Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council

Overview

The Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council (Marketing Council) is a provincial government regulatory agency established by the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act (MAPA) to supervise, and advise the Minister on matters relating to Alberta's agricultural Marketing Boards and Commissions.

Governance

Search the list of public agencies to find the Marketing Council's:

• mandate and roles
• code of conduct
• agency classification

Membership

The Marketing Council's Chair reports to the minister with members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council for a term of 3 years, with the potential reappointment of one additional term, for a maximum of 6 years of continuous service.

View current membership

Compensation disclosure

Public sector bodies are required to post online the names and compensation paid to:

• all council members
• employees who earn over a threshold amount (see Public sector body compensation disclosure)

This is a requirement under the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act. The postings are required by June 30 each year and will be maintained for 5 years.

Compensation disclosure file

Download the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council's compensation disclosure (disclosures for 2018 to 2023).

Legislation

Alberta legislation

The MAPA provides a framework and tools for Marketing Boards and Commissions in Alberta to regulate their sectors.

The MAPA establishes the Marketing Council, to supervise the governance and ongoing operation of Marketing Boards and Commissions.

The MAPA establishes an Appeal Tribunal and it provides the framework to facilitate federal-provincial agreements and delegation of authority. Within the parameters of the legislation, each Marketing Board or Commission is enabled through a set of governing regulations.

The MAPA specifies several different levels of regulation-making and administrative order-making abilities, involving the Lieutenant Governor in Council, the Minister, the Marketing Council and the respective Marketing Board or Commission.

Alberta regulations

MAPA and Regulations governing each Marketing Board and Commission includes a minimum of a:

• Plan Regulation setting the purpose, objectives, governance framework and guides the operation of the organization
• Authorization Regulation made by the Marketing Council with the approval of the Minister setting out which of the powers in the Act may be used by the organization
• Commission or Marketing Regulation made by the Marketing Board or Commission and filed with the approval of Council setting out day-to-day operations of the organization including among other things, licenses, producer quotas, minimum prices, service charges and record keeping

The Operation of Boards and Commissions Regulation (AR 26/99) sets the reporting and disclosure requirements, and investment limitations for the Marketing Boards and Commissions created under the MAPA.

The Review and Appeal Regulation (AR199/2016) prescribes the processes for reviews and appeals, enables assessing and recovering appeal costs, and establishes the rules for appointing the Appeal Tribunal members.

Copies of all provincial legislation and regulations can be viewed and / or purchased from the Alberta King's Printer.

Federal legislation

Farm Products Agencies Act (Canada) creates the Farm Products Council of Canada. It also provides the legal foundation for national marketing agencies. In 1993, Parliament amended the Act to allow the creation of national promotion and research agencies, and renamed the legislation the Farm Products Agencies Act.

Agricultural Products Marketing Act (Canada) extends provincial Marketing Boards' authority to the federal level, so they can improve marketing conditions for agricultural commodities by means of interprovincial and export trade and levy authority. Authority is granted as a result of a provincial request and is delegated by way of Order in Council.

The Marketing Boards or Commissions are given the authority to exercise, for the benefit of their producers, the same powers in interprovincial and export trade which provincial legislation permits for trade within the province. This applies to such areas as marketing, handling, pricing information and appointment of shippers and shippers-dealers.

The federal government can also give the Marketing Boards or Commissions the authority to charge levies, which can be similar to service charges and license fees, on commodities moving inter-provincially or being exported.

Boards and commissions

The 19 Marketing Boards and Commissions' primary responsibilities are to initiate and carry out projects or programs to commence, stimulate, increase or improve the production and / or marketing of an agricultural product, and serve as the voice of the industry they represent.

The MAPA enables Marketing Boards and Commissions to assess and collect service charges to fund their operational activities. All 7 Marketing Boards operate as non-refundable organizations as all producers must pay a non-refundable service charge.

Commissions operate as either refundable or non-refundable organizations. For example, for commissions with a refundable service charge model, producers who pay a mandatory service charge have the right to ask for a full or partial refund. With changes made to MAPA in 2017, Commissions are able to put forward a request to hold a plebiscite of their producers to choose the service charge model that would work best for their industry.

Appeal Tribunal

The Appeal Tribunal is an administrative tribunal whose function is to hear – in a fair and impartial fashion – appeals of orders, directions or decisions made by the regulated Marketing Boards or Commissions as outlined in the MAPA and the Review and Appeal Regulation. For more information on the appeal process, see the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act Appeal Tribunal.

See the Review and Appeal Process Governance at a Glance.

Plebiscites

The MAPA establishes the Marketing Council’s mandate to conduct plebiscites on questions of significance to marketing boards and commissions, and provides authority for the Marketing Council to establish directives to govern plebiscites. Approval from the minister of Agriculture and Irrigation is required for Marketing Council to conduct a plebiscite. Marketing Council will uses its directive-making authority under MAPA to develop a directive that guides and directs the specific voting procedure. Directives are made by Marketing Council upon the approval of the minister.

Plebiscites are required for substantive matters within the scope of MAPA, such as establishing a new marketing board or commission or making any significant changes to existing marketing boards or commissions (for example, amalgamating 2 or more existing; adding new regulated products, etc.).

In April 2017, the Alberta government announced it would support commissions by giving producers more autonomy to choose a service charge model for their industry.

In September 2017, the MAPA was amended to give producers of commissions the ability to choose their preferred service charge model, whether it be refundable or non-refundable.

• service charges are collected in various ways, for example, when an agricultural product is sold, or it is a base charge to each member of a commission
• these service charges enable a Commission to fund operational activities such as research, promotion, education as well as undertake initiatives that would benefit its industry

The first step in the process of determining if a service charge model should change from refundable to non-refundable is for a commission to request that the Marketing Council conduct a plebiscite (a vote of producer membership).

Marketing Council is currently in the process of conducting three plebiscites:

• Two on the question of amalgamation of the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley Commission; and
• One on the question of the Alberta Lamb Producers service charge model.

Publications

Strategic Plans

2020-2023 Strategic Plan

Annual Reports

Annual reports for the years 2015-2016 to present can be found on Open Government at: Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council annual reports.

Best Practices for Good Governance

• Best practices for marketing board and commission secret ballot voting
• Best practices for marketing board and commission virtual meetings
• Nomination and Election Best Practices

Directives

• Alberta Lamb Producers Plebiscite Directive (2022)
• Alberta Wheat Commission Plebiscite Directive (2022)
• Alberta Barley Commission Plebiscite Directive (2022)

Governance Resources

• Community Development Course Registration

Contact

Connect with the Marketing Council:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-2164
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]