With CUSMA talks approaching, CAFTA’s executive director joins Ottawa’s new advisory committee to represent agri-food exporters.

In global agriculture, the most important conversations don’t always happen in fields or labs. Sometimes, they happen around a table — one where decisions ripple across borders, supply chains and seasons.

As Canada prepares for the 2026 review of CUSMA, one of those tables is taking shape in Ottawa.

And this time, the voice representing agri-food — and by extension, seed — isn’t standing alone.

Michael Harvey, executive director of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), has been appointed to the federal government’s newly formed Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations. The committee, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney and chaired by trade minister Dominic LeBlanc, will help guide Canada’s approach to one of its most critical trade relationships.

For those who follow policy, Harvey’s appointment makes sense. He has built a career translating trade complexity into real-world impact for exporters — the kind of work that often determines whether innovation moves freely or stalls at the border.

But what’s notable this time isn’t just the seat he’s taking. It’s the chorus behind him.

“Michael brings a strong, respected voice for Canadian agri-food exporters, and his appointment is well deserved,” said Leif Carlson, vice-president of markets and trade at Cereals Canada.

That endorsement reflects something bigger than one appointment. It signals alignment across export-dependent sectors at a moment when the stakes are rising.

With nearly $3.6 billion in goods and services crossing the Canada–U.S. border daily, trade is more than an economic pillar; it’s the operating system of North American agriculture. For seed developers, whose innovations depend on predictable regulatory pathways and integrated supply chains, stability isn’t optional. It’s foundational. And yet, stability is no longer a given.

As Seed World has explored in recent months, Canada’s trade environment is shifting from evolving geopolitical relationships to domestic policy recalibrations under a new federal government. The rules that once felt settled are now in motion again. That’s why the upcoming CUSMA review carries unusual weight.

“His deep understanding of trade and export-dependent sectors will help ensure agri-food perspectives are well represented in these critical discussions,” Cereals Canada noted in welcoming Harvey’s appointment.

The message is clear: this isn’t just about representation — it’s about readiness.

Consumers are watching food prices. Exporters are watching market access. And across the value chain, industries are watching for signs that tariff-free, predictable trade — long the backbone of continental agriculture — will hold.

For CAFTA, which represents 90% of Canada’s agri-food exporters, the mandate is equally clear. Reliable cross-border trade, fewer non-tariff barriers, and a stronger framework for North American production aren’t abstract goals — they are daily necessities for businesses that operate across borders.

Greg Northey, CAFTA’s president, has emphasized the need for a strong, focused voice as negotiations approach, one that can protect market access while reinforcing the deeply integrated nature of Canada-U.S. supply chains.