Grainswest Tech 2021

Tech 2021 Grains West 26 or gives people more of a choice. If the original equipment manufacturers can close off that market, do they really have an incentive to produce variations of equipment that meet specific needs, if they can force people to buy a one- or three-size-fits-all model?” A recent R2R triumph in the auto sector has proven instructive for the R2R fight in Western Canada, said Dade. “There have been attempts in the U.S. to get the auto industry to negotiate on a state-by-state level. This was the preferred method by state legislators—before we just go in and make legislation, let’s negotiate, let’s work out a solution. Time after time after time, what the auto manufacturers were able to do was to stymie the process. “But finally, in Massachusetts, a couple of the autobody shops and their lobbyists were able to get a couple of state legislators to put a ballot amendment out,” he said. Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved the 2012 ballot amendment setting a non-proprietary, on-board diagnostics standard. This meant consumers would no longer have to visit authorized dealerships for diagnoses. In 2020, Massachusetts passed a similar ballot that requires a standard open-data platform on cars produced after 2022. “It was only when that process of negotiation was affected by a direct ballot measure that you actually sawmovement in Massachusetts, and that caused the entire dam to break and industry was forced to the table,” said Dade. “So, this negotiation process sounds very good. It sounds very reasonable,” he said, and added that in Canada, negotiation has been the preferred option. “It gave the appearance of action while ensuring that no real action could be taken.” However, it was only after the Massachusetts breakthrough that American automakers changed their policies to match the new precedent, Dade said. Canada was grandfathered into the new policy. “We did nothing but benefit from the movement in the U.S.,” he concluded. Western Canadian farmers can hope the American R2R movement makes inroads on farm equipment standards, or they can take the initiative themselves. A FAIR DEAL Dade believes the creation of a framework that supports both the public good and the interests of industry will require compromise. It must also reflect that in Western Canada, regulation has always put conditions on manufacturers to protect the larger public good. “What we’re talking about with interoperability is updating that regulatory framework. We’re simply updating it to reflect the fact that software has become so important.” He said since industry negotiations have failed to produce results, the best path forward would be through new legislation. “This is where I get into trouble— farmers are going to have to get up off of their duffs and make this an issue,” he said. “If they’re stuck without choice, farmers will have no one to blame but themselves.” Farmers and crop groups have addressed equipment manufacturers about these concerns for a long time, said Toma. He added, the best case scenario would be for manufacturers to make the changes themselves. “Legislation and regulations should be the avenue of last resort,” he said. “Unfortunately, their total unwillingness to even have a conversation is making it look like this the only avenue. “But if they were to come forward and say, ‘You know what, we can do this,’ rather than try to have a monopoly on repair services, it would probably make their customers a lot happier.” FEATURE Carlo Dade, director of the Canada West Foundation’s Trade and Investment Centre believes the creation of a framework that supports the public good and the interests of industry will require compromise. Photo:Shutterstock