Danielle Synotte, Executive Director of BC Agriculture Council, speaking at the launch of British Columbia's new provincial task force, in the presence of Lana Popham, BC's Minister of Agriculture and Food.
Photo: Province of British Columbia.
British Columbia Government announced the formation of a new Premier's task force on agriculture and food economy with the aim to ensure BC's food supply and food economy continues to grow in the face of U.S. tariffs uncertainty, and to help farmers find new markets.
This came a month after BC's business and resource sector leaders - including the Executive Director of the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) - released a joint statement urging the government to move quickly from words to action following British Columbia Premier David Eby's speech at the BC Natural Resources Forum, in which he pledged to strengthen the Canadian province's economy through responsible resource development.
Now, in announcing the new provincial task force, BC's Premier said all British Columbians want reliable access to healthy and affordable food. "We must protect our food sources and our agricultural sector in the face of the threat of unfair and damaging tariffs," David Eby said.
"The respected industry leaders in our task force will provide the government with first-hand knowledge of how to prepare and respond to these threats, as we continue to grow our agricultural sector," the Premier continued.
The BC Government explained that the new task force will allow it to work closely with the province's agriculture and food sector to increase the growth and competitiveness of its products. In addition, its members will also recommend how to ensure that British Columbians continue to have access to healthy, affordable food, no matter what happens with U.S. tariffs or a potential trade war.
The task force's work will be guided by diverse, knowledgeable and successful leaders, including primary producers from BC's farming sector, as well as seafood harvesters, food and beverage processors, distributors, and retailers.
Commenting on the creation of the group, Lana Popham, British Columbia's Minister of Agriculture and Food, said the province's agricultural communities have demonstrated time and again how strongly they come together and join forces in times of need.
"By including the voices of farmers, processors, retailers and distributors in this task force, we are including expertise from farm to table in building a resilient and sustainable food system that is competitive and strengthens BC's economy and food supply," she stated.
The group, which will also provide specific recommendations to the government on key issues such as water, land, labor, competitiveness and investment, will hold its first meeting next week virtually, and is expected to meet in person on a quarterly basis for the next 12 to 18 months.
Specifically, the task force will be comprised of 15 experts representing the entire food and agriculture sector.
It will be co-chaired by leadership from the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC), which advocates on behalf of 29 member associations - including the BC Salmon Farmers Association and the BC Shellfish Growers Association -, and BC Food and Beverage, which represents a diverse range of processors throughout the province, along with the deputy minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
"There has never been a more important time for our industry to work collaboratively with key stakeholders and government to ensure the continued growth and competitiveness of the agriculture, processing and seafood sectors in this province," said James Donaldson, CEO, BC Food & Beverage, who added he looks forward to working with the members of the task force "who represent a great cross-section of leaders representing the food system in BC."
For her part, the Executive Director of BC Agriculture Council, Danielle Synotte, noted that British Columbia's agricultural sector has been a major economic contributor and an important piece of the Canadian province's identity for more than a century, but also pointed out that the long-term viability of farming faces several challenges.
"If the economic growth potential of the sector is to be realized, we need to re-evaluate the way we see and value agriculture. The Premier's task force is an opportunity to build a shared vision for the sector that involves innovative ideas and a shift in perspective, focusing on solutions, and BCAC is thrilled to be a partner on this very important work," she said.
Just that, valuing what the sector brings and can potentially contribute to the province's economic growth potential is what BC Salmon Farmers Association Executive Director Brian Kingzett did last month when he said BC salmon farmers could generate CAD 4.2 billion in production between now and 2040.
He did so as part of the joint statement released by BC business and resource sector leaders last month, following Premier David Eby's speech at the BC Natural Resources Forum, when U.S. tariffs were a threat that had yet to materialize but hovered in the air. In this context, Kingzett recalled that BC's salmon farmers contribute more than CAD 1 billion to the province's economy and are vital in small, remote coastal communities, with positive spillover effects that extend to urban areas of British Columbia.
"BC Salmon Farmers could generate CAD 2.5 billion in output, CAD 930 million in GDP and 9000 jobs paying CAD 560 million in wages by 2030 and CAD 4.2 billion in output by 2040, providing sustainable local protein while protecting wild salmon using innovative technologies and practices," BCSFA Executive Director specified.
As WeAreAquaculture reported, a possible trade war between the two countries is a worrying scenario for Canada's seafood sector, for which the United States is the largest export market. In 2023, the U.S. imported CAD 4.9 billion worth of Canadian fish and seafood. According to Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, this accounted for 64% of the country's total seafood export value.
However, as also highlighted, potential retaliatory tariffs from Canada would also spell bad news for U.S. seafood producers. In 2023, the U.S. supplied 31% of Canada's seafood imports, worth more than CAD 1.4 billion and, as we saw earlier this month before the 25% tariffs were put on hold, Canadian supermarkets did not hesitate to empty their shelves of U.S. products to show their rejection of the Trump Administration's threat.
In this scenario, while, as seen, in British Columbia, the seafood sector has decided to join forces with the rest of the food producers and processors to, together with the government, form a common front, on the other coast, in Atlantic Canada, the threatened U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports have led them to take action to boost their fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
Thus, while Nova Scotia has put its efforts into developing new markets elsewhere, looking primarily to Europe and, more specifically to Italy, France and the United Kingdom, Newfoundland & Labrador Government is redirecting almost CAD 6 million in funding in support of "market diversification" for its seafood and fisheries sector.
