Red tape is a growing concern for agriculture

For years, farmers and the agribusiness sector have been saying the same thing: Canada’s regulatory system is stifling innovation and competitiveness.

Whether it’s waiting years for access to new tools already in use elsewhere, navigating duplicative paperwork or dealing with slow regulatory decisions, unnecessary bureaucracy is steadily eroding Canadian competitiveness across the agricultural value chain, ultimately threatening the future viability of farming.

Canada was once a leading destination for plant science research and investment. That reputation has diminished, thanks to an increasingly slow and unpredictable regulatory environment.

Over the past decade, average approval timelines at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency have nearly doubled, even as applications for new crop protection products have fallen by roughly 50 per cent.

While Canadian farmers wait, international competitors gain earlier access to new tools that improve productivity and sustainability. This is more than an industry frustration — it is a growing competitive disadvantage for farmers.

The effects of red tape don’t stop at the farmgate.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’s Red Tape Report, Canadian businesses spend on average 32 days every year navigating red tape, with cumulative regulatory costs exceeding $50 billion. This burden falls disproportionately on smaller businesses, such as family farms.

Paperwork doesn’t seed fields or harvest crops, and its impact on agribusiness is concerning. CFIB’s Agriculture Snapshot states 68 per cent of farmers would not encourage the next generation to run a business.

These realities were confirmed by the House of Commons’s agriculture committee in December. After hearing directly from nearly 50 witnesses, including Croplife Canada and CFIB, its report was clear: red tape is a real and growing threat to agriculture, and more must be done to address it.

The committee’s 26 recommendations include the need for more timely and transparent decisions, better use of digital tools and a greater focus on the economic impact of regulatory decisions. They are strong steps in the right direction.

If implemented by the federal government, these changes would increase economic growth and get safe, innovative products to market faster and at a lower cost — a win for farmers, consumers and the environment alike.

Farmers and the agribusiness sector deserve a regulatory system that works as hard as they do — one that supports innovation, respects science and keeps Canadian agriculture competitive for the long haul. It’s now up to the federal government to turn these parliamentary recommendations into reality.

Pierre Petelle is president and chief executive officer of Croplife Canada. Corinne Pohlmann is executive vice-president, advocacy of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.