Ag Policy

Dr. Brinkman is a professor and former Chair of the Department. His areas of specialization are farm viability, agricultural and trade policy, farm structure, rural development, and evaluation of public programs.

He is a Past President and a Fellow of the Canadian Agricultural Economics and Farm Management Society, and is considered one of the leading experts on agricultural policy in Canada . He is also actively involved in expert committees and task forces, and is a frequent consultant to government, farm organizations, and individual farmers.

Dr. Brinkman is considered one of the leading experts on farm viability in Canada . He is widely asked to speak to governmental and farm groups about agricultural policy and farm viability, and typically makes presentations in four to five provinces a year.

Currently he serves as the Chairman of the Statistics Canada Advisory Committee on Agriculture, and served on the 1990 Government of Canada National Task Force on Farm Finance and Management. Dr. Brinkman also was the primary expert witness of the Ontario Government in their defense of the United Food and Commercial Workers challenge to the government's removal of the Agricultural Labour Relations Act (which had given farm workers the right to unionize). George has published widely, and is the author of 3 books on agricultural policy and rural development.

Farm viability, agricultural and trade policy, farm structure, rural development, price and income policy, assessment of safety nets and evaluation of public programs.

Agricultural Policy.

B.Sc. Washington State University, 1964 

Ex.M. (Agriculture Extension) Washington State University, 1965

Ph.D. (Agriculture Economics), Michigan State University, 1969

Brinkman, G.L. Canadian Agricultural Policy Handbook, University of Guelph , 1998. Revised 2001.

Tweeten, L. and G.L. Brinkman. Micropolitan Development: Theory and Practice of Greater-Rural Economic Development, Iowa State University Press. 456-page book on rural development co-authored with Luther Tweeten. 1976.

Thomas, G., G.C. Fox, G.L. Brinkman, J. Oxley, R. Gill and B. Junkins. "An Economic Analysis of the Returns to Canadian Swine Research - 1974-1997". Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics. 49 (2) (July 2001).

Howard, W.H., G.L. Brinkman and R. Lambert. "Thinking Styles and Financial Characteristics of Selected Canadian Farm Managers". Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics. 45 (1) (March 1997): 39-49.

Brinkman, G.L. and Jeremy Heigh. An Assessment of Factors Adversely Affecting the Competitive Position of the Ontario Horticulture Industry. Report prepared for the Ontario Horticultural Coalition, Oct. 2001.

Brinkman, G.L., M. Nailor, G.C. Fox and A. Weersink. An Economic Assessment of Strategic Alternatives for Research Funding for Ontario Pork. Report presented to the Ontario Pork Marketing Board, April 1999.