Lobbying for trade
Every year, board members and staff from Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) and the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) gather on Parliament Hill to meet with parliamentarians and senior political staff to advocate for Canada’s canola value chain, including its 40,000 farmers.
Lobby day is one of the many ways both organizations regularly engage with government throughout the year.
This year’s no different. On November 5, 2024, representatives from the whole canola value chain will be in Ottawa sitting across from federal decision-makers and policy shapers to outline important issues that impact competitiveness and profitability.
At the time of writing in mid-September, the two national canola organizations had identified two key topics:
- Trade and market diversification. Trade is vital to the success of canola farmers, processors and exporters, making it critical to keep existing markets open while diversifying and growing new ones, like canola-based biofuels. The CCC and CCGA advocate for strong, multilateral trade rules.
- Reliable rail transportation. Bulk rail shipping is the only practical means to move canola seed, oil and meal from grain elevator and processor to port. CCGA and the CCC advocate for a reliable transportation network farmers, processors and exporters can rely on to ship their products domestically and internationally.
Policy decisions have real implications to canola profitability all along the value chain. The lobby day allows canola farmers and stakeholders to connect directly with policymakers about the realities of the canola business and how policies can create opportunities or obstacles for business success.