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This year, 22,000 workers from around the world arrived in Canada under the Canadian government’s seasonal work agriculture program. Created in 1974, this program, along with local agencies, assists farmers in bringing in foreign workers to do the planting, pruning, weeding, and picking of fruit and vegetable crops across the country. The government monitors working and living conditions and sets wages.<\/p>\n
Given the shortage of workers in the industry, Canada is keen to welcome immigrants with farming experience. Indeed, several Provincial Nomination Programs include a category to encourage immigrants to establish their own farming enterprises.<\/p>\n
“We can learn a lot from farmers from other parts of the world,” says Christie Young, director of FarmStart, a non-profit organization in the Guelph region of Ontario. Starting next year, FarmStart will be bringing in aspiring immigrant farmers to participate in a subsidized, five-year program. It has rented 38 acres of land on which to teach them about local farm conditions and provide them small plots to grow specialty crops from their home countries. The program will also feature a mentorship component which will match participants with established Canadian farmers.<\/p>\n
With the popularity of international cuisine in Canada, demand for many crops grown abroad is on the increase. “Indian and Pakistani planes are bringing vegetables here every week,” says Iffat Zehra, founder of the Community Economic Development for Immigrant Women. “That food is coming from halfway around the world, when it could easily be grown here.” Recognizing that there are many Canadian immigrants with agricultural experience who are not currently working in the farming industry, Zehra is part of a growing movement to help them transition into the Canadian agricultural sector.<\/p>\n