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As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conferences and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on the total annual expenditures for each of travel, hospitality and conferences for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020.
This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.
Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conferences incurred by federal departments and agencies are related to supporting departmental mandate(s) and the government’s priorities.
In particular, for the CFIA, this includes the delivery of the following core programs and/or services to Canadians:
- The CFIA is dedicated to safeguarding food safety and animal and plant health, which enhances Canada’s environment, economy, and the health and well-being of its residents
- The CFIA administrates and enforces 10 federal statutes and 23 sets of regulations. In addition to supporting a sustainable plant and animal resource base, these statutes and regulations regulate the safety and quality of food and agricultural inputs sold in Canada, such as feed, seed, fertilizers, and veterinary biologics
- The CFIA develops program requirements, conducts laboratory testing, and delivers inspections and other services in order to
- Prevent and manage food safety risks
- Protect plant resources from regulated pests, diseases and invasive species
- Prevent and manage animal and zoonotic diseases
- Contribute to consumer protection; and
- Contribute to market access for Canada's food, plants, animals and their products
Travel is essential for the delivery of these services.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures
| Expenditure category | Expenditures for the year ending March 31, 2020 (in thousands of dollars) |
Expenditures for the year ending March 31, 2019 (in thousands of dollars) |
Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
| Operational activities | 6,626 | 7,981 | (1,355) |
| Key stakeholders | 482 | 677 | (195) |
| Internal governance | 424 | 538 | (114) |
| Training | 2,004 | 2,598 | (594) |
| Other | 1,065 | 1,308 | (243) |
| A. Total Travel | 10,601 | 13,102 | (2,501) |
| B. Hospitality | 60 | 130 | (70) |
| C. Conference fees | 192 | 184 | 8 |
| Total | 10,853 | 13,416 | (2,563) |
Significant variances compared to the previous fiscal year
In 2019 to 2020 the CFIA was successful at reducing travel expenditures through the use of video conferencing and other digital online technologies. Travel expenditures were further reduced in the last quarter of 2019 to 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As an exponential rise in cases were reported, governments across Canada took wide-ranging steps to mitigate and contain the spread of COVID-19, which included travel restrictions and stay-at-home policies. Through the use of new technology and the mitigation and containment efforts due to COVID-19, the CFIA saw a significant reduction in travel expenditures in 2019 to 2020 compared to 2018 to 2019 which is expected to continue into 2020 to 2021.