Background

The history of regulated marketing dates back to the early 1900s where co-operatives were being promoted, enabling producers to band together, improve their strength in the marketplace, and gain the advantage of selling their product in larger quantities. It was clear that there were producers working outside of the co-operative system selling for less, which resulting in the co-operatives having to spiral its pricing downward as well.

In the 1920s, the concept of a compulsory co-operative was developed to prevent outsiders from levering the price downward. These compulsory co-operatives, now referred to as marketing boards, started to spring up in numerous Commonwealth countries and the United States.

Chronological timeline

The following is a chronological history of regulated marketing legislation in Canada, with a focus on the legislation enacted in Ontario.

2010
Amendment to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Act to disallow an aggrieved person to appeal to the Tribunal for a regulation, policy, order, direction or decision made by the Commission under the Farm Products Marketing Act or the Milk Act.

Instead, they must request the Commission to reconsider. Only if the regulation, policy, order, direction or decision specifically applies to the aggrieved person, can they appeal to the Tribunal.
 
2008
Cabinet decision to move to a part-time chair was implemented with the appointment of a private citizen from the agri-food sector. Prior to that, the chair was a civil servant. The rest of the members also continue to be private citizens.
 
1988
Amendment to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Act, Farm Products Marketing Act and Milk Act to create one supervisory agency: Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission.
 
1972
Farm Products Marketing Agencies Act (Federal)
Federal legislation under which several national farm marketing agencies have been established (for example, eggs, turkey and chicken). It also provides for the establishment of the National Farm Products Marketing Council, the duties of which include advising the Minister of Agriculture and ensuring that the agencies are maintaining efficient and competitive production and marketing practices which having due regard for the interests of producers and consumers.
 
1966
Canadian Dairy Commission Act (Federal)
Federal legislation that permitted the establishment of the Canadian Dairy Commission, which now administers the national supply management program for industrial milk and cream and provided the authority to purchase any dairy product and to package, process, store, ship, insure, import, export, sell or otherwise dispose of any dairy product it has purchased.
 
1965
Milk Act (Ontario)
Major revision of milk marketing legislation and establishment of the Milk Commission of Ontario and the Ontario Milk Marketing Board.
 
1954
Milk Industry Act (Ontario)
Major revision of milk marketing legislation and establishment of the Milk Commission of Ontario and the Ontario Milk Marketing Board.
 
1949
Agricultural Products Marketing Act (Federal)
Enabled the federal government to extend to a producer (provincial) marketing board the authority to exercise the powers that were granted to it by the province in interprovincial and export trade (such as assess levies; pool returns and create reserves). It did not include authority to restrict imports.
 
1946
Farm Products Marketing Act (Ontario)
The legislation under which all producer marketing boards in Ontario, except those concerned with milk and cream, are constituted (the Milk Act 1965 provides the legislative authority for the operation of the Ontario Milk Marketing Board and the Ontario Cream Producers Marketing Board).
 
1937
Farm Products Control Act (Ontario)
Patterned after the Natural Products Marketing Act and legitimized all existing boards.
 
1935
Canadian Wheat Board Act (Federal)
Federal legislation under which the Canadian Wheat Board has broad powers to market, in interprovincial and export trade, grain produced in the prairie provinces.
 
1935
Natural Products Marketing Act ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada and Privy Council of England because the federal government did not have the power to regulate trade within a province.
 
1934
Natural Products Marketing Act (Federal)
Established a federal board with powers to delegate to local producer boards the authority to:
  • control sales of the product
  • form pools
  • levy equalization fees on farmers and processors
22 marketing plans were established under this legislation, mainly in Ontario and British Columbia.
 
1931
The taxes and fees applied by the Produce Marketing Act was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada, and the Act was dissolved. A reliance on the government-monitored marketing had developed, and repercussions of the Act’s dissolution were felt throughout the industry.
 
1927
Produce Marketing Act (British Columbia)
Attempted to regulate inter-provincial trade and place a levy on producers.