As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada, in cooperation with the provinces and territories and taking into account regional differences in agricultural production, review its Business Risk Management programs before they expire in 2028 to ensure they are timely, responsive, and predictable for producers facing profitability challenges and climate change-related risks and that it identify and remove gaps in these programs for horticultural producers, including:

• AgriInsurance’s lack of commodity-specific plans at the provincial level for edible horticultural growers;
• AgriStability’s capacity to assist producers experiencing market fluctuations in a timely manner and how changes to the program since 2013 have affected its ability to respond to producers’ needs;
• AgriRecovery’s timeliness, including ensuring that producers receive compensation more quickly in order to make it a tool to respond immediately to extreme weather events;
• increasing permanently the Advance Payment Program’s interest-free cash advance portion to $350,000; and
• examining opportunities to compensate producers for past and present environmental investments in their businesses and helping them to adopt more sustainable and resilient practices.

Recommendation 2

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada reverse its requirement forcing farmers to maintain empty houses for temporary foreign workers who choose to live on their own.

Recommendation 3

Recognizing the importance of housing for seasonal workers and to improve cash flow for farmers, the Committee recommends that the Government of Canada introduce a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) input tax credit for housing provided to farm workers.

Recommendation 4

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada take the following measures with respect to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program:

• continue to streamline access to the Program for employers who demonstrate long-term compliance with its standards through the Recognized Employer Pilot program;
• coordinate efforts between relevant federal departments to ensure all employers adhere to the Program’s worker protection standards; and
• review the agriculture facility inspection process to ensure that inspections are conducted in person and are administratively reasonable.

Recommendation 5

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada establish critical support for Canada’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector by encouraging the Senate’s speedy adoption of Bill C-280, the Financial Protection for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farmers Act.

Recommendation 6

In the event that the current negotiations fail, the Committee recommends that the federal government lead a consultative process with the provinces and territories, in keeping with their jurisdictions, to implement a voluntary Grocery Code of Conduct.

Recommendation 7

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada ensure that border officers have the necessary resources to enforce reciprocity standards and recognize non-compliant products.

Recommendation 8

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada pause its proposed ban on price look-up (PLU) labels and Pollution Prevention Plan Notice for Primary Food Packaging and continue to consult with industry and work with trading partners, notably the United States.

Recommendation 9

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada work with provinces, territories, and municipalities to support produce industry shifts toward new technologies like compostable and biodegradable materials to replace plastics in Canada’s food chain.

Recommendation 10

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada work in partnership with the United States and other trusted jurisdictions to share information and scientific evidence in order to make the agricultural product registration process more efficient while:

• maintaining Canadian expertise;
• upholding high standards;
• maintaining high environmental standards based on science; and
• increasing funding for the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and the Pest Management Centre.

Recommendation 11

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada maintain the extended test market authorization for nectarines and immediately complete the work of modernizing grade standards for the sector.

Recommendation 12

The Committee recommends that, given the market growth potential of the organics sector, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, take the following measures with respect to the organic agriculture sector:

• develop a policy framework for the organic sector to facilitate its growth and increase its competitiveness in the international marketplace;
• prioritize the signing of organic equivalency agreements with other countries;
• continue to resolve non-trade tariff barriers to international trade in organic products; and
• provide complete and permanent funding for the review of the Canadian Organic Standard, which takes place every five years.

Recommendation 13

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada work with the provinces and territories, in full respect of their jurisdictions, to identify financial and policy mechanisms to encourage new producers to enter the horticultural sector and to help existing small producers to scale up their operations.