Ministry Role and Services

Ministry Overview

The ministry helps the agriculture, food and fisheries sectors prosper and contribute to the B.C. economy while delivering high-quality and safe products to consumers within a context of environmental sustainability. This in turn provides social and economic benefits for industry participants and dispersed coastal and rural communities.

The ministry administers programs related to the production, marketing, processing and merchandising of agricultural and seafood products. Its stakeholders include B.C. producers (agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries) and the entire food system from primary producer to retail, consumers and citizens.

The ministry administers 30 statutes that ensure responsible approaches to the public interest concerning food safety/quality, the environment, pest and disease management, appropriate farm practices, licensing, risk management and marketing. Many of these statutes are administered in partnership with other agencies, including municipal, provincial and federal governments.

The ministry has 329 staff positions located in communities across the province. It is organized into 15 branches within three divisions:

1) Resource Development and Sustainability,

2) Risk Management and Competitiveness, and

3) Executive and Support Services (including Policy and Legislation).

All branches deliver programs within one or more of the core business areas described later in this document.

Ministry Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

A competitive and profitable industry providing safe, high-quality food for consumers and export markets.

Mission

Deliver programs that maintain a positive business climate for a competitive market-responsive agri-food and fisheries sector, and safeguard B.C.'s ability to provide safe and high-quality British Columbia agri-food and seafood products for consumers.

Values

The following values outline the fundamental beliefs of the ministry and describe how the organization and its employees interact with clients and each other. The ministry strives to conduct its business effectively and in a manner that is:

1. Fair and Equitable — building and maintaining among ministry personnel an effective spirit of teamwork and co-operation based on trust, integrity, flexibility, innovation, social equity, and equality of opportunity.
2. Responsible and Accountable — emphasizing responsible use of government resources and transparency in accounting for the use of those resources.
3. Service-oriented — responding to the needs of the public, agriculture and fisheries sector groups, communities and staff in a timely and courteous manner.
4. Partnership-Building — promoting teamwork, good working relationships, and effective partnerships with, and co-operation among, all orders of government, First Nations, agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries sector groups and communities.

Ministry Operating Context

With an effective government policy framework, B.C.'s agriculture, food and fisheries sectors can continue to achieve economic growth while managing environmental and social expectations. The development of this framework and the ministry's performance will be influenced by many factors.

Strengths

The agriculture, food and fisheries industries are important contributors to the B.C. economy, generating about $22 billion in consumer sales and supporting more than 280,000 jobs in B.C.¹ The sectors are diverse, with more than 200 commodities being produced in agriculture and some 100 species of fish and shellfish being harvested or raised in B.C. waters. This provides many opportunities for adding value and marketing.

• B.C.'s agriculture industry realized farm cash receipts of $2.31 billion in 2003, and employed over 30,000 people. Total farm net cash income, a measure of profitability, was $381 million in 2003, a 22 per cent increase from the previous year, and 7.9 per cent above its five year average in spite of the BSE crisis and its impact on the livestock sector.
• The primary fish sector generated a (forecasted) $650 million in sales (landed value), and employed nearly 6,000 people in 2003. In total, the seafood industry has averaged $1 billion in wholesale value in each of the last five years, and provided more than 15,000 people with full- and part-time employment. It exports more than 90 per cent of its production.
• Saltwater recreational angling generated over $500 million in sales and employed nearly 3,600 people.
• The B.C. food and beverage processing industry, which depends on raw product from the agriculture and fish industries, generated $5.98 billion in sales in 2003, of which $1.8 billion was exported. This sector employs nearly 32,000 people. The value of shipments has increased by 27 per cent over the past five years.
• B.C. agriculture has three related food chain sectors that generate considerable sales and employment in the province:
  — wholesale food distributors with sales of $6.7 billion and 16,200 employees;
  — the retail sector with sales of $10.2 billion and 69,000 employees; and
  — the food service sector with sales of $6.8 billion and 126,000 employees.

