Supply Management: An Undeniable Advantage
In addition to providing Alberta’s consumers with reliable, high-quality chicken products, the supply management system:
- does not cost the provincial or federal governments one cent;
- allows a better distribution of the consumer dollar from producer to retailer;
- provides over 4,100 direct and indirect jobs in Alberta;
- provides a stable market, which benefits consumers, producers, processing companies, hatcheries, feed mills, food service, and many industries;
- Alberta’s chicken industry alone contributes $373.6 million to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product;
- is responsible for the transfer of $24.08 million and $26.57 million to the Federal and Provincial/local governments respectively.
Political Support
The system’s ability to produce high quality chicken without the use of subsidies or taxpayer dollars has been a major success of supply management. Supply management is recognized by federal and provincial governments as an effective risk management program. It is one of the reasons supply management enjoys political support across party lines. In fact, all four of Canada’s national political parties are in agreement about the need to protect supply management - probably the only such issue on which all parties are in agreement!
- In the June 2011 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada reaffirmed its commitment to defending supply management:
“In all international forums and bilateral negotiations, our government will continue to stand up for Canadian farmers and industries by defending supply management.”
- In a November 2011 press release the NDP Official Opposition called on the government to reaffirm its commitment to supply management.
- In a November 2011 press release the Liberal opposition also called on the government to reaffirm its commitment to supply management.
- In a 2010 policy document the Green Party of Canada builds supply management into an overarching Agriculture and Food policy.
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