Policy in Agriculture Webinar Series – Part II: Work It – Labour and Farming in Canada

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10:00 - 11:00 a.m. (MDT)

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Policy in Agriculture Webinar Series – Part II: Work It – Labour and Farming in Canada

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The farming and food supply system provides one in every eight jobs in Canada, with over 2.3 million people employed in various parts of a vast network. The industry also employs more than 9,000 of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW). Even so, there are widespread reports of worker shortages and challenges recruiting and retaining workers, from the field to the research barns and beyond. In addition, many farm households rely on off-farm income to survive.

What can be done to increase Canada’s ability to attract and retain both Canadian and Temporary Foreign workers? How do issues such as workers’ rights, COVID-19, and the perception of work in the ag industry impact this situation? Join The Simpson Centre and The School of Public Policy for our Public Education Series, sponsored by UFA Co-operative Ltd. and UFA’s Rural Communities Foundation to discuss the challenges the Canadian agri-food sector is facing.

Speakers:

  • Beth Connery, Connery’s Riverdale Farms, Manitoba; Chair of the Labour Committee, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
  • Dr. Edward Dunsworth, Assistant Professor, History and Classical Studies, McGill University

Moderator: John Bailey, Simpson Centre, The School of Public Policy

There is no cost to register. Webinar will be hosted via Zoom. Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues that may be interested.

Contact us at sppcomm@ucalgary.ca with any questions.