Federal petition calls for support for local agriculture research

LACOMBE -- Residents of Central Alberta have until Friday to sign a petition in support of local agricultural research.

The national petition is aimed at directing the federal government to suspend staff terminations and keep research centres and programs operating for at least 24 months, allowing time for transparency, consultation, and review before irreversible capacity and long-term research are lost. This comes many facilities, including the Lacombe Research and Development Centre, are slated to lose funding following a federal announcement from January.

Since that time, advocacy efforts have been led by local municipalities, including Lacombe and Lacombe County, who formed a joint task force to address the matter. They note that the planned closure of the LRDC will not only damage local agricultural research, but directly impact workers and families across the region.

"With AAFC research centres and programs facing closure, Canadians are being urged to speak up for the science that supports our food system and farming communities nationwide," said the City of Lacombe in a statement. "Please sign the petition before April 3 and share with others across Canada to do the same."

Under the current plans, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada plans to close seven research facilities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, and the Organic and Regenerative Research Program, and cut the employees and support staff required to carry out agricultural research at these facilities. Advocates say the cuts will reduce Canada's competitiveness, resilience and food security, increase reliance on foreign science and seed, increase costs, and waste decades of public and producer investment.

You can head to this link to sign the petition:

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7214