Championing Agricultural Research and Innovation

On November 28th, 2017, “The Hill” was targeted for championing the role of Agriculture in the Canadian economy.   This was done through a Lobby Day organized by the Agricultural Institute of Canada (AIC).    The tone for the Lobby day was set during an early morning closed session, when perspectives were shared by leaders in Agriculture – drawn from the production, innovation and communication sectors. There, the now well-quoted “Barton Report”: Unleashing the Growth Potential of Key Sectors,  reinforced the optimism for Canadian agri-food sector.

The tight schedule of meetings with Members of Parliament, Senators, Standing Committee and Caucus members was however where the advocacy really took place.  The main messages that were reinforced included the fact  that Canada could more than double its current agricultural production with concerted and resourced efforts  and also that with innovation and value-added, Canada was well positioned as a world leader in Agriculture.

Through groups of 4 -5, member organizations and sponsors of AIC spoke to their specific role and vision for enabling the Canadian agri-food sector to soar.  The IICA Delegation in Canada participated in meetings with hand-picked Parliamentarians and sensitized them to IICA and its potential to connect Canada and Canadian agriculture with the rest of the Americas.  An open invitation to utilize the platform that IICA offered for conducting joint research, sharing knowledge, technologies and innovations for mutual benefits  was given by the Representative, who was pleased to later meet the Minister of Agriculture informally.

For more information:

Dr. Audia Barnett

Audia.barnett@iica.int