Reverse AAFC job cuts and closures
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to reverse AAFC’s planned cuts of 665 staff and cancel closures of seven research centres, including the Organic and Regenerative Research Program at Swift Current. The government responds that AAFC must find three‑year savings and will consolidate science while keeping capacity and a national presence with 17 centres.
Why we would sign this petition
- Preserves 665 scientific, technical and support positions petitioners say are essential to public plant breeding and ongoing agricultural research.
- Protects research facilities, equipment and institutional knowledge needed to address production challenges and support farmers’ long‑term productivity.
- Maintains regional and national research presence that petitioners argue supports local innovation, training and sector resilience.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- AAFC must achieve three‑year savings; reversing the cuts could hinder required fiscal consolidation or force reductions elsewhere.
- The department argues consolidation can reduce overhead while preserving core scientific capacity, so preventing closures may forgo efficiency gains.
- Keeping all centres could be costly or duplicative; targeted partnerships, reallocations or other alternatives might meet research needs more sustainably.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada WHEREAS On January 23, 2026 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced plans to cut 665 positions, primarily scientific, technical and support staff carrying out agricultural research, and close 7 research facilities: the Lacombe, Guelph, and Quebec City Research and Development Centres and the Indian Head, Scott, Portage la Prairie, and Nappan Research Farms, as well as the Organic and Regenerative Research Program at the Swift Current R&D Center; AND WHEREAS The affected positions and facilities are essential to Canadian agriculture, representing an irreplaceable investment in facilities, equipment and highly educated personnel, an irreplaceable knowledge base, essential infrastructure for public plant breeding needed to address critical production challenges to provide ongoing success for farmers and our agricultural economy, and a strategic asset to safeguard Canada's ability to feed ourselves THEREFORE We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to reverse the planned cuts of 665 AAFC staff and closure of the Organic and Regenerative Research Program at Swift Current, and the Lacombe, Guelph, Quebec City, Indian Head, Scott, Portage la Prairie, and Nappan research facilities.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Signed by The Honourable Heath MacDonald, PC, MP Through the Comprehensive Expenditure Review exercise, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) was required to identify savings over a three-year period. As a result, AAFC is strategically consolidating its science footprint to use its funds more efficiently in delivering impactful science to Canadian farmers, food processors, and others in the agriculture and agri-food sector. This strategic realignment and consolidation of science activities will allow for the reduction of overhead costs while preserving scientific capacity and maintaining a presence in every province. The Department will maintain its focus on areas of research such as horticulture and field crop production, animal production, food processing, and biodiversity. It will also continue to deliver science with the potential to accelerate innovations in the sector. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will continue to be Canada’s largest agricultural research organization, with 17 research centres and associated farmland across the country, maintaining a strong national footprint while addressing both regional and national priorities. AAFC’s commitment to science excellence and sector partnership has not changed and it will continue to invest in research and strengthen collaborations with industry groups, governments, universities and colleges, and other key stakeholders in Canada and internationally.