Beyond Factory Farming

Jurisdiction over agriculture in Canada is divided between the federal government and the provincial or territorial governments. The regulation of factory farms is carried out primarily at the provincial level, but there are some areas where the federal government has regulatory jurisdiction. Furthermore, federal agricultural policy has great influence on provincial decision-making as the federal government contributes the majority of the funds which pay for federal-provincial programs.

• For an overview of factory farming standards and regulations in all jurisdictional levels in North America, see the study Comparative Standards for Intensive Livestock Operations in Canada, Mexico and the US prepared for the Commission for Economic Cooperation, 4 February 2003.
• Acknowledging the trend of fewer but larger farms driven by global competition and technological change, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry recognizes the need to create multifunctional policies that would compensate farmers for preserving the environment or negotiating watershed agreements. Beyond Freefall: Halting Rural Poverty also calls for income support programs for poor farming families as well as improving support programs for inter-generational succession planning.