By Nick Dunn

The agricultural community in Alberta is voicing concerns over Bill C-293, the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act. While the bill is intended to bolster Canada’s ability to respond to future pandemics, producers fear it could have unintended consequences for the livestock and food production industries.

Bill C-293 was introduced as a proactive measure to enhance Canada’s response to global health crises. The legislation proposes frameworks for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response by identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities within various sectors, including agriculture. While ensuring public health is undeniably important, the bill’s broad language has raised alarms among Alberta’s farmers, ranchers, and Agricultural Service Boards. During the last Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation fall Town Hall meeting with Minister RJ. Sigurdson, boards were asked to write their Senators and voice the opinion of Albertan producers. With an increased volume of letters, these mutual concerns will have a greater impact in the Senate and ensure nothing is pushed under the rug.

While attending our annual Agricultural Service Board Conference last January, the provincial committee expressed that many Albertan municipalities have written letters to the Senators of Canada expressing the concerns of the bill’s criteria if passed. This includes a letter from Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Service Board Chairman that was sent in December 2024.

The primary concern with Bill C-293 among Alberta’s agricultural industry is the possibility of increased restrictions and hindrance on industrial animal agriculture. Although the Bill has good intentions, as it is worded today, it imposes significant risks due to broad statements such as: “regulate commercial activities that can contribute to pandemic risk, including industrial animal agriculture”; “promote commercial activities that can help reduce pandemic risk, including the production of alternative proteins” and “phase out commercial activities that disproportionately contribute to pandemic risk, including activities that involve high-risk species”. The creators of the bill have not considered what Canadian Producers currently have in place for risk management today. We have an effective biosecurity system that monitors zoonotic diseases – which can spread between animals and humans – such as the Canadian On-Farm Beef Cattle Biosecurity Standard. The bill has been brought forward from our experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, a foreign disease that does not resemble how livestock is handled in Canada. Many Albertan producers will be impacted by this bill; about 40% of Alberta’s farm cash receipts are from livestock production contributing over $10 billion in 2023.

While disease prevention is crucial, many farmers worry that overly strict policies could disrupt traditional farming practices, impose unnecessary restrictions on livestock movement, and negatively impact food production. The wording in the Bill threatens Canada’s agricultural industry and increases the control the federal government has over our producers and their livelihood.

Currently the bill is at the second reading in the Senate. The most recent activity was the debate on October 22, 2024, and it has yet to be rescheduled for discussion.

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.