Ontario. Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal.

• Le Tribunal d’appel de l’agriculture, de l’alimentation et des affaires rurales

• Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal

The Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal was created in December, 1999 from the amalgamation of a number of agricultural appeal boards. The tribunals and boards which comprised the Agriculture, Food and Rural Appeal Tribunal in its early years included the Farm Products Appeal Tribunal, the Farm Organizations Accreditation Tribunal, the Ontario Drainage Tribunal, the Crop Insurance Appeal Board, and the Board of Negotiation.

In its later form, these sub-groupings have ceased to exist as part of the Tribunal's formal structure, but individual Tribunal members often possess specialized knowledge in one or more of these areas.

In June, 2024 the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs was divided into two separate ministries. The Tribunal became part of the Ministry of Agricuture, Food and Agribusiness.

The Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal (the "Tribunal") is an independent, quasi-judicial appeal body that hears appeals concerning matters in the agriculture and food industry. Members of the Tribunal are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. They represent varied geographical areas in Ontario and have diverse backgrounds and expertise in areas relating to agriculture including production, processing, marketing, labour, farm implements, and/or drainage matters. The Tribunal usually sits in panels of three.

The Tribunal is constituted under Section 14 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act, and is mandated to provide an independent, accessible avenue of appeal on a variety of agricultural issues under the following provincial statutes:

Agricultural Employees Protection Act, 2002; Agricultural Products Insurance Act, 1996; Agricultural Tile Drainage Installation Act; Animals for Research Act ; Animal Health Act, 2009; Assessment Act (including eligibility for the Farm Property Class Tax Rate); Beef Cattle Marketing Act; Commodity Board Members Act; Drainage Act; Farm Implements Act; Farm Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act, 1993 (including Accreditation and Special Funding Applications and Religious Exemptions); Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001; and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act (for appeals of decisions made under the Farm Products Marketing Act and Milk Act).

Additional types of appeals include appeals of licensing decisions of Directors appointed under various statutes as well Board of Negotiation appeals under the Environmental Protection Act.

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act R.S.O. 1990.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal website: https://afraat.ca/.

Records schedules 2000-02-05 and 2000-02-05R (internal Policy, Archives and Data Division documents).

Archivist(s):
Shimpo