producers/nfu-canada-automation-not-labour-strategy

Quote / Position

“We reject a view that seeks to reduce labour costs by maximizing the use of technology (robots, automation, self-driving tractors, etc.) and adopting a ‘just-in-time’ approach to the employment of Temporary Foreign Workers.”

Context

This is the clearest primary-source NFU statement for the AI-and-labour spine. It should not be presented as a blanket rejection of agricultural technology. The NFU’s position is that automation cannot substitute for a labour strategy grounded in fair compensation, safe and dignified work, worker rights, farm viability, and food-system resilience.

Source

National Farmers Union Canada. Towards a National Agricultural Labour Strategy that works for Farmers and Farm Workers. October 19, 2022. https://www.nfu.ca/policy/towards-a-national-agricultural-labour-strategy-that-works-for-farmers-and-farm-workers/

The quotation appears in the NFU’s section on the purpose and values of a national agricultural labour strategy.