CAAR is the only national advocate focused solely on agri-retail issues, but what does that mean for you?

Your support of CAAR has never been more important to your industry and your business. CAAR membership fees cover just 20 per cent of our operating costs, giving our members an immense return on investment, particularly for our growing list of advocacy issues.

If you have ever wondered what value CAAR brings to your business, this may help put some perspective to your thoughts. Consider the list of initiatives below that CAAR has participated in this past year: every one of these conversations is about decisions and regulations that will impact you or your farmer customers.

While you review the list, I’d like you to consider the resources it would take to tackle it if you were going it alone.

Is every one of these issues familiar to you? Do you have staff available to attend these events, review the materials, provide comments, participate in industry task forces and working groups to form a cohesive voice and improve the outcome for retailers? How do you have a positive impact on those conversations? What did you save on travel costs, salary and benefits, staff hours and expenses by having your retail association share the load and provide you with a summarized report?

CAAR’s cost to act and advocate on these initiatives last year was nearly $200,000. Divide that by our retail membership, and our advocacy services offer a 176 per cent return on investment before considering any of our other services — an average of $500 per year per member location! Add in the time and money you saved and the information you gained from the communications, conference, training, supply and discount services CAAR offers, and what are you left with?

A powerful return on investment.

As you consider your CAAR membership in 2017–18, consider the services CAAR provides — the ones you see and the ones you may not. CAAR’s role in defending and promoting the agri-retail sector continues to grow in importance and urgency, and it’s only with your support that we can continue to defend and protect you and your business.

Delaney Ross Burtnack
President & CEO


CAAR’s Advocacy and Industry Engagement

CAAR has participated in dozens of meetings and numerous conference calls on issues that impact crop protection, seed, fertilizer, agronomy and equipment retailers across Canada. These are some of the issues we have supported and reported on to our members in the past 18 months:

  • 4R Nutrient Stewardship
  • Agricultural Institute of Canada Conference
  • Agriculture More Than Ever partner
  • Ammonia Code of Practice
  • Canadian Field Print Initiative
  • Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops
  • Canadian Standards Association B620 and B622
  • Environmental Emergency (E2) Regulations
  • Keep it Clean campaign
  • Manitoba Nutrient Restrictions
  • Maximum Residue Limits Steering Committee
  • Public Trust Summit
  • Seed Sector Roundtable
  • Transportation of
  • Dangerous Goods Regulations

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