As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada invest in trade infrastructure, such as transportation systems, to improve access to markets and support a modern supply chain.

Recommendation 2

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada modernize its regulations and implement targeted programs, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, to encourage the development of local processing businesses and regional small-scale abattoirs.

Recommendation 3

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provinces and territories and the private sector, identify strategic funding opportunities to address regional processing capacity to strengthen Canada’s agri-food supply chain.

Recommendation 4

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada increase funding to the Local Food Infrastructure Fund and dedicate a specific stream open to a broad group of regional agri-food businesses to promote processing capacity across the country.

Recommendation 5

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada consider food insecurity a priority, looking more precisely to northern and indigenous issues, and take the necessary measures to support Canadians in need.

Recommendation 6

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada conduct an external review of its regulations in order to modernize them, streamline approvals and remove barriers to bringing new solutions to market, without compromising food safety, by involving organizations like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Recommendation 7

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, seek further harmony between federal and provincial processing standards, so as to reduce barriers to inter-provincial and international trade, and encourage innovation through a focus on outcomes rather than prescriptive measures. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the federal government make available supports for those processors specifically seeking compliance with international trading standards, where these standards place a significant additional burden beyond provincial measures.

Recommendation 8

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada consider implementing internal control measures within the CFIA to ensure uniformity in treatment and a reasonable internal appeal process, avoiding recourse to tribunals.

Recommendation 9

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada revise the slaughtering regulations related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), including those respecting specified risk material, so that they do not weaken the competitiveness of the Canadian beef industry.

Recommendation 10

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada encourage the development of private-sector led innovation hubs, such as superclusters, to raise agri‑food productivity and connect start-ups with established companies and university research centers.

Recommendation 11

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada make the agri-food sector a priority for attracting foreign direct investment and to conduct research and development in Canada while preserving and promoting domestic ownership of food processing enterprises.

Recommendation 12

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada increase and facilitate access to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and raise the cap on the proportion of low-wage positions under the Program for food processing industries from the current rate of 10%, taking into account different regional and sectoral needs, and that it do so without limiting access to workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). The Government should also provide for food processor eligibility to the SAWP for their temporary labour needs.

Recommendation 13

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada evaluate the results of the Agri-Food Pilot program and consider increasing access to it in order to address labour shortages in the agri-food sector.

Recommendation 14

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada support innovative approaches to skills development and encourage training and reskilling programs to meet the current and future labour requirements of agri-food businesses, and also help to promote and to raise awareness of career opportunities in the agri-food sector with a focus on future generations, while respecting agreements signed with provincial and territorial governments and their jurisdiction.

Recommendation 15

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada support innovation through programs or financial tools for access to automation-based research and development in the agri-food sector as well as prioritize expansion of Internet access to rural areas where food producers and processors are often located.

Recommendation 16

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada support the provinces with the implementation of a grocery code of conduct and that it participate in collaboration with the provinces in its development in line with their respective jurisdiction and the Competition Bureau’s guidelines.

Recommendation 17

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada encourage Canada’s banks and institutional investors to establish funds to provide capital to fast-growing small and medium-sized firms in the agri-food sector, including new entrants to the sector.

Recommendation 18

The Committee recommends that the federal government review equivalency standards and direct the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Canada Border Services Agency to increase surveillance on agricultural imports to ensure compliance with equivalency standards negotiated in our trade agreements. Furthermore, the federal government should review the impact of the application of equivalency standards and reciprocity regarding agricultural imports with respect to differentials in subsidy levels and carbon footprints.