- century ▁histor ians ▁Category : 1 9 th - century ▁male ▁writers <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Farm ▁Deb t ▁Med iation ▁Act ▁( S . C . ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁c . ▁ 2 1 ) ▁(" FD MA ") ▁is ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁the ▁Parliament ▁of ▁Canada ▁that ▁enables ▁a ▁deb t ▁advis ory ▁service ▁to ▁ins ol vent ▁far mers ▁by ▁Agricult ure ▁and ▁Ag ri - F ood ▁Canada , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁certain ▁protect ive ▁prov isions ▁available ▁to ▁help ▁facil itate ▁med iation ▁with ▁credit ors ▁while ▁allowing ▁such ▁far mers ▁to ▁continue ▁their ▁operations . ▁ ▁Background ▁While ▁the ▁Farm ▁Deb t ▁Review ▁Act ▁already ▁allowed ▁protection ▁for ▁far mers ▁in ▁financial ▁difficulty , ▁it ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁being ▁too ▁broad ▁in ▁scope , ▁where ▁even ▁h ob by ▁far mers ▁could ▁receive ▁protection ▁from ▁credit ors . ▁The ▁Act ' s ▁structure ▁of ▁exer cis ing ▁authority ▁through ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁appointed ▁bo ards ▁was ▁also ▁viewed ▁as ▁being ▁too ▁decent ral ized . ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁F D MA ▁received ▁ ▁Royal ▁Ass ent , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁brought ▁into ▁force ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁Framework ▁ ▁S cope ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁F D RA , ▁a ▁far mer ▁is ▁defined ▁as ▁being ▁any ▁individual ▁or ▁entity ▁" that ▁is ▁engaged ▁in ▁far ming ▁for ▁commercial ▁purposes ▁and ▁that ▁meets ▁any ▁pres cribed ▁criteria ," ▁and ▁only ▁ins ol vent