2019 Resolutions
2019-01 Farmer’s Privilege
WHEREAS Farmers’ Privilege (the right to use Farmer Saved Seed (FSS)) is enshrined in UPOV ‘91, and
WHEREAS Farmers’ Privilege under UPOV ’91 has been extended beyond production so that conceptually a royalty could be attached to FSS, and in fact has been proposed,
BE IT RESOLVED that AFA resist any attempt to attach a royalty to FSS or to restrict Farmers’ Privilege in any way.
Further, if it can be shown that additional funding for variety research is necessary, preference be given to increasing the certified seed royalty.
2019-02 Public Varietal Research
WHEREAS producers are concerned that private plant breeding corporations may increasingly apply protective measures such as deregulation of popular varieties, limitation on years of use of specific varieties or withdrawal of essential chemical products, and
WHEREAS producers are highly supportive of publicly funded varietal breeding as well as private corporation varietal research,
BE IT RESOLVED that AFA work with like-minded farm organizations and CFA to develop alternative proposals for funding varietal research that will be equitable and satisfactory to both producers and seed varietal breeders but that will ensure a strong public varietal research presence.
2019-03 Tree Nursery
WHEREAS the Indian Head Tree Nursery Program was a successful program that is no longer available,
BE IT RESOLVED that AFA, through CFA, continue to pressure the Federal Government to restore funding for a tree nursery program.
2019-04 National Carbon Inventory
WHEREAS, modern agricultural production increases organic matter in the soil (carbon sinks) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and has been doing so for several decades, and
WHEREAS, the role of agriculture in reducing/storing carbon needs to be fully recognized in Canada’s National Inventory, and
WHEREAS, the current focus on offsets and greenhouse gas emission reduction appears to reward only new activities, rather than recognizing the historical contribution of agriculture, resulting in biological offsets being unavailable for regulated polluters and positive increases in organic matter being unrecognized by Canada,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Canada incorporate into the National Inventory the historic efforts of Canadian farmers in reducing carbon emissions and storing carbon by identifying and incorporating these incremental changes subsequent to 1990.
2019-05 Fusarium
WHEREAS Fusarium Head blight has become established in many areas of Alberta, and
WHEREAS Fusarium Head blight currently is controlled under the Agricultural Pest Act in Alberta which includes zero tolerance making adherence virtually impossible, and
WHEREAS Best Management Practices are being used to control Fusarium Head Blight,
BE IT RESOLVED that Fusarium Head blight be removed from the Agricultural Pest Act in Alberta and placed under the Agricultural Pest And Nuisance Control Regulations.
2019-06 Standardized Grain Contracts
WHEREAS the Alberta Federation of Agriculture has long supported the concept of Standardized Grain Contracts and Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan passed the following resolution at their 2018 AGM:
WHEREAS Producer contracts with grain companies are an integral part of the operations of producers and grain shippers; and
WHEREAS Important contract terms like delivery period, protein and grade discounts are often not transparent or reciprocal between contracting parties; and
WHEREAS Bill C49, The Transportation Modernization Act, allows for reciprocal penalties between shippers (grain buyers) and railways; and
WHEREAS Fines raised from these penalties should be passed onto producers when delivery contracts are extended due to poor rail service;
BE IT RESOLVED That APAS work with governments and shippers to develop a standardized contract that lays out discounts and penalties for non-performance of terms
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Federation of Agriculture supports the Saskatchewan Producers of Saskatchewan in their effort to develop a Standardized Grain Contract.