Canadian Agri-food Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group

Our Canadian agri-food system better serves the people it feeds and is more resilient when equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values as a sector.

Our objective: To foster an inclusive Canadian food system through listening, learning, communicating, and championing.

Our commitment: To bring equity, diversity and inclusion to the forefront of our Canadian agri-food sector by committing to encourage and facilitate Canadian agri-food associations, organizations and individuals to actively work toward DEI objectives; and to learn from the lived experience and share power with marginalized individuals and groups in the agri-food industry.

Individuals and groups in our Canadian food system can act in allyship for equity, diversity and inclusion by helping to cultivate a sector where everyone feels welcomed, supported, valued and empowered. We are committed to listening, learning, communicating and championing within the Canadian food system to fight racism and discrimination in all forms. This incorporates our dedication to awareness of our language and behaviour, changes to policies and procedures, and working collaboratively with all industry partners to address equity, diversity and inclusion within our Canadian food system.

With the efforts of an industry-led Working Group, comprised of individuals from across the Canadian value chain, we aim to be a facilitator within the Canadian agri-food sector via four Guiding Principles:

This group an it’s mandate is committed to continual learning and evolving as we understand more about barriers to equity, diversity and inclusion in the agri-food sector & our role in dismantling them.

We would like to acknowledge that, as a group of representatives from across Canada, we live and work on the traditional territory, as well as current and future home to many First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples. We commit to supporting the Calls To Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

 Resources

• Growing Organic Inclusion Webinar with Canadian broadcaster Jesse Wente and panel of Canadian agri-food representatives
• BIPOC Perspectives in Food Production panel session from the 2020 Arrell Food Institute Summit featuring the voices of BIPOC producers representing different parts of the food system.
• Free course: Indigenous Canada, University of Alberta
• Centre for Regional Food Systems – Racial Equity in the Food System Workgroup Resources (Michigan State University)
• Farm Management Canada. (2021.) “Indigenous Agriculture and Agri-Food: The Path Forward.” Forthcoming on: https://fmc-gac.com/

Canadian Food System Industry Equity, diversity and inclusion Initiatives

• Beef Farmers of Ontario
• Canadian Agricultural Human Resources AgriDiversity
• The Diversity Imperative by Syngenta

Working Group Members (Members representing their organizations in a formal capacity are designated with an *)

Jackie Clark, Better Farming
Jennifer Kyle*, Beef Farmers of Ontario
Eugenie Officer, Farm Credit Canada
Pat Jilesen*, MK&A
Alice Raine*, Arrell Food Institute
Colin Richardson*, Snobelen Farms
Jennifer Wright*, Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC)
John Jamieson*, Canadian Centre for Food Integrity
Bronwynne Wilton*, Wilton Consulting Group
Toni-Anne Sarlo*, Canadian Centre for Food Integrity