The Subsidy Snare

Are Canada’s Farmers Trapped?

Guest Speaker: Rolf Penner, Agriculture Policy Fellow, Frontier Centre for Public Policy

While global trade in general has become more free, agricultural trade remains mired in government intervention. Canada’s farmers have steadfastly said that they would prefer to make their living from the marketplace yet there are both internal and external forces working against this goal, which has lead to the current farm income crises. This talk will highlight what subsidies are and who is getting subsidized, the level of agricultural subsidization around the world, how Canada fits in and some of the reasons why subsidies are counterproductive. Pdf version

About the Guest:Rolf Penner is the Agricultural Policy Fellow for the Winnipeg based think tank The Frontier Centre. He has been called Canada’s most “hands on” think tank based farm policy commentator. He is a successful third generation farmer who operates an 1800 acre mixed farm near Morris, Manitoba. His farm is soundly diversified into two parts, half the operation consisting of feeder hogs and the other cropland, both of which have consistently grown in size, sophistication and scope. As a producer delegate with the Manitoba Pork Council he received an education award in 2002. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a diploma in Agriculture in 1988. Rolf is a regular media commentator on agriculture issues on Golden West Radio stations across the prairies, as well as the CJOB morning show in Winnipeg. He was also recently interviewed on the Agvision TV farm show. Rolf also is a frequent contributor to a range of daily, weekly and monthly newspapers including the National Post, the Winnipeg Free Press, the Calgary Herald and more.

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