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Alliances For Recapturing Wealth on the Canadian Prairies
2001
Conference Executive Summary
Introduction
Agricultural Renewal Alliance (ARA)
Conference Organizing Committee for 2000 Conference
Sponsors
Conference Agenda 2001
Conference Workshop Results
Speakers
  Tom Isern - Rural Historian, NDSU
  Bill Patrie - ND Rural Electric Cooperatives
  Erik Eising - Can. Organic Livestock Assoc.
  Brian Kelly - Kelly Associates, marketing consultants
  Jeff Lawson - Producer
  Stuart Laidlaw - Toronto Star Editorial Board
  Hugh Maynard - Editor, Quebec Farmers' Advocate
  Rod McRae - World Wildlife Fund
  Brian Gray - Ducks Unlimited Canada
  Cam Harder, Rural Ministry

Conference Executive Summary

To recapture wealth on the Canadian prairies people must work together.

Under the new context of limited institutional supports for local rural enterprise in western Canada the strength in independence which has been a hallmark of those who live and work on the Canadian prairies must be balanced with cooperation via alliances which are focused on supporting local rural enterprises.

This was the message we heard from those who attended the conference in 2001. This theme was addressed by keynote speakers from outside Western Canada as well as by the numerous stakeholders in Manitoba's agricultural community (primarily producers) who attended the conference. The resulting dialogue was both wide-ranging and complex and it served to explore how and why alliances were necessary in order to recapture wealth on the Canadian prairies.

The challenge of developing a strategy to explore, develop and exploit alliances designed to recapture wealth on the Canadian prairies was one to which participants turned their attention during the workshop sessions. No single comprehensive plan of action was formulated but several noteworthy elements did emerge and these are of significance to various stakeholders in the agricultural community.

Farmers:

  1. Must accept and/or look for local leadership.
  2. Must overcome their inclination to work alone and forge alliances among themselves to increase buying power and marketing clout, to reduce fixed costs, to benefit from management and labour synergies and to develop their enterprise skills.
  3. Must devote time and effort to building strong community relations with their farming and non-farming neighbours.
  4. Must forge alliances with the consumers to whom they sell the goods and services that they produce in order to better insure market access for their product and to attempt to increase their fraction of the public's food bill ; as well, by creating strategic alliances with groups of non-farming people producers will be able to exert some meaningful influence on the political process.
  5. Must systematically plan and prepare for the transfer of the family farm to the next generation without burdening their sons and daughters with a crippling debt load.
  6. Must view themselves as problem-solvers; crisis presents opportunities; with increasing standardization and corporatization comes the opportunity to reach out to people who want something different.

Governments:

  1. Must consider the value of alliances committed to local rural enterprise and look for ways to facilitate alliances that benefit rural enterprises.
  2. Must recognize the multi-functional role that farmers play in Western Canada and how broader societal alliances can bring a realization of the benefits of this multi-functional role.
  3. Must provide extension services to rural communities that provide unbiased support for local enterprises and which facilitate the creation of formal and non-formal alliances.
  4. Must look for ways to facilitate the transfer of farms from the current generation of farmers to the next; taxation issues, credit, apprenticeship programs, a family farm foundation all warrant close examination in this area.
  5. Must provide the financial resources for local rural enterprise-focused research; the present system of grants is restrictive in that it forces members of the research community to obtain seed money from industry before public dollars can be accessed. Local rural enterprises often do not have sufficient capital to fund extensive research efforts and much research is co-opted by industries which may have limited local or regional rural commitment.

The non-farming public:

  1. Must be reconnected to farming in order to secure their support in the marketplace as well as in the political arena; this can be accomplished through various strategic alliances with consumer groups, through advertising, through the school system and through food networks (like farmers' markets) where primary producers and the public are afforded the opportunity to interact.
  2. Must be made to benefit from a rural renewal. Strong rural communities come about as a result of a rural economic sector that is not only productive but prosperous and populous. For example, you need people on farms, not just production from farms; people buy groceries and hardware and services, attend churches and schools, play hockey and curl. Producers, not production per se, build strong communities.

