Free trade deals have been key to export growth.   Ottawa –Canada is on track to break the existing $67 billion record for agriculture and food exports in one year despite all the problems the pandemic has caused in the processing sector through 2020, says Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. That exact number won't be tabulated until later in 2021 but it marks progress toward the goal of $75 billion in annual agrifood exports by 2025 a goal recommended by the 2016 Barton Report. “In an incredible show of strength and resilience, our hardworking farmers and food businesses across Canada are expected to post another record year for agri-food exports, despite all the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown their way,” Bibeau said. While many exporters ran into trade barriers and other challenges, “our international customers turned to Canada more than ever as a trusted, steady supplier of high-quality food to meet their needs,” she said. Three quarters of the agrifood trade is covered by free trade deals such as the European, Pacific and North American ones. While the pandemic has prevented our agri-food exporters from connecting with international buyers in-market, we have pivoted our programs to support online marketing initiatives, she said. “We launched a digital update of our Canada Brand. We also expanded the CanExport program to help businesses with digital marketing initiatives.” It provides $75,000 to small and medium-sized businesses, including hundreds of small food businesses, for export marketing in international markets where they have little to no sales. Trade diversification is another pillar of the government's strategy, she said. “To expand our customer base and open up new markets for our food products, we are pursuing an aggressive Export Diversification Strategy, backed by investments of over $1.1 billion, to help Canadian businesses explore new export opportunities. That includes a half dozen new agricultural trade commissioners deployed in markets around the world.” “When our global customers see the Canada Brand, they know they are getting the best-quality goods, grown by farmers who are taking care of their land and animals, and backed by a food safety system that is the envy of the world,” she said. Canadian farmers and food businesses play by the rules of international trade, and we continue to support the World Trade Organization in upholding a rules-based trading system and enforcing those rules. Since it was launched in 2018, the Ottawa Group has helped Canada lead on the world stage, alongside like-minded nations, to champion a predictable and transparent international trade environment. This is vital to our own COVID-19 recovery, and to global food security. Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.