promote the goals and accomplishments flowing from the APF is a fundamental factor for their success in the 21st century.

Gaining Recognition at Home and Abroad

Implementing the APF would position the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector to build on its existing reputation and to brand itself as the world leader in supplying high quality, safe food produced in an environmentally responsible manner, and in responding to the rapidly changing demands of an increasingly complex marketplace.

Gaining recognition at home and abroad for Canadian agricultural products will necessarily be a multi-year process, and would be a partnership between all parts of the sector and federal, provincial and territorial governments. It would require marshalling and focussing of a wide array of activities to ensure that the sector's reputation for enhanced food safety systems, environmental stewardship, innovation and quality is translated into increased opportunities, sales and profitability.

In building Canada's reputation even further in world markets, governments would work with the agriculture and agri-food sector on a number of fronts to ensure that:

• all players have a clearer understanding of the rapidly changing marketplace, including consumer demands in global markets, the sourcing requirements of corporate food buyers in terms of food safety and food quality, and the constantly evolving regulatory and import requirements in foreign markets;
• the APF is implemented in a way that will continue to respond to the demands of the marketplace;
• messages are developed and delivered in a consistent fashion to gain recognition in the marketplace for Canada's leadership in food safety and food quality systems, environmentally responsible production, and product innovation; and
• the sector takes full advantage of its enhanced reputation in both established and rapidly emerging markets.

Maximizing International Opportunities

To secure the benefits derived from gaining recognition for the quality of Canadian agricultural products at home and abroad, governments would work in consultation with industry to ensure that its enhanced reputation leads to increased opportunities in foreign markets for Canadian agricultural products, expanded sales and profitability. It is proposed that this be achieved through a strategy to connect international activities to one another and to focus them on opportunities being created through the APF by:

• improving global market access opportunities for the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector through international trade negotiations and management of irritants;
• Canada will continue to exercise a leadership role in international organizations and fora to influence and shape discussions and outcomes on technical trade issues in a manner that furthers Canada's agriculture and agri-food interests and the APF direction;
• promoting Canada's leadership in the developing world through enhanced capacity-building technical assistance aimed at improving the ability of developing countries to fully participate in a global agriculture and agri-food trading system;
• advancing Canada's international interests through establishing strategic alliances and partnerships; and
• increasing foreign sales and investment opportunities through a national partnership to use the Canada Brand in targeted marketing campaigns in key countries.

Working in Partnership

Gaining recognition for Canadian quality would require a national effort. Governments would commit to work closely with all parts of the agri-food chain, including producers, processors, distributors and exporters, to build a Canada-wide campaign to brand Canada as the world leader in meeting the changing demands of the global food market.

Maximizing international opportunities requires ongoing input from a broad range of Canadians. Governments would continue to consult and collaborate with the agriculture and agri-food sector and a broad range of other interested Canadians as Canada continues to advance its objectives in international fora, including the WTO agriculture negotiations.

• What is the APF?
• Overview: Building a More Profitable Agriculture and Agri-food Sector for Canada
  
• Business Risk Management
  
• Renewal
  
• Food Safety and Food Quality
  
• Environment
  
• Science and Innovation
  
• Gaining Recognition at Home and Abroad and Maximizing International Opportunities