During the last decade, employment and production in the agriculture, food and fisheries sectors have remained steady or continued to grow when other sectors have declined or lost markets due to trade issues or global or local recession. This resilience provides a stabilizing influence on many of B.C.'s resource-based rural communities.

Challenges and Risks

B.C.'s agriculture, and seafood industries face significant challenges, but are poised for growth in the right economic environment.

Global markets for agricultural and seafood products are highly competitive.

B.C.'s agriculture, food and seafood industries compete in international markets where competitors with similar or lower cost structures enjoy greater economies of scale and create downward pressures on food commodity prices. Some competitors, including those in Europe, the United States and Japan, receive large government subsidies, and B.C.'s access to markets is often reduced by trade and non-trade barriers. The higher value of the Canadian dollar in 2003 has had a detrimental impact on exports. The ministry promotes competitiveness by addressing trade distortions, promoting industry efforts to diversify with higher-value products and target niche markets, and improving market access.

Local conditions and barriers may also affect long-term industry competitiveness.

Barriers at the local level can include excessive regulations, inflexible marketing systems, outmoded labour standards, and unintended impacts of other policies and regulations on agricultural activity. In response, the ministry has shifted to a results-based approach to regulatory design and delivery; to performance-based governance models for regulatory boards and commissions, and to a clearer advocacy role for agri-food and seafood industries within government.

The seafood industry is in transition.

The seafood industry has been impacted by fluctuations in wild fish populations, uncertainty over access, risk-averse fisheries management decisions, competition in the marketplace, and downturns in the economies of countries that have been traditional export markets. The seafood industry's business development is moving from a production approach to one that is more market-driven. The focus is on diversification, new product development and expansion.

Consumers and trading partners are demanding greater assurance of food safety and quality.

Recent high-profile animal disease outbreaks such as BSE and avian influenza have underscored the importance of maintaining consumer confidence in the safety and quality of food. They also pose significant economic risks, as illustrated when a single occurrence of BSE in Canada led to the immediate closure of the border for export of livestock products with the U.S. and other trading partners. Cattle sales receipts fell by 27 per cent in 2003 as a result. The agriculture, food and seafood industries must provide assurance that products meet recognized safety standards. This means investing the time and resources needed to develop and implement industry-led food safety and quality programs and traceability programs that are science-based.

Environmental values must be balanced with economic viability.

Public concern about the environment is high, and industry growth must be managed in an environmentally sustainable way. Government has developed a comprehensive regulatory framework for the salmon aquaculture industry, including an improved and harmonized compliance and enforcement regime with the ministry designated as the provincial lead on all compliance issues. The agriculture sector is further developing its ability to deal with environmental issues through on-farm environmental plans.

Governments are key partners in building a prosperous economy.

There is extensive overlap in jurisdiction and interests among all orders of government. Effective relations with the federal government, other provinces, First Nations, and local governments are an ongoing challenge, and are essential to achieving BC's agri-food sector interests. The Ministry strives to promote co-operation and understanding among these partners to strengthen support for farming and aquaculture operations.

The agriculture and fisheries sectors are vulnerable to unpredictable risks.

The agriculture and fisheries industries continue to be challenged by significant and unpredictable weather conditions, market situations and disease crises. These can create wide fluctuations in income and prices, leading to instability for farmers and processors and the economies of local communities. These risks can affect investment decisions at the farm level and can lead to under-investment that may affect output and efficiencies in the long run. As part of the federal-provincial Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) agreement, B.C. is supporting implementation of the new Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program to improve the capacity of farmers to manage risks.

Internal to the ministry — opportunities, challenges and risks

The B.C. government and the ministry continue to strengthen accountability, exercise a conservative fiscal responsibility, reduce regulations and focus on results. The ministry has adopted an integrated farm-to-fork/sea-to-table approach to its business, which has meant an increased focus on improving the integration of policy within the ministry, provincial government, key federal agencies and local government. This whole food system approach allows the ministry to optimize benefits and efficiency within the whole value chain. The ministry has continued to integrate and co-ordinate the efforts of staff to harness their strengths to succeed in this new environment.

