Work It - Labour and Farming in Canada

The farming and food supply system provides one in every eight jobs in Canada, with over 2.3 million people employed in various parts of a vast network. The industry also employs more than 9,000 of Canada's Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW). Even so, there are widespread reports of worker shortages and challenges recruiting and retaining workers, from the field to the research barns and beyond. In addition, many farm households rely on off-farm income to survive.

What can be done to increase Canada’s ability to attract and retain both Canadian and Temporary Foreign workers? How do issues such as workers’ rights, COVID-19, and the perception of work in the ag industry impact this situation? Join The Simpson Centre and The School of Public Policy for our Public Education Series, sponsored by United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Ltd. and UFA’s Rural Communities Foundation to discuss the challenges the Canadian agri-food sector is facing.

Friday, June 24, 2022
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. MST

Speakers:

Beth Connery, Connery's Riverdale Farms, Manitoba; Chair of the Labour Committee, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
Dr. Edward Dunsworth, Assistant Professor, History and Classical Studies, McGill University

Moderator:

John Bailey, Simpson Centre, The School of Public Policy

The School of Public Policy and the Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy is pleased to host the Simpson Centre Public Education Series, sponsored by UFA and the RCF.

This series focuses on the intersection of environmental and economic goals when considering agricultural policy.

The Simpson Centre mobilizes research for better policymaking and decision-making to realize a more sustainable agricultural industry. Strengthening the sustainability of agri-food and agribusiness means increasing food production to feed a growing global population, while attending to social and health impacts and the natural environment. We connect researchers, everyday people, industry stakeholders and government actors to scientific issues critical to the future of Canada’s agricultural and food system.