The research community:

  1. Must resist the inclination to work alone, and via broader collaboration within and outside the research community must dedicate their efforts to assuring that their work contributes to the development of local rural enterprise.
  2. Must look at cross- or multi-disciplinary projects; the multi-faceted nature of rural enterprises demands expertise and knowledge on how environmental stewardship and social responsibility interact with production agronomics and economics; experts from many different disciplines must work collectively to identify how to best deal with these complex issues.
  3. Must dedicate efforts to work that is producer- and not only production-focused; development of a strong, knowledge-based farming sector, as opposed to one that is highly reliant on technology, should be a priority.

In conclusion, the people who took part in this second Recapturing Wealth conference expressed a strong belief in the possibility of rural renewal. What is needed is a commitment, both on an individual and a collective basis, to collaboration, sustainability and knowledge-based rural enterprises. Rural leaders must drive this commitment and in so doing, they need to be supported by the many stakeholders who depend on rural enterprises for their livelihoods.

Introduction

The Canadian Prairies have been home to countless generations of inhabitants, providing each with a livelihood as well as fulfilment and freedom.

In the face of heightened risk due to climatic change, tightening margins, increasingly intense competition in the global marketplace, concentration and consolidation in both the input and output sectors, can today’s generation of farmers and rural residents continue to aspire to a rewarding life on the Prairies? What vision of rural Canada can best insure that rural enterprises including farming continue to be viable on the Canadian prairies?

In an effort to spark a debate over this fundamental issue, a group of industry players worked together to organize a conference held in Brandon, MB on October 26 and 27, 2000. The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), the Manitoba Co-operator, Manitoba Agriculture and Food (MAF) and representatives from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba collaborated on the development of a forum where a diverse array of perspectives were brought to bear on the viability and sustainability of agriculture in Western Canada.

Called “Recapturing Wealth on the Canadian Prairies”, the conference was a chance to bring together thoughtful and provocative speakers who were able to challenge each other as well as conference participants - both rural and urban - to come up with an inclusive vision of the future of agriculture.

The conference in 2000 was a success attracting over 230 participants and sparking vibrant discussion and a sense of hope following the conference. Upon this success another conference was organized, again in Brandon on October 24 and 25, 2002. Building on suggestions from participants in the first conference the conference in 2001 focused on building alliances in order to recapture wealth on the Canadian prairies. Conference organizers brought in a number of highly respected and provocative speakers both international and local. The conference was designed to allow for a constructive exchange of ideas between participants. The workshop setting allowed ample opportunity for participants to debate critical issues facing agriculture.

The organizers of this event firmly believe that the vibrancy of the community that are the Canadian Prairies is highly dependent on the well-being, on the wealth of agricultural producers and the commitment to rural communities and rural-based enterprises. Identifying ways in which wealth in its broadest possible sense can be created, maintained and recaptured is a first step. These events will serve as an opportunity for all participants to network and create or join in efforts within their own communities.

The Agriculture Renewal Alliance (ARA)

The Agriculture Renewal Alliance is composed of representatives from Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), the Manitoba Co-operator, Manitoba Agriculture and Food (MAF), Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, Mennonite Central Committee, Producers and representatives from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba. The group first met in January 2000 and determined its mandate should be to serve as a facilitation group which would create opportunities for individuals and groups concerned about the future of agriculture and rural prairie communities to share, discuss and develop ideas for rejuvenating agriculture and the rural prairie economy.

