From 11 December 2018 to 26 February 2019, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food studied the support for Indigenous Canadians in the agriculture and agri-food industry.

According to Statistics Canada a total of 15,765 people in Canada’s agricultural population identified as Indigenous in 2016, making up 2.7% of that population. This figure includes 5,160 Indigenous agricultural operators, or 1.9% of the 270,720 agricultural operators in Canada. Indigenous farm operators live all across Canada, but are especially numerous in Western Canada. However, individuals who identify as Indigenous are under-represented in the Canadian agriculture sector and bring in significantly lower revenues than non-Indigenous farm operators.[1]

Indigenous agriculture takes various forms. Some Indigenous communities own major export-oriented operations, but most Indigenous agriculture is small-scale and focuses on meeting the needs of the community and improving its food security.

The evidence helped the Committee members understand the scope of the food insecurity problem that is affecting some reserves and most Inuit communities. A number of witnesses linked support for Indigenous peoples in the agriculture sector to Indigenous communities’ food sovereignty.

The Committee recognizes that limited access to capital, land and high-quality agricultural infrastructure remains a major barrier to the development of agricultural and agri-food businesses in Indigenous communities.

The Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food and its provincial and territorial partners have developed programs for Indigenous Canadians. However, a number of witnesses maintained that Indigenous agriculture can and should be better supported. Providing adequate funding that is tailored to Indigenous peoples’ local realities, supporting exports of Indigenous food products and promoting teaching and sharing of agricultural knowledge are some of the solutions set out in this report.