AGRI Committee Report

Food Supply Chain - Red Meat, Grains and Oilseeds and Beverage Sector:  Liberal Report

Food Supply Chain and Red Meat

This committee undertook a study on the food supply chain nearly a year ago to glean a better understanding of the voyage of food from field to farm gate to fork.

We believe as in our report on Growing Forward 2 that the government must make good on its promise to implement a national food policy.

We have heard over and over the link between the continued sustainability of the sector and an overarching national policy that ties together all levels of government, including various departments and non-governmental stakeholders.

For this reason and in the interests of truly representing what we learned about the food supply chain we recommend the following:

Recommendation:
The committee recommends the Government of Canada engage the provinces, territories and all stakeholders to facilitate the development of a national food policy which includes specific objectives for the Canadian agriculture and Agri-Food sector

Grains and Oilseeds

Throughout testimony on the grains and oilseed sector, witnesses made very clear how fundamental the production of oats, wheat, corn, pulses, canola, soybean and flaxseed are to the food supply chain and the Canadian agricultural sector as a whole.

While we agree with the majority of the report on grains and oilseeds we believe that it would only be complete with a recommendation based on testimony heard regarding the coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops.

Most recently, the question of registering and commercializing GM alfalfa, also known as Roundup Ready Alfalfa has become very important and we agree with many stakeholders that the Government must complete a comprehensive study into the impact of this particular variety including, but not limited to the seed’s genetics, production, preservation and transportation as well as the determination of an appropriate audit mechanism and verification systems.

Across Canada there is a clear consensus that the strengthening of our export markets is absolutely critical for the health of the Canadian agricultural sector which is why we must balance innovation with the best interests of our trade partners and more importantly, the best interests of our farmers.

For that reason, we recommend:

Recommendation:
The Committee recommends that the government place a moratorium on any approval, registration or distribution of Roundup Ready Alfalfa until the Government completes public research  into Canada’s ability to ensure the genetic integrity, production and preservation of a diversity of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), non-GMO and organic alfalfa production; into the ability of Canada’s handling and transportation system to ensure segregation of forage seeds and detection of genetic co-mingling in alfalfa seeds and hay; and into the development of industry-led, third party audit and verification systems and that this information be reported back to the committee.

Furthermore, when it comes to GM products already on the market, we recommend:

Recommendation:
The Committee recommends that the government establish a clear policy regarding the responsibility of stakeholders involved in cases of contamination by GM products.

Beverage Sector

While we agree with many of the findings of this report, we are compelled to include two recommendations that were gathered from testimony from witnesses which the government must address in order to fully engage with and support this important sector.

Witnesses spoke of the importance of amendments brought about to the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act one year ago. Many, however, expressed frustration at the varied reactions of provinces as at the beginning of the report.

While we agree with the Committee’s recommendation that the Government of Canada amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act to include the interprovincial importation of beer and spirits similarly to wine, we do not feel this adequately addresses the concerns of witnesses regarding interprovincial import or export.

Accordingly, we recommend additionally:

Recommendation
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada engage with its provincial counterparts in order to determine the most effective means of reducing obstacles to both the importation of wine across provincial boundaries and interprovincial direct-to –consumer sale and report its findings back to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Container Sizes

Many witnesses testifying before the committee raised the issue of container sizes – and in particular the detrimental impact on the beverage sector. We believe that evidence presented by the Canadian Vintners Association accurately summarizes the concerns of many in the beverage sector and is reflective of concerns heard from the Food Processors of Canada among other national associations regarding the competitive disadvantages brought about by the Government of Canada’s decision to deregulate container sizes.

We were disappointed not to see a recommendation on this issue and accordingly, we recommend:

Recommendation
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada engage with all stakeholders in public consultation regarding container size regulations in the Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act and that as part of these consultations the Government perform a comprehensive cost analysis of the impact on processors and producers and report back to this committee with its recommendations on how to adequately deal with that economic impact on Canadian producers including, without limitation, retooling and other transition costs.

The beverage sector has demonstrated its versatility in the face of market changes among other challenges; however, it is clear there are still areas where the Government of Canada can and must assist to support and grow our the various branches of the agricultural sector and food supply chain.