About Us

Key Activities

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is working, in collaboration with International Trade Canada (ITCan), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and other government departments and agencies to improve and secure market access and achieve a more level playing field in international markets for agriculture and agri-food products.

To this end, we are promoting and defending the interests of Canadian farmers and agri-food processors in various international agriculture negotiations and trade disputes, while monitoring and seeking to influence policy developments in key countries, using tools such as trade advocacy, and agri-food specialist positions in selected embassies abroad.

Among our key activities, we are engaged in agricultural trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), and in regional and bilateral trade negotiations. AAFC also manages a number of bilateral agricultural trade issues with Canada's major trading partners, including negotiating the resolution of trade irritants and trade remedy cases related to Canada's obligations and participation in the WTO and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

AAFC represents Canada's agricultural trade policy interests in a number of international fora such as the WTO's Committee on Agriculture and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Committee for Agriculture. We also work closely with other government departments to advance Canada's interests in other international fora, such as the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Other activities include gathering information on agriculture and agri-food trade and on border measures affecting trade, with a view to assisting industry and facilitating exports by identifying any changes in market access opportunities. AAFC also seeks to ensure that domestic agricultural policy is consistent with international trade rules.

AAFC places a high priority on consulting with Canadians on an ongoing basis about its various activities.

For more information, please contact:

Steve Verheul, Chief Agriculture Negotiator at (613) 759-7677

Blair Coomber, Director General, International Trade Policy Directorate at (613) 769-6098