Agriculture and Agri-Food tackle Ag labour shortages

Ottawa, ON - Mark Chambers has been elected as the new Agri-Food co-chair, joining Mark Wales in the leadership of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Labour Task Force (LTF) as it moves forward with the development and implementation of the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce Action Plan (WAP) to tackle industry labour shortages.

Chambers represents processing and is a Production Manager for Sunterra Farms, a family owned 60,000 hog operation headquartered in Acme, Alberta with value-added meat processing done in Trochu. Wales was previously elected and represents primary production as a vegetable and grain farmer from Elgin County in southern Ontario.  

"The agriculture industry needs more workers," says Chambers. "Labour shortages are affecting current operational success. Finding workers to work and live in small rural communities is very challenging.  We need more workers to meet current production demands and to take advantage of export opportunities offered by new free trade deals."

The WAP initiative is being led by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) and supported by over 60 partner organizations from every aspect of the agriculture and agri-food value chain. The agriculture industry needs a sustainable workforce, in order to remain globally competitive, to take advantage of export opportunities provided by the Federal Government's free trade agenda, and to ensure the security and safety of food for all Canadians. The full Workforce Action Plan is available at: https://www.cahrc-ccrha.ca/workforce-action-plan

Labour shortages have been identified as a leading agricultural business risk management issue in a 2015 report by Farm Credit Canada. Some of the unique challenges affecting agriculture labour shortages include: rural de-population making it difficult for employers to access and attract workers; seasonality resulting in few full-time permanent jobs; and, perishable products including the handling of live animals and plants.

Chambers also Chairs the WAP Policy and Programs Working Group which has just completed a review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in an update to the Workforce Action Plan. The report recommends short, medium and long-term solutions for agriculture labour shortages including a new integrated permanent program for improved access to international agriculture workers. Program improvements are critical at this time to ensure production targets can be maintained and to enable future growth.

"We always recruit and hire Canadian workers first," says Chambers. "But when domestic workers are not available to meet workforce requirements, we need a dedicated Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce Program to hire willing international workers with improved pathways for their permanent residency." 

The Canadian Meat Council and Mushrooms Canada are part of the growing contingent of Contributing Partners for the WAP. 

"In the absence of sufficient workers, the sustainability of Canada's livestock and meat sector is being jeopardized," says Jim Laws, Canadian Meat Council, Executive Director. "When Canadians are not available, we need to be able to recruit international workers to do the jobs that are needed.  The entire supply chain, including farmers, meat packers and processors, Canadian workers, rural municipalities, the national economy, and consumers will benefit," says Laws.

"Canadian mushroom growers rely on the hard work and dedication of both Canadian and international agriculture workers who work hard to help supply nutritious mushrooms to consumers in your local grocery store 365 days a year," says Ryan Koeslag, Mushrooms Canada CEO.  "The Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce Action Plan, outlines an improved, clear, and transparent process to access agriculture workers which our farmers need, complementing our predominantly Canadian work force."

Other Workforce Action Plan Contributing Partners include: Alberta Canola Producers' Commission, Alberta Pork, Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Honey Council, Canadian Nursery and Landscape Association, National Cattle Feeders' Association, and Sask Pulse Growers Association.

As the overarching organization for farm labour in Canada, CAHRC conducts labour market intelligence by working with industry stakeholders from all regions and sub-industries of agriculture. The Council is leading the WAP while also supporting three complimentary studies: agricultural Labour Market Information (LMI) research to identify labour and skill gaps; development of the National Agricultural Occupational Framework (NAOF), an in-depth project researching the exact jobs and skills involved in today's agricultural workforce; and, Supporting the Advancement of Women in Agriculture (SAWA) which is examining and addressing critical barriers to advancement facing women in the industry. Through these initiatives, the Council informs and connects industry, governments, and educational institutions in order to ensure a stable agricultural workforce that sustains the agricultural industry and supports future expansion.

Backgrounder
Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce Action Plan: https://www.cahrc-ccrha.ca/workforce-action-plan

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce Action Plan was informed by representatives from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Value Chain Roundtables which include: Bee Health; Beef; Food Processing; Grains; Horticulture; Organics; Pork; Pulses; Seafood; Seed; Sheep; and Special Crops. 

A recent Farm Credit Canada report lists agriculture labour as the top issue in its "Five key agriculture economic issues to watch in 2015": https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/about-fcc/media-newsroom/news-releases/2014/canadian-agriculture-in-strong-position-going-into-two-thousand-and-fifteen.html