On February 13th, CFA delivered its submission to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities study on the impacts of Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) on the labour market.
The submission emphasized that agriculture faces chronic, structural labour shortages, with tens of thousands of unfilled positions that domestic recruitment alone cannot meet.
In rural areas TFWs do not displace Canadian workers or suppress wages. Instead, they provide essential labour that sustains farm productivity, stabilizes local economies, and protects national food security. Evidence shows that TFWs help maintain billions in economic activity across key agricultural sectors.
CFA noted that employers face significant costs to participate in the program—covering transportation, housing, insurance, and regulatory compliance—reinforcing that TFWs complement, rather than replace, the domestic workforce. The organization stresses the need for a long‑term, reliable labour strategy that supports both seasonal and year‑round operations.
To strengthen Canada’s food system, the CFA recommended to:
- Maintain the current agriculture streams within the TFWP, including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program;
- Reinstate and make permanent the Agri‑Food Pilot to create pathways for experienced, non‑seasonal TFWs in critical industries.