Ministry Structure and Core Business Areas

Core Business Area 1: Industry Competitiveness

Industry competitiveness is the measure of how well an individual business or industry sector can profitably compete for market share in the domestic and/or export marketplace on a sustainable basis. The ministry's work in this core business area strengthens industry competitiveness and B.C.'s investment climate by:

• reducing the regulatory burden on businesses;
• increasing industry access to information and expertise;
• assisting industry associations to be independent and self-reliant;
• fostering research, development and innovation within industry;
• influencing international and inter-provincial trade negotiations and disputes; and
• advocating for agriculture, food and fisheries interests within government.

Core Business Area 2: Fisheries and Aquaculture Development

The fisheries and aquaculture management business area consolidates sector expertise (shellfish and finfish aquaculture, and wild fisheries) in one business area to increase provincial capacity to identify and act on opportunities to promote growth.

Key functions include:

• developing and promoting management approaches that encourage economic growth and meet environmental objectives;
• harmonizing policies and regulations at the federal and provincial levels;
• strengthening monitoring and enforcement regimes;
• participating in coastal and marine planning; and
• building awareness of fisheries and aquaculture practices and economic benefits.

The fisheries and aquaculture business area works in partnership with industry and other business areas of the ministry, as well as external agencies and other levels of government.

Core Business Area 3: Food Safety and Quality

The food safety and quality business area contributes to food safety and quality and plant and animal health through the food chain, and supports positive public health outcomes. The business area includes:

• working with the agriculture and aquaculture sectors to promote the use of best management practices and on-farm food safety and quality systems, including disease and pest management, waste management and weed control;
• operating a plant diagnostic laboratory and an internationally accredited animal health laboratory to diagnose and monitor disease occurrences to support effective management of plant and animal diseases, including those which can be transmitted to people;
• continuing to develop effective systems to track products throughout the food system to protect against major disease or pest outbreaks;
• supporting the implementation of improved systems for food safety and quality and product tracking; and
• encouraging the development and implementation of international standards for safety and quality to maintain access to markets and public health standards.

Core Business Area 4: Environmental Sustainability and Resource Development

The environmental sustainability and resource development business area ensures that growth is managed in an environmentally and socially sound manner by:

• developing and delivering programs on best farm practices related to the management of soil, waste and water;
• promoting co-operation and understanding among neighbours at the rural/urban interface, and reviewing official plans and bylaws to ensure local government officials support farm operations and therefore encourage investment in their local economies; and
• working in partnership with other government agencies to maintain and improve access to Crown and agricultural resources.

Core Business Area 5: Risk Management

Agriculture faces many uncertainties in relation to weather, diseases and markets and these can often lead to unstable incomes and very significant losses. The objective of risk management is to reduce or mitigate the impact of these fluctuations so farmers can remain competitive with an approach that includes improved risk management by farmers themselves. The risk management business area includes the following functions:

• developing, delivering and promoting risk management products to BC farmers and ranchers that are consistent with the new federal/provincial Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) and international trade obligations; and
• building partnerships to involve the private sector in risk management programs and to reduce the province's exposure to associated financial risks.

A key focus of this business area will be to implement the risk management chapter of the APF.

Core Business Area 6: Executive and Support Services

Executive and support services supports the ministry and each of its business areas by:

• leading the development, implementation and ongoing evaluation of the ministry's human resource management plan and providing supporting strategies including succession planning, recruitment, retention and individual performance management, rewards recognition and learning and development;
• providing financial management services such as preparing annual expenditure, revenue and capital budgets and carrying out budgetary control functions;
• implementing processes to increase administrative efficiency and manage risks; and
• supporting policy development within particular business areas and at the broader ministry and government levels.

		Update on New Era Commitments