The new five-year ag policy framework between the Government of Canada and the provinces is set to roll out beginning April 1, 2023. Dubbed the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP), the overall agreement is worth a half a billion more than its predecessor, the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Ontario is the first province to reveal what the funding and program model will look like.
SCAP for Ontario that will see “upwards” of $1.77 billion in support for the agri-food sector over the life of the agreement. Through SCAP, $569 million will be invested in strategic initiatives, which is a 25 percent increase over the previous funding agreement, the province says. There will also be roughly $1.2 billion for continued, demand-driven, business risk management supports for farmers.
The agreement will include the launch of the new Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), a funding initiative to mitigate climate change and support the agricultural sector in better addressing sustainability outcomes, the province says.
“The Sustainable CAP is a collaborative effort by the governments of Canada and Ontario to invest in sustainable agriculture, ensure the resilience of production and supply chains and grow the agriculture and food sectors in Ontario,” says Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Building on the leadership of industry, we can seize new opportunities that will allow farmers to contribute to food security here in Canada and around the world, all while growing their businesses.”
Programs under the new agreement “will support the vision and priorities the federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers agreed to in 2021 in The Guelph Statement.”
“Our agri-food sector plays an invaluable role in this province. It is an economic powerhouse and the reliable provider of so many different, safe, high-quality and delicious foods that we all enjoy,” says Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This agreement will create new opportunities to make this world-class sector even stronger and position it to sustainably grow during and well beyond the term of this pact.”
The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a five-year $3.5-billion federal-provincial-territorial agreement beginning in 2023, worth $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion in cost-shared programs.
Details about Sustainable CAP funding opportunities and programming will be posted online as they become available.
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