Ag edition: Advocacy on a national scale
As president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Nottawa farmer Keith Currie travels the world as a representative of Canadian farmers, always trying to get the ear of whoever is making decisions around national policy that impacts agriculture.
Currie has been at the helm of the federation since being elected chair of the board in 2023. The eighth generation farmer is a long-time advocate of the agriculture industry with more than 30 years of political lobbying, having served as president of the OntarioFederation of Agriculture (OFA) from 2016-2020 before taking the helm at CFA.
Founded in 1935, the federation acts as a unified voice advocating on behalf of Canadian farmers. As a farmer-funded, national umbrella organization comprising of provincial general farm organizations and national and interprovincial commodity groups, it represents more than 190,000 farm families across the country.
When asked how he got involved on the policy side of agriculture he said its in his blood.
His father “had his finger in politics,” said Currie, and his mother, Carol Currie, was the first mayor of Clearview Township.
Currie said all he ever wanted to do was farm. In 1982, after college, he returned home to manage the family farm, where he and his wife Janice raised four children.
His family had a dairy farm back then and while in his early 20s, Currie got involved in a dairy organization, which led him to the OFA.
“I’ve always been a bit of a political junkie,” he said. “I saw a path in some small way to advocate for agriculture.”
He said part of the struggle is that agricultural industry in Canada is huge. The CFA represents more than 250 commodities and finding a one-size- fits-all approach to policy is almost impossible.
“There aren’t a lot of wins,” said Currie with a laugh, “but when you get that win it’s like a drug and you’re on to the next one.”
“You’ll only win one per cent of issues,” he said. “The trick is to have a narrow focus and find umbrella topics and priorities that encompass common issues… The goal is to convince the government to invest in agriculture in a way that benefits the entire countrywhile applying whatever lens meets the agenda, whether its climate or trade,” he said, adding that Canada exports half of what is grown domestically, with Ontario being the heart of food production in Canada.
According to the Government of Canada, the agriculture and agri-food system generated $149.2 billion in Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, and accounted for one-in- nine jobs, employing 2.3 million people.
Currie is buoyed by a current shift in the political climate because, he says, agriculture is being recognized as a strategic driver for the first time in a long time.
“Make no mistake, farming is a business and it makes up seven per cent of Canada’s GDP. Doug Ford, whatever you think of him, he has reduced red tape,” said Currie.
“The heart of any economy is small business and that’s what farming is,” he said, which begs the question, “How do we make life better for farmers?”
“The rural fabric of Canada has been eroded,” said Currie, “to the point that it is difficult to find agricultural services so an increase in the funding of infrastructure to attract skilled labour is needed to help the agricultural sector, and create spin-off benefits for the country as a whole.”
Currie counted 70 flights last year, taking him across Canada and to Italy, Brazil and Ireland, to name a few. He says he loves the chance to travel and visit other farms. Although he puts most of his seed in by moonlight, he said he does appreciate it when he gets to come home and work his own fields.
Canadians are highly regarded in the industry, according to Currie.
“Canadians are viewed as leaders – they look to us to champion causes,” he said.
Acknowledging that economic and politics of the day can create a divide between the global north and south – and the ongoing concerns about trade relations – he is fan of centrist political climates.
In a non-partisan role, Currie can list the pros and cons of working with and against elected officials from all parties. He said he has friends and allies on all sides of the House and has been asked to run by all three political parties at both the provincial and federal level.
“I feel I can accomplish more on this side of the table,” said Currie, where it’s a journey as opposed to a race.
“It’s about trust. When you are dealing with elected officials it’s the hardest thing to earn and the easiest thing to lose.”
“It’s our job to be in the government’s face and say how they should invest in rural Canada,” said Currie. “I’m pretty proud of the organization. I wish we could do more.”
Contributed photo: Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Keith Currie (from right) with federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Railway Association of Canada president Eric Harvey at the president’s reception during the CFA’s AGM in Ottawa in February.
