Grainswest - Fall 2024

Fall 2024 Grains West 18 PERSON PLACE & THING “ Sustainability must consider economic, social and environmental aspects. ” protectionist without any sort of excuse other than it’s their own right. And we’re seeing this being advanced by countries that traditionally have been focused on the liberalization of trade at the World Trade Organization. Thankfully, our gov- ernment is making best efforts to speak to and work against this at the World Trade Organization. But we have got to find allies and build consensus. Of course, with countries like the U.S., we continue to have alignment on liber- alization of trade. But we also see other major ag exporting countries like Brazil come forward that are very pro-free trade. Making sure we can work through our governments and our stakeholder groups to keep advancing that is so important. Internationally, most promisingly for our trade, industry and exports, is the role of the middle class around the world. Canadian cereals are a premium product. They’re used to improve other global va- rieties. When folks enter the middle class around the world, they look to products that are more nutrient dense, have higher protein and higher functionality. Canadi- an cereals can fill that gap. GW: You’ve done a lot of work on sus- tainability for Cereals Canada. How has this area of agricultural policy evolved? MW: It is fascinating. But, of course, it means different things to different people. Most important is how it’s meaningful for farmers. Sustainability must consid- er economic, social and environmental aspects. We lose folks when the dialogue shifts away from economic considerations if it doesn’t make sense. Making sure the economic components are at the front of this conversation is of critical importance. We are seeing some growth in this dialogue internationally. And that’s where Canadian cereals have a fantastic story to tell. We’re low carbon, our fertilizer use is among the lowest in the world, we use our crop protection products judiciously, just like all our international competitors, and our water use is also among the lowest globally. We must make sure we are prop- erly equipped to speak to our competitive and comparative advantages. Making sure that domestically, our governments are aware of all the good things our Canadian farmers do every day, is so very important. GW: How does Cereals Canada contribute to the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (CRSC)? MW: The benefit and value for the CRSC is truly that it is a clearing house for all things sustainability for our industry. And it’s an organization we work closely with. We are well represented on a number of its committees. What I’m most looking forward to is getting the Foundations of Sustainable Crop Production across the finish line over the next several months. [To highlight sustainable crop produc- tion practices used on Canadian farms, the initiative will make this information available at sustainablecrops.ca in 2025.] That’s been a project for many folks in our industry for quite some time. Apart from that, we hope to see a continuation of the organization’s good work. GW: Cereals Canada maintains a market support plan for wheat, durum, barley and oats. What should farmers know about this initiative? MW: Our market support and develop- ment committee meets a minimum of twice a year to review global trends and market priorities and plan our market engagement for the year. We do this with our in-house experts, representatives of member companies as well as producers from our membership. This planning exercise and execution is essential to en- sure we use our resources efficiently and effectively and work to maintain and grow our international markets. GW: What direction have you taken in your leadership role with Cereals Canada’s long-term government relations engagement strategy? MW: The most meaningful part of my direction as a government relations pro- fessional is consistency, candour and just being agreeable. While we don’t have a permanent presence in Ottawa, I’m there at least quarterly, working with officials, MPs, staffers and ministers to make sure folks are apprised of our sector’s issues. And as issues arise—whether it’s trade, science or export related files—that might negatively impact our sector, we can speak to those and work with folks to get them resolved. As a government rela- tions professional, you need to have those frequent touch points with folks to make sure your issues remain on people’s radar. GW: Following a two-year hiatus for COVID, the Cereals Canada New Wheat Crop Trade and Technical Missions resumed in December 2022. Why are these meetings so important? MW: The in-person engagement with our international customers is important as a piece of cultural goodwill but also to maintain our competitive position in markets around the world. North Americans are quite happy to have phone calls and virtual meetings. However, we’re alone in that regard when it comes to the rest of the world. In many of our key international markets, if we don’t maintain those relationships in person, folks might not look to us as a preferred supplier. Our international competitors know this. France, Australia, the U.S. and Germany all have a permanent, on- the-ground, cereals focused presence in their top international markets where we compete. Making sure we meet in person at least once a year is essential so we can maintain, and in some cases defend, our international positions in markets.