Canada: Will poultry products be removed from future trade negotiations?

A political firestorm in Canada is pitting the governing party against the Senate over a Bill C-282, which Members of Parliament have already passed, and which seeks to exempt chicken, eggs and other supply-managed commodities from future international trade negotiations.

Another national political party based in Quebec introduced the bill 2 years ago, aiming to protect the income of Quebec poultry and dairy farmers. Long ago, this party gave the governing party until 29 October 2024 to pass the bill into law or it would cause a national election.  

In what many consider a very inappropriate and desperate move, the International Trade Minister has twice asked the Senate Chair of the foreign affairs & international trade committee to speed up adoption of the bill. “He refused, saying the government had no business telling the Senate what to do.”

Against the bill

Marco Navarro-Génie, an ag industry analyst and president of the Haultain Research Institute,  explains that this law would “prevent the Canadian government from making concessions in international trade agreements that could undermine the supply management system. This is particularly relevant in trade negotiations where foreign countries often seek increased access to Canada’s agricultural markets.”

Former diplomat and international relations commentator Colin Robertson states that “this domestic political gamesmanship has attracted the attention of our trading partners, including the US, which has long defined Canadian supply management as a market-distorting subsidy”.

He adds: “Canada depends on trade to generate two-thirds of our GDP. Anything that hampers our negotiating capacity or limits our opportunity to become a global food superpower…makes no sense. Rather than tying the hands of our negotiators by telling them what they cannot do, let us instead give them maximum scope to create the rules that give us more market access for our goods and services. Because Canadians farmers have demonstrated that, backed by our quality brand, they thrive in fair competition.”

In his statement, Navarro-Génie goes further, calling for an end to supply management. “As Canadians continue to line up at food banks in record numbers, leaders must ask themselves if it isn’t time to stop protecting the interests of a few and stand up for the many. It’s time to end supply management and support a food system that works for all Canadians – not just the fortunate few.”

Support for bill

Phil Mount, vice president (operations) of the National Farmers Union in Canada, has written an article stating that “the Senate needs to do the right thing and pass Bill C-282”.

Chicken Farmers of Canada, Egg Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada and Canadian Hatching Egg Producers recently stated that “supply management has been inherently good for this country over the last half century”.