N.L. farmers need to up food production in face of U.S. tariff threat, says advocate

In the wake of U.S. trade war threats, advocates across Canada are pushing people to buy more local goods — and one farmer says that push should extend to Newfoundland and Labrador growing more of its own food.

Mackenzie Warford, who runs the hydroponic farm Papa's Farm near Springdale, said food prices are affected by a number of external factors, including global disruptions to supply chains and international conflicts.

"We pay the price. Food cost goes up, availability goes down, and the families here struggle even more to afford fresh, healthy meals. It's unacceptable," Warford told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

Warford, who is also a co-founder of the Canadian Hydroponics Association, said the costs of tariffs will ultimately be borne by consumers, and higher food prices means fewer people are able to access fresh and affordable food.

"But here's the truth: we don't have to be at the mercy of the trade wars. That's why I'm pushing for local food production through hydroponics. Instead of relying on overpriced imported produce, we can grow fresh, high-quality food right here at home, year round," he said.

Warford said if more food is produced in N.L., the cost of food will go down.

Since the U.S. threatened tariffs on Canadian goods, many provinces, including N.L., have launched a buy local campaign to support local industries. Warford said he's heard people say they will buy local if they can afford it, but he wants to see more government support for N.L. farmers, to help produce more locally grown food.

In addition, he said it's hard for some small businesses in N.L. to thrive, pointing to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business's most recent annual red tape report, which lists N.L. as the worst province to do business in.

"We've got a real issue here. It's not just food security. We've got a national sovereignty issue and we need to increase food security because that is one of the core fundamentals of human life," Warford said.

Vulnerable food system

Food First N.L. CEO Josh Smee said the province's food security is vulnerable in the face of potential U.S. tariffs on a number of fronts.

"We are coming into this as one of the more food insecure provinces in the country," he said.

Approximately one in four people in the province are already food insecure, which Smee said is the highest rate in the country.

"What that means, in practice, is that movements in food prices — things that push food prices up — are going to have a pretty intense impact here, particularly on lower income folks," he said.

Smee said he's particularly concerned about the counter-tariffs Canada has said it will implement if the U.S. slaps tariffs on Canadian goods, saying that would drive up the cost of food coming into N.L., where a large amount of food is shipped in.

From a regulatory standpoint, Smee is concerned with "unscrupulous" businesses that have raised food prices over the past few years, and worries that could get worse if the U.S. does impose tariffs.

"It creates an opening for taking advantage here and pushing prices up," said Smee.

LISTEN | Mackenzie Warford says more needs to be done to boost N.L.s food growing capcity: 

St John's Morning Show10:24With a trade war brewing, a farmer in central Newfoundland says now is the time to up our food-security game

A farmer in central Newfoundland says with the trade war in the works, it's time to up our game. Mackenzie Warford runs Papa’s Farm near Springdale, in central Newfoundland. He's also the founder of the Canadian Hydroponics Association. We reached him over the line this morning.

Smee isn't sure the threat of rising food prices will prompt people to grow more food locally, though in the long-term, he said it is worth planning for.

"But we're never going to be able to fully cut ourselves off from either the rest of Canada or the world."

If Canada and the U.S. enter a trade war next month, Smee said he would like to see more income support for those who are going to be hit hardest by rising food prices.

Impact

Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture Gerry Byrne said a trade war will have an impact on Canada's food security, but he said 100 per cent of food produced in N.L., excluding seafood, is already bought by people in the province.

"Our objective needs to be to produce more," said Byrne.

When asked about initiatives government could bring in to encourage greater production, Byrne said N.L. already has "one of the most responsive and supportive agricultural development programs of any province anywhere in Canada."

He pointed to land availability, financial support for purchasing equipment and training, as well as a vegetable transplant program.

"We have a very, very advanced supportive program and I think the Federation of Agriculture will attest to that," he said.

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