Private Members Bill looks to limit the government's power to make market access concessions relating to supply management

Feb 15, 2023

There's a lot of interest in a private members bill put forward by Bloc Quebecois MP Luc Thériault.

Bill C-282 is a bill to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act - relating to supply management.

The bill would legislate the protection of supply-managed sectors in Canada by ensuring the federal government does not make market access concessions in future trade deals for supply-managed products like dairy, eggs and poultry.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has come out in support of the Bill.

Mary Robinson, President of the CFA says by voting for this Bill, politicians will be able to show their true support for supply-managed farmers and allow those farmers to rely on the law rather than rhetoric.

"It can be frustrating to watch promises fizzle when push comes to shove, and supply-managed farmers have seen successive governments renege on their promise to not allow further market access for supply-managed products."

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.