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Journal article

Are Immigrants the Future of the Canadian Agricultural Workforce?

Date

2022

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of the immigrant population as a probable future of the
Canadian Agricultural Workforce. According to the policy literature, a shortage of labourers will
affect food security within Canada and impact Canada’s global food export. At the same time,
the Canadian agricultural sector recognizes an increase in immigrants who might be
agriculturally qualified and/ or interested in entering the agricultural sector. Theoretical
perspectives on this topic suggest that current immigration policies and conditions need to be
improved to attract agricultural experts to the country and transition Temporary Foreign Works
(TFWs) already in the country to permanent residency. Funding is also vital to improving
training and human resources management in the agricultural sector. This major research paper
addresses this situation and discusses the role of stakeholders such as the government, including
federal, provincial, and down to the municipal level, in brokering innovations that bring
immigrants as workers into the Canadian agricultural sector. This paper identifies and discusses
steps to overcome existing barriers and each player’s role in overcoming them. Important
findings and actions taken by some non-governmental leaders in Labour Market research such as
the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) will also be discussed. The
context of this study is within Ontario with supplementary sources from across the country and
the world and presents data from the past five to 10 years keeping in mind the global effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Agriculture will be central to Canada’s future health and prosperity
and by decreasing the gap in agricultural labour shortages as Canadian farms feed the world and
grow Canada’s economy.

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Geographical focuses

Canada, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, British Columbia, Other provinces, Federal, Nova Scotia, Regional relevance, and National relevance