The summit of Lamontagne | The Press

André Lamontagne serves as Minister of Agriculture in Quebec and he does so brilliantly. By comparing the performance of Quebec’s agri-food sector with that of other Canadian provinces, we see that Quebec has a head start.

This Thursday is held in Drummondville the third major annual meeting of biofood partners. It is the agri-food high mass that brings together the major leaders of the sector to take stock of the state of the industry. The meeting is chaired, of course, by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec, André Lamontagne.

Not easy to assume the role of Minister of Agriculture, especially in Quebec. Consensus is difficult to obtain in La Belle Province because of the divergences of interests and opinions. The passion that has driven the province for years has no equal within the federation.

Since his beginnings as Minister of Agriculture, André Lamontagne has been able to do what his many predecessors failed to accomplish.

First, the Minister was able to equip himself with governance that allowed him to do his homework within the industry. Very few provinces can boast that their ministry of agriculture is part of the group of large ministries of a government; yet this is the case in Quebec. The influence that MAPAQ obtains through a new bio-food economic team brings a coherent, multidisciplinary and coordinated approach within the government while keeping the agri-food sector at the heart of concerns.

Her federal counterpart, Marie-Claude Bibeau, often seems overwhelmed by events since she surrounds herself with people who all think the same way. She always meets the same people and certainly chooses the less daring option. She agrees to everyone’s requests, without really knowing why. Many other provinces are acting similarly. Lamontagne has understood that, to properly master its agri-food files, it must pay particular attention to divergent voices as often as possible. The Ottawa ministerial representation in agriculture as well as that of the other provinces never intended to do so; the task would be too difficult, too demanding.

MAPAQ’s greatest contribution under the leadership of its minister is reflected in its work on food self-sufficiency, which promotes local purchases within an open economy, prioritizes greenhouse cultivation and increases productivity while adopting a ecological. It’s not easy to align all of these objectives, but certain performance measures clearly show that Quebec stands out.

Institutional local purchasing is progressing. According to MAPAQ data, just over 47% of targeted institutions in the education, higher education and health and social services networks have targets for purchasing Quebec foods. The 100% target will likely be achieved by 2025.

Greenhouse production for a reliable supply during the winter is progressing well. The province will have 61 hectares of new fruit and vegetable greenhouses within a few years. Quebec still has a long way to go, but the objective of reaching 246 hectares in a few years is quite possible.

According to Statistics Canada, only Quebec has seen its number of farms decrease by barely 1% since 2006. The Canadian average, since 2006, is -17%. But over the past four years, the number of agri-food businesses has also increased by almost 2%, while all the provinces have seen a decrease.

The agricultural land used in Canada has decreased by 8% since 2006, but not in Quebec. Since 2016, cropland area has increased by 0.2%. Another feat.

In other words, Quebec is going against the tide of a national trend that is undermining the agri-food sector. All this is certainly not the result of chance. While Canada is still looking for itself, Quebec is exercising a coherent vision supported by impressive sectoral leadership.

The leaders of the sector who are gathered in Drummondville deserve to celebrate the great achievements of recent years. Lamontagne has only traced a strategic path that makes Quebec an exceptional case and a model to follow for all of Canada.

The minister also co-chairs the federal committee on the code of conduct with his federal counterpart. His footprint is all the more impressive, since he is quite simply the best Minister of Agriculture in the country. He gets involved and knows how to recognize the moment when it is necessary to leave all the room to the industry so that it can do its job. For Quebec, you have to go back to Jean Garon to find a minister who has exercised so much influence within his own government.

Dare to believe that one day, the other provinces and the federal government will have the same ambitions.