| Agency Name: | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada |
| Type: | Department |
| Nativename: | French: Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada |
| Preceding6: | --> |
| Jurisdiction: | Canada |
| Region Code: | CA |
| Minister1 Name: | Lawrence MacAulay |
| Chief1 Name: | Lawrence Hanson |
| Chief1 Position: | Deputy Minister |
| Child1 Agency: | Canadian Dairy Commission |
| Child2 Agency: | Canadian Grain Commission |
| Child3 Agency: | Farm Credit Canada |
| Child4 Agency: | National Farm Products Council |
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC; sometimes Ag-Canada; French: Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada)[1] is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for the federal regulation of agriculture, including policies governing the production, processing, and marketing of all farm, food, and agri-based products. Agriculture in Canada is a shared jurisdiction and the department works with the provinces and territories in the development and delivery of policies and programs.
The minister of agriculture and agri-food (currently Lawrence MacAulay) is responsible for the department to Parliament. While the minister is head of the department, and provides policy/political direction, the day-to-day operations of the department are managed by the deputy minister (currently Lawrence Hanson), who is a public servant.[2]
The Department of Agriculture for Canada was formed in 1867. It was organized under the Department of Agriculture Act, which was passed by Parliament and given royal assent on 22 May 1868.[3]
The first minister of agriculture, Jean-Charles Chapais,[4] and his deputy, Dr. Joseph Charles Taché, were soon presenting important Bills to the House of Commons for the protection and improvement of Canadian agriculture. One of the first Bills was an Act Respecting Contagious Diseases of Animals, passed in 1869. This law gave the chief veterinary inspector, Dr. Duncan McEachran, who was also the dean of medicine at McGill University, authority to prevent the introduction of animal diseases into Canada.
In addition to agriculture, the minister and the department had many other wide-ranging national responsibilities including immigration, public health, censuses and statistics, patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Over time, these other responsibilities were transferred to other departments. For example, the collection of statistics was transferred to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics (now Statistics Canada) in 1918, and healthcare in Canada was transferred to the Department of Health when it was created in 1919.[5]
Today, organizations for which the minister of agriculture and agri-food is responsible for include:
In 2013, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was moved from the Agriculture Portfolio to the Health Portfolio.[6]
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is responsible for a number of laws related to agriculture and food in Canada.[7]
As part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Science and Technology Branch (French: Direction générale des sciences et de la technologies) has the mandate to propose solutions and opportunities based on science to support competitiveness and the sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sector. It is also in the Branch's mandate to provide scientific information to inform departmental and governmental decision processes.
Under the Experimental Farm Stations Act dating back to 1886, farm stations across Canada were established, including the Central Experimental Farm.[8] The officers of these stations had the duty of conducting research in a number of specific areas pertinent to agricultural productivity and conservation, and of making the results of such research known by publication.
Today, the Science and Technology Branch includes a national network of 20 Research and Development Centres and 30 satellite research locations.[9] The Science and Technology Branch has approximately 2,200 employees, including some 400 research scientists.
The goal of all activities is to address the major scientific challenges facing 21st century agricultural production systems:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is also responsible for supporting corporate and local agricultural producers and suppliers. They do this through a variety of programs and services including Agri-Geomatics which develops products and services for internal and external users, and program facilitation.
The department supports market growth through its market access and trade negotiation activities, and it works with Canada's provinces and territories to promote Canadian products. The department also supports industry by focusing on science and technology advances and helping producers mitigate risks.[11]