MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada announces funding to improve animal health and welfare

October 8, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Today, at the 2024 Animal Health Canada Forum, Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced up to $13,343,409 over 5 years to Animal Health Canada (AHC) for three projects through the AgriAssurance Program – National Industry Association component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

This investment aims to enhance animal health and welfare, while safeguarding Canadians, through improvements to disease surveillance, emergency management, and animal care standards.

AHC will receive up to $3,534,174 to expand its animal health surveillance networks and shift the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System to a One Health approach. AHC aims to minimize the economic, health, and welfare impacts of potential disease outbreaks in Canadian livestock by improving disease surveillance and information sharing.

AHC will also receive up to $5,000,000 for a second project aimed at improving emergency management practices. Project activities include developing comprehensive emergency plans, training industry staff and producers across Canada, conducting educational workshops, and testing industry preparedness.

Finally, AHC will receive up to $4,809,235 to update, amend, and review several Codes of Practice. These Codes are nationally developed guidelines for the care and handling of animals, which help guarantee high standards of animal welfare. AHC will also ensure awareness of the changes to the Codes throughout the sector.

Animal health and disease management are a priority for the Government of Canada. These efforts aim to strengthen sector resilience, confirm Canada’s high standards of animal care, and ensure the health and safety of Canadians.

• A One Health system is an approach to disease management and prevention that recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health. It promotes collaboration across multiple sectors and disciplines to ensure the well-being of all.

• The Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System is a distinct division of AHC that is dedicated to promoting a coordinated, national surveillance system through partner engagement and information sharing.

• Updates to the Codes of Practice will be made through the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), a distinct division of AHC.

• Enhanced emergency management practices aim to build sector resilience and protect Canada’s agricultural resources through comprehensive planning and training.

• AHC previously received over $6 million in funding under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

• Animal Health Canada (AHC) is a national organization that brings together industry, federal, provincial, and territorial partners to provide guidance on a cohesive, functional, and responsive farmed animal health and welfare system in Canada.

• The AgriAssurance Program – National Industry Association Component, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, provides funding for national-level projects to help industry develop, verify, and integrate assurance systems to address market and regulatory requirements and to enable industry to make credible, meaningful, and verifiable claims about the health, safety, and quality of Canadian agriculture products. 

• The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a $3.5-billion, 5-year agreement (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028), between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food, and agri‐based products sector.