Canadian farmers lost $1.5 billion in 2014 because they could not find people to work. In 2020, COVID further exacerbated this chronic labour shortage, pushing Canadian farmers’ losses to $2.9 billion in revenue. This is equivalent to 4.2% of the sector’s total sales.
“CFA has been calling to develop a national labour strategy for decades, and we are very pleased to be partnering on this project. An initiative such as this is sorely needed to to not only help unlock the potential growth of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sectors, but also to ensure the long-term health of our Canadian food supply chain,” added Robinson.
The National Workforce Strategy for Agriculture and Food and Beverage Manufacturing will be a two-year project. The first year will gather information about programs and services that already exist, identify gaps and recommend new programs and tools. The second year will see the development of the National Workforce Strategy for Agriculture and Food and Beverage Manufacturing.
The strategy will outline a vision for the future, priorities, and stakeholder commitments, then map out the actions and tools needed based on the research findings.
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