FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, May 7, 2026 — The Agriculture Union says a new report from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri‑Food confirms what agricultural workers and communities across Canada have been saying for months: planned closures of seven federal agriculture research centres will cause lasting harm to workers, farmers, food security, and Canada’s ability to respond to climate change.
In its report published yesterday, Science in Canadian Agriculture and the Closure of Research Centres, the Committee unanimously calls on the federal government to pause and reverse planned shutdowns at Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada (AAFC) research centres and experimental farms, warning that the cuts risk permanently damaging Canada’s agricultural science capacity.
“This report validates our members’ experiences on the ground,” said Milton Dyck, National President of the Agriculture Union. The Agriculture Union represents 2500 employees at AAFC. “Front‑line scientists and technical staff have been telling the government these closures would break research pipelines, destroy irreplaceable data, and hollow out rural communities. Food science is critical infrastructure — and you don’t cut the people who keep your food safe and sustainable. The committee’s study has now confirmed these concerns are widely shared and recommends actions to prevent the damage that will be caused by these unnecessary closures.”
The union is urging the government to act on the recommendation of the report to stop the closure of the AAFC centres before May 23, the date by which employees of the centres face potential layoffs.
The Committee heard testimony from the Agriculture Union’s National Vice-President Patrick St-Georges, as well as 26 other scientists, producers, municipalities, and provincial MLAs. The report concludes that public agricultural research delivers extraordinary economic returns that cannot simply be replaced by universities or the private sector. The report highlights serious risks to soil health research, seed development, forage and livestock research, and organic and regenerative agriculture — areas where long‑term, region‑specific field science is essential.
“These aren’t abstract budget lines,” Dyck added. “We’re talking about hundreds of good jobs in remote communities, decades of expertise, and public‑interest science that farmers rely on every single day. When you shut down a research farm, you don’t just close the gates — you lose a century of agricultural science and knowledge that Canada can never get back.”
The Agriculture Union particularly welcomes the Committee’s recommendation for the government to reconsider its decision to close the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) food allergy testing lab in Longueuil, QC. The lab was due to be shut down at the end of April, but the government recently announced its plans to delay the closure until 2028. The union also represents 4000 workers at CFIA, including 10 at the Longueuil lab who are threatened with job losses.
The Committee made 20 recommendations, including recognizing agriculture and agri‑food as a strategic sector tied to national security, maintaining geographically distributed research capacity, protecting front‑line scientists, and developing a national agricultural research and innovation strategy.
“This report is a clear roadmap for the government,” Dyck said. “The message is simple: pause the closures, listen to workers, and invest in public agricultural science. Anything less is a gamble with Canada’s food system — and with the future of rural communities. Cuts today mean unsafe food tomorrow.”
The Agriculture Union is calling on the federal government to act immediately on the Committee’s recommendations and to engage directly with the union and other stakeholders before any further irreversible decisions are made.
For media requests, please contact Aaron Lakoff, Communications Officer for the Agriculture Union: LakoffA@psac-afpc.com, 343-596-4400