Government needs to make sure trade deals are working well.Ottawa—The agrifood sector can power the recovery of Canada's economy from the pandemic if the federal government will focus on making trade work better, says the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA).It has released a series of proposals to ensure a strong as possible recovery through increased agrifood trade and urges the federal government to “continue to consult and involve stakeholders in the design stage, throughout the negotiations process of agreements but also enforcement and implementation.”Among a set of proposals to the government, CAFTA calls for reviewing the implementation of recent free trade agreements starting with the European one to identify areas where the deal hasn't lived up to expectations.It also wants a post of Chief of Trade Implementation created at Global Affairs Canada to work with industry to strengthen “our capacity to monitor, report and mobilize resources when commitments in FTAs are not respected.”It also asks to the government to accelerate free trade talks with the United Kingdom, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia as well as work on building up the membership of the Pacific trade agreement.The government should also intensify efforts to modernize the World Trade Organization “in concert with exporters so that the global trading system is once again relevant and at the centre of international trade.“The recommendations we're proposing will help Canada seize the global opportunity before us at a time when finding ways to create and protect jobs and grow the economy has never been more important. Agrifood exporters stand ready to work with the federal government to earn Canada's agrifood century. It is time to get ambitious and unleash the prosperity generating power of Canada's world-class agriculture and agri-food sector.”“Throughout the global COVID-19 crisis, the agri-food sector has demonstrated clearly that it is foundational to modern life in every corner of the globe. From providing a variety of plentiful, high-quality food to retailers and citizens, to providing feed and inputs to farmers and food manufacturers, agri-food trade has helped ensure grocery store shelves have remained stocked, food prices have not spiked and vital supply chains that underpin the production and transport of food have remained functioning. Canada should play to its strengths by putting agrifood at the centre of Canada's pandemic response and post-pandemic recovery.”COVID-19 continues to test the resiliency of agri-food trade, as countries around the world use the crisis to introduce new protectionist measures in the name of security, CAFTA said. “Nearly 100 governments have introduced more than 200 trade restrictions in recent months that have impacted global trade including agri-food, as reported by the WTO.”Without free and rules-based trade, “the ability for the agri-food exporters to lead Canada's economic recovery is greatly diminished. Canada has an opportunity to lead the way by implementing progressive policy actions that demonstrate a clear commitment to free and rules-based trade, more effectively reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and enforce trade rules in our existing free trade agreements.”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.