Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's a pleasure for me to be here to discuss with the committee the contributions of science and innovation to the agriculture and agri-food sector. Scientists across Canada, and from across academic, private and public organizations, have made important

Agriculture committee  We could speak volumes about this, actually. When I speak about partnerships and the need for finding new ways of building partnerships, I'm talking about evolving our capacity to bring the best minds in the country to work together, whether the best minds are from the private, t

Agriculture committee  Sure. One example is the Institute for Nutrisciences and Health in Charlottetown, where we are in partnership with the National Research Council and with the University of P.E.I. We have scientists in the same building, in the same shop, working together, using the expertise that

Agriculture committee  We have examples in which we partner with the private sector, with small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada, that need our expertise to improve products. They have an idea. They have somewhat developed a product and need to bring it closer to market. They can tap into our exp

Agriculture committee  We'd be happy to provide a list of our partners--

Agriculture committee  We have a scientist working specifically in Kentville, Nova Scotia, on the health properties of blueberries and other small berry crops. This is in part the work that is being done at the new Institute of Nutrisciences and Health in Charlottetown. We're also doing work in Manitob

Agriculture committee  We have a list of 1,500 partners with over 2,000 or so projects. We'd be happy to send the list.

Agriculture committee  The Crown owns the technology that is developed within AAFC.

Agriculture committee  How does that relate to food safety and composition? You would have to put that question to Health Canada.

Agriculture committee  You're right, people are concerned about the quality of the food, the link between food, nutrition, and health. The question of genetic use restriction technology, the GURTs, was significantly debated some years ago. The technology was initially proposed by one company, Monsanto.

Agriculture committee  This is the focus of the work at the INH, the Institute for Nutrisciences and Health, in Charlottetown, where we embark on this partnership with both NRC and the University of Prince Edward Island. Scientists are being recruited and staff is being put in place at the INH, as we s

Agriculture committee  I cannot tell you where companies are with that technology. I can only tell you what was announced publicly by those companies. The last information I have, and it's public information, is that Monsanto was not continuing the terminator seed technology. I do not know what they ar

Agriculture committee  No.

Agriculture committee  We see innovation as being a combination of the interactions of research, market demand, market opportunities internationally, the venture capital community, the availability of highly qualified personnel, a regulatory framework, and a policy framework that makes innovation work

Agriculture committee  I do not know of any research that we do at AAFC that would pose a threat to the safety of either the food supply or the environment. Any product that is released in Canada has to meet safety standards, it has to be reviewed, and even if the research was taking place, those produ