By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Four industry associations from BC’s tree fruit and wine grape sectors are joining forces in a bid to address the common challenge of labour through a jointly led Regional Labour Coordination Project.
The BC Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA), BC Cherry Association, BC Wine Grape Council, and BC Grapegrowers’ Association are now moving forward on what they say are “shared solutions for workforce recruitment, retention, and sustainability,” with the BCFGA hosting the project on behalf of the partnership.
“This collaboration recognizes that labour challenges don’t stop at commodity lines,” Erin Carlson, Regional Labour Project Committee Chair, said. “A coordinated approach gives our sectors a stronger voice and a better chance to create a meaningful lasting change.”
The two-year initiative is the next step in growing cross-commodity collaboration that has brought these sectors together over the last few years.
While tree fruit and wine grapes operate on different growing calendars, both sectors rely on overlapping labour pools and face similar systemic constraints, they highlight.
By working together, the sectors aim to “increase their collective influence, reduce duplication of effort, and improve outcomes for both employers and workers.”
A dedicated steering committee, with representatives from each organization and extensive experience in labour and workforce issues, will guide the project’s priorities and implementation, the group said in a statement.
As part of the project, a shared Regional Labour Coordinator will be hired, marking the first time the tree fruit and wine grape sectors have formally partnered on coordinated labour workforce planning and policy.
“This project represents a turning point for our industries,” said Rebecca Mikulic, Regional Labour Project Committee member.
“Farmers across our regions are facing the same workforce pressures. This partnership allows us to work together on tangible solutions that support farms, workers, and long-term sustainability.”
A key focus will be on developing a “long-term, region-specific labour strategy” for Interior horticulture while implementing initiatives to address key challenges, such as worker attraction and retention, housing, and workforce coordination.
The sector partnered with Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems in 2024 to examine the domestic labour landscape in the Okanagan. Among the results of this research were 35 recommendations on overcoming persistent barriers to recruiting and retaining domestic workers – areas for both industry and government to work on.
This Project will help turn those recommendations into action, the group said with the Regional Labour Coordinator “dedicated to driving research-informed policy development and stakeholder engagement,” through the end of 2027. It added that this role fills a long-identified gap in the ability to coordinate labour planning specifically for the Interior Horticulture Sector.
The Regional Labour Coordination Project is funded by the Government of BC through programs delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.
