This public statement describes key findings from the strategic environmental and economic assessment (SEEA) conducted for a Treasury Board submission on Canada's response to H5N1 avian influenza (the approved proposal).
We are committed to advancing the Government of Canada's priorities and goals on sustainable development and climate action, including environmental and socio-economic goals. This public statement explains how environmental and economic effects were considered during the proposal's development. The proposal was led by the CFIA.
Summary of the approved proposal
We received $27.9M for 2024 to 2025 to support a federal approach for early detection, active prevention and to position the Government of Canada to be able to take rapid response measures to protect human and animal health from the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1).
The goals of these investments are to uphold Canada's current response to the outbreak of H5N1 in poultry and to ensure that timely emergency preparedness and response efforts are in place to protect Canadians from H5N1.
Objectives of the approved proposal
The proposal requests additional support to undertake activities which fall under our core mandate to protect Canada's plant and animal resources while safeguarding food safety. Objectives include the following:
- minimize the transmission and spread of the disease in domestic poultry flocks while reducing the threat to cattle and other animals
- safeguard the reliability and safety food supply and public health
- maintain the export markets for Canadian poultry and dairy products
- minimize financial impacts on poultry and dairy sectors
- bolster research efforts and improve surveillance systems to build an evidence base
- ensure coordinated, effective, and timely communication and response horizontally across sectors
Key findings
This proposal could strengthen ecosystem health and have positive effects on migratory birds or their habitat. It may also have an improving effect on the emission of greenhouse gases and general effects on wildlife and humans. In addition, waste generation could be decreased, as well as water and soil pollution. This proposal could also lead to programs or policies that support enabling measures to increase Canada's resilience to climate change and may contribute to advancing National Adaptation Strategy goals of health and well-being. Current and future climate hazards, including seasonal changes and increasing air temperatures that may impact bird migration patterns, may impact the success of this proposal.
Strategic environmental analysis
Effects on greenhouse gas emissions
This proposal is not expected to produce important effects related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
When the CFIA orders the destruction of diseased animals, minor environmental effects can arise, including air pollution from transporting the responders to infected premises and incineration of carcasses. However, the GHG emissions could be reduced by implementing proposed activities to detect early, actively prevent, and quickly respond to H5N1 outbreaks. It is anticipated that these enhanced measures would reduce the number and scale of outbreaks and thus lead to fewer affected animals being culled and disposed.
Effects on biodiversity
The proposed activities such as rapid containment of the disease among domestic flocks as well as increased biosecurity measures, surveillance and testing of livestock will help reduce the spread of the disease to wildlife, contributing to maintaining Canada's biodiversity.
Other environmental effects
The proposal would support mitigating the impacts of climate change on the incidence, spread, and predictability of H5N1. The actions described in the proposal will reduce H5N1 outbreaks in poultry, contain the disease quickly in an outbreak, and minimize the need for depopulation and disposal of commercial flocks. With the reduced disease outbreaks in domestic flocks and lower risk to animals and human, the environment and biodiversity will also be protected.
Climate change impacts and adaption solutions
Climate change affects the incidence, spread and predictability of animal diseases. H5N1 is a major health threat to wild and domestic birds. Climate change may affect wild bird migration patterns, along with increasing temperature and changing eco-system, which may increase the scale and frequency of H5N1 outbreaks and the potential mutation of the virus. However, the scientific research on the linkage of climate change to H5N1 is still evolving.
With the funding requested, we will have resources over 2024 to 2025 to conduct research, increase technical capacity, assess risk, and conduct inspections and surveillance as needed to better prevent, prepare, and respond to H5N1. However, if the incidence and scale of outbreaks continue to increase exponentially over time, additional resources and funding may be required to contain the disease and minimize impacts.
Effects on Canada's climate resilience
The mitigation measures proposed to proactively and effectively manage the risk of H5N1 to poultry, cattle, humans, and our food supply are expected to improve the health and well-being of Canadians. For instance, funding to support CFIA and Health Canada in animal vaccine development will help reduce the scale and incurrence of H5N1 in domestic flocks, other livestock, and wild animals, thus protecting Canada's nature and biodiversity as well as public health. The proposal may also have a differentiated impact on Indigenous peoples who harvest wild birds and/or eggs by mitigating the risk of disease outbreaks in wild birds.
Strategic economic analysis
Qualitative economic assessment results
According to the qualitative economic assessment tool, this proposal is anticipated to have negligible local impacts, a medium short-term impact on the agriculture sector, and a low short-term impact on the national economy. However, we believe that some activities included in this proposal may bring positive long-term impacts to the agriculture sector and the broader Canadian economy.
For the agriculture sector, the anticipated long-term impact is medium. Enhanced biosecurity on farms will help foster a resilient, sustainable, and economically stable agricultural sector in the long term.
For the Canadian economy, while funding for this H5N1 proposal is limited to 1 year, the emergency preparedness and response system it establishes will be designed for long-term sustainability, fostering a more resilient Canadian economy. The components of active prevention, early detection, and rapid response can benefit the national economy by:
- minimizing disruptions in the poultry and cattle industry
- ensuring stable food supplies
- maintaining international trade relationships.
These measures will help to foster a resilient and robust economic environment by:
- avoiding extensive economic losses from outbreaks
- protecting jobs
- supporting sustainable agricultural practices
Cross-cutting considerations
Indigenous Peoples' rights and climate leadership
The proposal is expected to have equally positive impacts on all producers in the poultry and cattle industries, given that it is a broad, general initiative with no anticipated direct impact on Indigenous Peoples' rights and/or interests. Although Indigenous producers represent a relatively small portion in the farming population (2.8% self-identified as Indigenous in 2021), there are some data gaps with respect to:
- how many Indigenous producers raise poultry and/or cattle
- whether this captures all Indigenous producers (if not self-identified)
- whether this captures all Indigenous peoples who may raise poultry and/or cattle and who may not identify as a producer/farmer.
It is anticipated that the proposal will not have a disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities.
Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
The proposal aims to:
- undertake early detection and prevention activities
- ensure the ability to respond rapidly to any emerging H5N1 outbreaks to protect the health of poultry, livestock and wildlife (including wild birds)
- maintain Canada's safe food supply
As a result, the proposal contributes to the following goals:
- Federal sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) Goal 2: support a healthier and more sustainable food system
- sustainable development goal (SDG) 3: good health and well-being
- FSDS Goal 15: protect and recover species, conserve Canadian biodiversity (target: migratory birds)
Public perspectives
While responding to H5N1 has certain impacts on the environment, if the incidence and scale of outbreaks can be kept at a minimum by executing the activities in the proposal, the environmental effect of H5N1 will be significantly reduced. As the virus spreads rapidly, with potential risks to food safety, threatening other livestock and human health, and causing economic concerns, the proposal adopts a balanced approach, considering socio-economic, public health and environmental impacts. This proactive, integrated, and balanced approach is anticipated to receive a positive reaction from industry stakeholders and Canadians in general.
Fossil fuel subsidy
No direct implications are identified within the program's scope.
Implications for sustainable jobs
No direct implications are identified within the program's scope.
Summary of how environmental and economic considerations were integrated in the proposal
In accordance with the Cabinet Directive on Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment, a Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment preliminary scan was conducted for this initiative. The preliminary scan concluded that many of the activities proposed will:
- have positive effects on nature and biodiversity through activities aimed at reducing the spread of disease to wildlife
- improve the environment and human health through actions taken to contain the diseases, which minimize the need for increased depopulation and disposal of poultry.