So far only two federal political parties have released their 2019 election platforms that include agriculture policies – the New Democratic Party and the Green Party. Each ag platform starts from a different perspective but they do have some similarities as to their aspirations. That has to do with their self-proclaimed status as “Progressive Parties” which requires them to submit to politically correct positions on issues even if they defy common sense – no surprise there. The NDP, being the more experienced, is better nuanced at getting to their political aspirations for the ag industry than the hopelessly naive Green Party.
The NDP ag platform is based on their national Canada Food Strategy released in 2014. Its a document that outlines the present state of the ag economy, recognizing that it has developed into a commercial export-oriented industry that contributes billions to the economy along with almost a million jobs across the country. The NDP document implies that the present state is the economic and social reality of agriculture in Canada and they are not advocating any radical changes. For a party that long ago lost any political connection to rural Canada and the ag industry, that alone is rather heartening. However, much of the NDP food strategy involves social issues like food affordability and distribution that are not the role of the ag industry. Other perceived strategy issues like food security and safety are bogus concerns as Canada produces the safest and most abundant supplies of food in human history.
But for an urban-based party with a voter base that is almost totally disconnected from modern agriculture the NDP has to pander to some of the myths and delusions that “progressive city folks” have about food. Their strategy and policy fully embrace the usual pap about how our food supply needs to be locally-sourced (small operations), healthy (buzzword for organic) and sustainable (whatever that means). They want to establish food co-ops, local ag councils and more urban agriculture. Farmers’ markets seem to be the ideal in what they refer to as farm to fork food production and marketing. That’s wonderful, but most folks can’t afford to buy much at trendy expensive organic food outlets and markets. There is also no way such outlets can supply the thousands of tons of food an average city needs every day. Most of these politically correct NDP policy aspirations would require many millions in taxpayer subsidies – no surprise there – it would be a gift to the affluent progressive city folk who vote NDP. Curiously a plank in the NDP platform is a payment protection plan to cover the financial risks of exporting fruits and vegetables. Who knew this was a pressing national calamity that needed to be part of an election policy platform! They seem unaware that financial institutions and government agencies already provide such protections along with seller due diligence.
There is nothing subtle about the Green Party ag platform – they want to dismantle modern commercial agriculture production and marketing in Canada. They call it industrial agriculture, and part of a global corporate conspiracy that pollutes the world and plays a massive part in climate change. Somehow it all has to end and food production needs to return to farming as it was in 1800s. That would mean crop yields would be 50% less and hundreds of thousands would have to return to farm the land – I expect that’s where all those unemployed energy industry workers will be destined thanks to other inane Green Party policies. The Greens want to replace a third of Canada’s food imports with domestic production – that’s a great idea – you can look forward to eating turnips and carrots all winter. Clearly the Green party ag policy platform was designed by folks who have not the slightest understanding of how billions are fed on this planet everyday. But these political food and agriculture delusions do cater to the “progressive mindset”.
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