Risk Management Study of Government Impacts on Agriculture

The paper reports on the outcomes of a Canadian study to examine risk management issues of government impacts on agriculture. The study considered public policy impacts related to agriculture, and provided an initial analysis of the risks created through multi layers of legislative and regulatory decisions. Evaluation work was at four levels of government; international, federal, provincial, municipal, as well as at the community level. Research showed an absence of analysis, documentation, studies and findings about how government decisions influence farming, and the associated costs inside the farm gate. The initial analysis has involved detailed studies in four Canadian provinces, and survey work in the other provinces and territories, and showed farmers are working with an increasing number of government acts, regulations, and administrative rules from both domestic and international governments, and trade and commodity stakeholders. The results are conflicting, overlapping, and duplicated public policy. The analysis showed there are added costs of food production in a society that expects food to be safe, of high quality, readily available, and inexpensive. Additional costs due to legislation are largely absorbed by the producers with limited opportunity to pass on those costs to the consumer. The report provided SI recommendations supported by four implementation plans. Phase Two of the project, to examine the remaining provinces and territories, and provide the first comprehensive national study, is the next step.