Conference organizing committee for 2000 conference

  • Rene Van Acker, Associate Professor, Crop Management and Weed Science, Dept. of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
  • Laura Rance, Associate Editor, The Manitoba Co-operator,
  • Scott Stothers, Farm Management Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture and Food,
  • Donna Youngedahl, Organic Marketing Specialist, Canadian Wheat Board.
  • Lenore Smaldon, Communications Officer, Keystone Agricultural Producers,
  • Dan Caron, Agriculture Representative, Starbuck, Manitoba Agriculture and Food.
  • Gary Martens, Agronomy Lecturer and Research Farm Manager, Dept. of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
  • Merv Pritchard, Director of the School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
  • Dilantha Fernando, Assistant Professor, Canola Pathology, Dept. of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
  • Shane Tornblom, Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation Harold Froes, Producer, MB
  • Dan Wiens, Mennonite Central Committee, Canadian Foodgrains Bank
  • Cam Brown, Manitoba Institute of Agrologists

Sponsors

This conference was made possible by a grant supplied by the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council. Additional support for the conference was also received from:

The Canadian Wheat Board Mennonite Central Committee
The Canadian Farm Business Management Council The Manitoba Milk Producers
The Manitoba Egg Producers The Manitoba Chicken Producers
The Manitoba Pork Council Westoba Credit Union
Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration The University of Manitoba
Keystone Agricultural Producers The Manitoba Co-operator
Manitoba Agriculture and Food Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation

Conference Agenda, 2001

Day 1 - Wednesday Oct 24, 2001
10:00 - 10:30 Opening remarks, Introductions among participants on assigned tables
10:30 - 11:15 Opening speaker Tom Isern Rural Historian, NDSU
11:15 - 11:30 Questions
11:30 - 1:00 Lunch and Workshop 1 and 2 "Challenges to Forming Alliances", Alliances Within Communities
1:00 - 1:45 Bill Patrie - ND Rural Electric Cooperatives
1:45 - 2:15 Sekai Mapanda-Chikowero - National planning officer - Christain Care, Zimbabwe
2:15 - 2:45 Questions
2:45 - 3:00 Break
3:00 - 4:30 Building Alliances within Business
     

Erik Eising - Can. Orgainc Livestock Assoc.
Brian Kelly - Kelly Associates, marketing consultants
Jeff Lawson - Producer
4:30 - 4:45 Questions
4:45 - 5:30 Break
5:30 - 6:00 Reception
6:00 - 7:00 Dinner
7:00 - 8:30 Workshop 3 "Alliances with Whom?" - A role play workshop challenging participants to build common ground of needs and desires among consumers, producers, local rural business, and large scale agri-business.
Day 2 - Thursday Oct 25, 2001
7:30 - 8:15 Breakfast - Building Communities
8:15 - 9:00 Stuart Laidlaw - Toronto Star Editorial Board
9:00 - 9:45 Hugh Maynard - Editor, Quebec Farmers' Advocate
9:45 - 10:00 Questions
10:00 - 10:30 Break and Room Checkout
10:30 - 11:00 Rod McRae - World Wildlife Fund
11:00 - 11:30 Brian Gray - Ducks Unlimited Canada
11:30 - 11:45 Questions
11:45 - 12:45 Lunch
12:45 - 1:30 Cam Harder, Rural Ministry
1:30 - 3:30 Workshop 4 "Making Alliances Now"
3:30 - 3:45 Closing Remarks - Owen McAuley, Producer and Agricultural Advisor

Conference Workshop Results

At this year’s conference the attendees were again involved in workshop sessions during the conference. Below are their responses to workshop questions.

Workshop 1: What are the benefits that can be provided by alliances

  1. New ideas, broader perspectives/vision
  2. Competitive advantage-access to markets
  3. Build networks- strength in numbers, stronger political voice
  4. Sharing of resources, experiences, knowledge and information
  5. Stronger rural communities/local investment
  6. Reduced costs- Increased , financial stability, reduced risk
  7. Access to capital
  8. More control of your own industry/supply
  9. Sense of security

Workshop 2: What are the challenges to forming alliances

  1. Lack of knowledge/leadership/communication/skills
  2. Fear of the unknown/ resistance to change/pessimism
  3. Finding common ground/interests/balance
  4. Fierce independent spirit/pride/losing control
  5. Lack of Resources – time, finances, information
  6. Lack of trust
  7. Lack of urban awareness/support
  8. Lack of political will
  9. Apathy
  10. Dealing with conflict constructively
  11. Diversity – Religious, ethnic,
  12. Access to the market place, free trade
  13. Inter generational transfer problems/demographics
  14. Jealousy – one of the 7 deadly sins
  15. Legal/regulatory hurdles/local, provincial, federal
  16. Geographic hurdles

Workshop 3: Among four interest groups – farmers, consumers, local business, non-local business what are the common and complimentary interests?

