CFA Endorses Cairns Group Ministerial Communiqué

SASKATOON, September 9, 2011: The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) supports the Cairns Group Ministers communiqué and overall, the news release from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, both of which were issued earlier this morning.

"We are pleased to see the Cairns Group Ministers recognize that if a WTO deal is to be reached, it must contain an ambitious and balanced outcome, something that both the Canadian government and CFA have been advocating for quite some time," remarked Ron Bonnett, President of CFA.

The CFA shares the Cairns Group Ministers' disappointment with the lack of progress in the Doha Development round negotiations and still believes multilateral negotiations are the best approach in ensuring a fair and rules-based trading system. However, it recognizes that it is also time to re-engineer the WTO talks to ensure the agriculture negotiations result in a positive outcome for farmers.

 "The outcome of the negotiations must ensure the sustainability and viability of farmers across Canada and around the world," added Bonnett. "This is of paramount importance if agriculture is to successfully meet the challenge of global food security."

CFA also supports the call for stronger science-based trade rules championed by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "For Canadian farmers, non-tariff trade barriers are often the biggest obstacles to gaining entry to international market. For this reason, the CFA is pleased to see that the Cairns Group Ministers have agreed to tackle these issues," noted Bonnett.

Regarding the Canadian Wheat Board, the CFA reiterates its position that farmers must have the right to decide the future of their marketing structures and therefore, asks the government to honour this right by respecting the results of the CWB plebiscite.

Bonnett concluded, "The CFA looks forward to working with Minister Ritz and the Canadian government to ensure that any outcome at the WTO provides real market access for our export-reliant sectors in Canada, while protecting the interests of our supply managed sectors."