Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada


The Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, also referred to as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada , is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for policies governing the production, processing, and marketing of all farm, food, and agri-based products. It is popularly called Ag-Canada.
The current Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is Marie-Claude Bibeau. The current Deputy Minister is Chris Forbes.
Agriculture is a shared jurisdiction in Canada, and the Department works closely with provincial and territorial governments in the development and delivery of policies and programs. The Department is also responsible for ensuring collaboration with its which are also involved in regulating and supporting Canadian agriculture.

History and structure

The Department of Agriculture was responsible for healthcare in Canada, between 1867 and 1919, before the Department of Health was created on September 1, 1919. In 2013, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was moved from the Agriculture Portfolio to the Health Portfolio.
Organizations for which the minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is responsible include:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is responsible for a number of Acts related to agriculture and food in Canada.
As part of the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Science and Technology Branch has the mandate to propose solutions and opportunities based on science to support competitiveness and the sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sector. It is also in the Branch's mandate to provide scientific information to inform departmental and governmental decision processes.
Under the Experimental Farm Stations Act dating back to 1886, farm stations across Canada were established, including the . The officers of these stations had the duty of conducting research in a number of specific areas pertinent to agricultural productivity and conservation, and of making the results of such research known by publication.
Today, the Science and Technology Branch includes a national network of 20 Research and Development Centres and 30 satellite research locations. The Science and Technology Branch has approximately 2,200 employees, including some 400 research scientists.
The goal of all activities is to address the major scientific challenges facing 21st century agricultural production systems:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is also responsible for supporting corporate and local agricultural producers and suppliers. They do this through a variety of programs and services including which develops products and services for internal and external users, and program facilitation.