Reverse AAFC research cuts
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to reverse AAFC’s planned elimination of 665 positions and the closure of seven research centres and the Swift Current Organic and Regenerative Research Program. The government responds that AAFC will consolidate science to cut costs while preserving capacity and maintaining 17 centres.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would restore 665 specialized research roles and preserve infrastructure the petition describes as irreplaceable, keeping expertise for public agricultural science.
- Maintaining the Swift Current organic program and research centres supports public plant breeding and research needed to address production challenges and food security.
- Reversing closures preserves regional research capacity and jobs framed as strategic assets for farmers and the national agricultural economy.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The government cites a Comprehensive Expenditure Review; reversing cuts may conflict with fiscal targets and reduce planned savings.
- AAFC argues consolidation can preserve scientific capacity and a national footprint; efficiencies might protect core research without full reversals.
- Closing sites involves complex decisions; transfer or consolidation of projects could maintain research continuity without restoring all positions or sites.
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. Closing a research site involves a complex series of decisions that must be carefully worked through. The Department is engaging with research partners and collaborators on the future of active projects with a view to preserving research continuity, to the extent possible. 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.