Archived - What we heard report – Plant health science mobilization plan

On this page

• Introduction
• Overview of engagement process
• Who we heard from
• What we heard
• Lessons learned
• Next steps

Introduction

The Plant and Animal Health Strategy (PAHS) for Canada charts a path for strengthening plant health protection efforts in the country. One area for action is to develop a plant health research strategy founded in prevention and mitigation. The Plant Health Science Mobilization Plan (PHSMP) outlines goals and activities to support science and research deliverables under the PAHS through:

• improving national science partnerships
• fostering a proactive approach to protect plant health, and
• strengthening evidence-based decision-making

The first notion for the PHSMP came from university and government representatives in 2018 who identified the need to strengthen Canada's current plant health science system. From 2019 to 2020, experts and stakeholders came together through presentations, a targeted federal workshop, and online public consultation to further refine the plan. The resulting vision and goal-oriented framework will help develop a roadmap that will strengthen Canada's position within plant health science on the global stage.

This report consolidates and summarizes the comments received on the PHSMP and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)'s response to those comments.

The CFIA would like to thank everyone who participated in the consultation for contributing their time to the consultation process and sharing their views.

Overview of engagement process

Objective

Receive feedback from plant health scientists and the public to make sure that all stakeholders feel represented.

Approach

The CFIA launched an online consultation to seek feedback that was then used to refine the content of the PHSMP. To support the consultation process, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)'s Science Policy and Partnerships Division led 13 feedback sessions and 2 presentations with their Branch Implementation and Human Resources Committee.

Timeline

The consultation on the PHSMP ran from September 21, 2020 to November 20, 2020.

Feedback requested

Comments and ideas on 3 key elements of the PHSMP:

1. How the proposed goals align with the future of plant health science in Canada
2. Specific opportunities that may support the desired goals
3. How participants saw themselves and/or their organization contributing to the vision

Who we heard from

The target audience for this consultation included the plant health science community (government, scholars, industry and members of the public). Participants who provided feedback included:

• 68 staff from AAFC
• the pest risk management team from Natural Resources, Canada's Canadian Forest Service
• a scholar from the University of Guelph

What we heard

Overall, respondents welcomed the opportunity to provide feedback on the PHSMP. Views are organized by themes and specific to goals, which are summarized below.

• Overarching feedback themes
• Feedback specific to goals

Overarching feedback themes

Scope

Participants agreed that the goals of the PHSMP provide a strong basis for mobilizing the plant health science community in Canada. Many confirmed the need to better coordinate research partnerships and resources through a shared vision and set of priorities. Some participants expressed that the plan was very broad which could make successful results more difficult to achieve. One participant suggested adding a sociology aspect to consider when translating research solutions into action.

Definition of plant health

The original definition put significant emphasis on quarantine pests. Participants felt that the PHSMP should re-define plant health as many of  these issues in Canada are domestic in nature. A broader definition of plant health throughout the PHSMP would better reflect this and resonate with all stakeholders.

Sustained funding

Some participants commented that the PHSMP was vague on available funding sources. This made it difficult to envision how the different stakeholders will come together to make sure that the PHSMP is a success. National-scale research is better supported through sustained funding which many existing or annual research programs do not offer.

Feedback specific to goals

Goal 1: Increased awareness, training and action

Participants promoted the importance of:

• Websites as science communication tools
• Community science to encourage public awareness
• Graduate student supervision
• Cross-promoted training
• Colocation of federal scientists in centres of expertise
• International awareness and scientific knowledge transfer of innovations

Goal 2: Biovigilance approach

Some participants recommended clarifying the definition of biovigilance. This would include where and how pest management and surveillance fit into the approach. Other feedback emphasized the importance of infrastructure (for example, working groups, collaboration, networks, expertise, resources) for maintaining national-scale projects.

Goal 3: Evidence-based decision-making

Participants acknowledged that the PHSMP should develop data sharing capacity across Canadian institutions and with international partners. This is essential to capture the full potential of proactive, evidence-based decisions. The CFIA also received feedback on the need for client-based engagement to get tools to industry/farmers/growers. The PHSMP should convey plant health information to diverse stakeholders for decision-making. Understanding  the barriers, enablers, drivers and constraints to evidence-based decision-making  is crucial to adopt new science and technology. This should be done in the context of policy, regulations or crop production practices. Participants also emphasized the importance of coordinated priority setting and collective actions.

Lessons learned

• More consultation, especially with non-traditional agricultural stakeholders, early in the development would have enabled a better sense of ownership
  • In particular, AAFC discussed this with their Indigenous Support and Awareness Office (ISAO)
• A better definition of the target audience and plans for funding would also make the PHSMP easier to assess and put the desired outcomes in perspective

Next steps

• Since the PHSMP was developed and consulted on, several complimentary initiatives are now underway to strengthen the plant health science community within Canada. The CFIA will focus on supporting the following initiatives as the primary means for delivering the goals of the PHSMP:
  • The CPHIS as a new platform to unify the plant health science community by maximizing information sharing and collaboration
  • The Biovigilance framework aimed at identifying how stakeholders can work together to implement this approach aimed at addressing plant health threats before they become problems and mitigating unintended consequences of required management approaches
  • The NPF to promote national-scale research and strengthen Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector
  • The CCA report to align priorities aimed at strengthening partnerships, improving coordination, and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into plant health protection efforts
• The CFIA will also continue to work in close collaboration with expert committees, such as the Canadian Plant Health Council, to identify where science can advance prioritized activities aimed at plant health protection, and improve the collection, transfer and application of information among stakeholders.