  1. Desire to become financially viable and maintain financial viability; to reduce risks
  2. Customer satisfaction
  3. Shareholders equity
  4. Maintain healthy environment/reduction of pesticide usage
  5. Food safety/security, maintain infrastructure
  6. Desire for rural solidarity/healthy standard of living
  7. Cheap safe food
  8. Building and maintaining relationships

Workshop 4: Identify the types of alliances you are interested in and provide some examples.

  1. Value Added Alliances
      Erik Eising Livestock alliance, Trilogy eggs, Nu Gen Ag Ventures
  2. Alternative Agriculture Alliances
      Bison, Hemp fibre
  3. Regulatory Alliances
      HACCP, Nutrient Mgmt Plans
  4. Land use (conservation) Alliances
      Ducks Unlimited, World Wildlife Fund, Grazing Clubs
      Zero till association, Conservation agreements
  5. Capital/Machinery/Asset/Financial Alliances
      Dry beans machinery sharing
  6. Citizen-Farmer/Urban-Rural Alliances
      The Food Alliance, New York watershed example (see Hugh Maynard), DU proposal
  7. Rural Community Alumni Alliances
      55+ year olds- where to retire, invest capital and energy
  8. Information/Research Alliances/ Producer Clubs
      MCCCP Manitoba Cooperative Crop Consulting Program,
      Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association, Farmer owned media
      High Margin Clubs, Marketing Clubs

Communities Represented at the 2001 Conference
(numbers in parentheses represent numbers of individuals from each community if more than 1)

Acme Bagot Baldur Boissevain (3)
Bowsman (3) Brandon (17) Carman (6) Crystal
City (2) Dacotah Dauphin (2) Deloraine (2)
Dougals Dugald Edmonton Ethelbert
Fannystelle Fargo Gilbert Plains Gladstone
Hadashville Harare Kenton Killarney
Kindred La Broquerie Mandan (2) McAuley
Minnedosa Monrovia Morris Neepawa (3)
Nesbitt (2) Niverville 3) Portage la Prairie (2) Roblin (2)
Rosenort Rossburn (3) Saskatoon (2) Shoal Lake
St. Norbert Starbuck (2) Ste. Anne (3) Steinbach (2)
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Stonewall Stonyplain Teulon (2)
Tilston (2) Toronto (2) Wawanesa Winnipeg (43)

Organizations Represented at the 2001 Conference

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Alberta Agriculture
Artel Farms Ltd. Assiniboine Community College
Backswath Management Brandon University
Canadian Wheat Board Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Canadian Grain Commission Canola Council of Canada
CGA Chapman & Verwey Char. Acct.
Chatelaine Christian Care
Consultants Inc. Cunningham Computer Services
Dayspring Nursery Ltd. Ducks Unlimited
Great Plains Interpretive Ctr. Jeffrey Farm
Kelly Associates Keystone Ag Producers
La Broquerie Municipality Manitoba Cooperator
MB Agricultural Credit Corp. MB Agriculture & Food
MB Broiler Hatching Egg Com MB Canola Growers Assoc.
MB Chicken Producers MB Egg Producers
MB Farm Mediation Board MB Habitat Heritage Corp.
MB Zero Tillage Res. Assoc. Meyers Norris Penny
MLA Arthur-Virden MRAC
ND Assoc of Rural Electric Cooperatives NDARC
NDSU Oak Hummock Farm
Quebec Farmers' Association Rempelco Acres Ltd.
RM of Hanover Robert H. Stevenson Ltd.
Sunterra Farms University of Manitoba
WESTARC