From Fragmented Programs to a Digital Framework: Rethinking Canada's Agriculture Policy
Executive Summary
Between 1961 and 2020, global agricultural output quadrupled while population grew by 260 percent, largely driven by technological adoption rather than land or labor expansion. Yet growth has slowed in recent decades, productivity is under pressure, and over 2 billion people remain food insecure. With climate change, resource degradation, and rising input costs compounding these challenges, conventional technologies alone are no longer sufficient. Global institutions now view digital transformation as essential for feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050 while meeting sustainability and poverty reduction goals.
Global Trends in Agricultural Digitalization
A scan of 22 jurisdictions shows that 13 already have explicit digital agriculture strategies. While all countries recognize innovation, connectivity, and sustainability as shared priorities, their approaches diverge in ambition and coherence:
- Systemic transformation (India, China, EU, Japan): Agriculture is embedded within national digital economy and modernization strategies. Large-scale public platforms (e.g., India’s Agristack, China’s Smart Agriculture Action Plan, the EU’s Common Agricultural Data Space) create the digital backbone for services, farmer support, and sustainability goals.
- Structured, balanced approaches (Canada, Australia, EU): Digitalization is treated as an enabler within broader agricultural or sustainability strategies. Programs target innovation, competitiveness, and climate resilience, but progress is incremental and fragmented.
- Adoption-focused models (Australia, Brazil, South Korea): Direct incentives, cost-sharing, and hub networks aim to accelerate farmer uptake, especially among small and medium producers.
- Hub and partnership ecosystems (Canada, Germany, Brazil, New Zealand): Living labs, accelerators, and public–private partnerships provide testbeds and commercialization pathways, though coherence varies.
- Data governance leadership (EU, India, Australia): Strong frameworks define data rights, standards, and interoperability, giving farmers confidence and building trusted ecosystems.
Canada compares well in terms of research capacity, innovation networks, and PPPs, but lags peers in three areas:
- Systems-level vision — Canada’s policies remain siloed programs, lacking the integrated frameworks seen in India, China, or the EU.
- Farmer-centric data governance — Current approaches rely on voluntary or piecemeal standards, while global leaders legislate clear rights, interoperability, and sovereignty.
- On-farm adoption support — Programs exist but lack the simplicity, scale, and farmer-facing design of Australia’s rebates or EU cooperative cost-sharing models.
Recommendations for Canada
Drawing lessons from leading jurisdictions, Canada should shift from incremental programming to a coordinated, systems-based digital agriculture strategy that positions digitalization as central to economic competitiveness, sustainability, and rural vitality. Priority actions:
- Prioritize Innovation
- Expand Living Labs into regional digital hubs and establish a Canada Agri-Food Innovation Centre to coordinate networks, scale solutions, and align funding.
- Invest in rural broadband and next-generation connectivity as agricultural infrastructure.
- Boost venture financing and challenge funds for ag-tech startups in climate-smart farming, automation, and farmer-facing tools.
- Foster Inclusivity
- Invest in rural broadband and 5G to enable precision and smart farming.
- Establish federal data standards ensuring interoperability and farmer data sovereignty.
- Promote Sustainability
- Align digital tools with climate and biodiversity goals.
- Scale programs that reward measurable sustainability outcomes (e.g., water efficiency, soil conservation) achieved through digital tools.
- Adopt System-Based Policy
- Replace fragmented programs with an integrated, long-term National Digital Agriculture Strategy linking innovation, sustainability, and rural development.
Canada is well positioned to lead in digital agriculture but risks falling behind global frontrunners without a coherent, farmer-centric, and systems-based strategy. By aligning innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability, Canada can ensure digital agriculture is not just a technological shift but a transformative enabler of competitiveness, resilience, and food security for decades ahead.