Thank you for this opportunity to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Today, I would like to provide an overview of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's mandate as it relates to plant health and the international movement of plants and plant products. I will also do my best to answer any questions committee members may have.
The CFIA is a science-based organization that adheres to international standards. This has a profound influence on the CFIA's policies, decisions, and actions. The CFIA has a prominent role in international phytosanitary policy and standard-setting related to trade in plants and plant products. The agency also provides a range of support services to importers and exporters, such as risk analysis, inspection, and certification.
To fulfill its mandate as it relates to plant health, the CFIA represents Canada on a number of international bodies, such as the International Plant Protection Convention and the North American Plant Protection Organization. Again, our involvement with these organizations is strictly limited to scientific concerns, such as devising effective standards and providing technical assistance.
Our role in international trade relates directly to the CFIA's mandate: safeguarding the food supply and Canada's crops and forests. The CFIA's role in trade is of crucial importance to Canada, because exports contribute to the prosperity of Canadians and imports provide a year-round supply of products that Canadians demand. The annual economic value of trade in plants and plant products to Canada is $9.3 billion for imports and $21.8 billion for exports.
Global trade depends absolutely on international trust and adherence to international standards. As members of this committee know all too well, trading nations adhere to several protocols, treaties, and conventions to facilitate the safe and profitable exchange of goods and services. Canada is among the 159 countries that abide by the International Plant Protection Convention. In essence, this agreement oversees the import and export of thousands of plants and plant products. It secures actions to prevent the spread and introduction of pests, plants, and plant products and promotes measures for their control. Adhering to IPPC in Canada under the Plant Protection Act and regulations is part of the CFIA's mandate.
The stated purpose of the Plant Protection Act and regulations is to prevent pests and diseases injurious to plants from being imported into Canada, from spreading within the country, and from being exported out of it. The act also provides for controlling and eradicating pests and diseases and for certifying the pest- and disease-free status of plants and plant material.
To explain what this work involves, I will address exports and imports separately.
Under the Plant Protection Act and regulations, exporters are required to ensure that shipments meet standards and import requirements set by the importing foreign country. These standards vary according to the product and destination country. Canada strives to meet these requirements on a day-to-day basis.
To demonstrate compliance with standards of individual countries, an exporter must obtain a phytosanitary certificate. In Canada, CFIA staff recognized as authorized certification officers—men and women with demonstrated expertise in IPPC standards and inspection protocols—are the only ones who can issue these plant health certificates.
Each year, the CFlA issues up to 70,000 phytosanitary certificates for the export of seeds, cereals, fruits, and vegetables, along with nursery, greenhouse, and forestry products. Each certificate represents Canada's guarantee that the products meet the other country's import requirements. This assurance facilitates international trade and helps to maintain the excellent international reputation of the health of Canadian plants and plant products.
An indication of the CFIA's success in this area is that only in a tiny fraction of all cases representing less than one-tenth of 1% of all certificates issued does an importing country report that a shipment may not meet its entry requirements. This remarkable success rate helps to strengthen Canada's position in international markets.
The CFIA also facilitates exports in other ways. We operate an export unit that collects information on each country and product, and we maintain an export certification system that is continually updated to reflect current conditions. This unit also acts as the main contact for the resolution of phytosanitary issues, and acts to resolve disputes related to the application of foreign import requirements at foreign ports of entry.
On the import side, CFIA also plays a similarly multifaceted role, ensuring compliance with Canadian regulations to prevent the entry and spread of plant pests into Canada. The CFIA strives to restrict the entry of regulated diseases and pests into Canada in a number of ways, such as by conducting risk analyses, ensuring that pest risk mitigation measures have been applied at origin, conducting inspections, and implementing effective import controls. These controls range from the issuance of plant health import permits and the inspection of imported commodities to surveillance activities.
All of the CFIA's decisions about control mechanisms are based on a scientific analysis of potential risk. One of our most common analytical tools is the pest risk assessment. This tool identifies hazards and characterizes the associated risks of introduction and establishment, as well as the severity of economic and environmental impacts. The analysis of various risk mitigation options is used to establish the Canadian import requirements.
The CFIA works closely with its counterparts in the United States and Mexico through the North American Plant Protection Organization, or NAPPO, an IPPC regional organization. We regularly chair panels to set plant health standards, and we serve on numerous technical panels and technical advisory groups.
A number of those regional standards serve as a basis for the creation of international standards. The CFIA also develops certification programs and protocols that are adopted in other countries.
When it comes to its role in import, export and standard setting, the CFIA operates in a transparent, impartial and independent manner. The CFIA consults regularly with stakeholders, including farmers, importers and exporters, and we make all of our regulatory decisions based on science, in accordance with our mandate and international obligations.
Mr. Chairman, the CFIA does its utmost to fulfill its mandate. We recognize that foreign diseases, pests, and invasive species can have devastating impacts on Canada's food supply and on the plants and animals that contribute to the health and prosperity of Canadians. We will continue to protect Canada's agriculture and forestry sectors by preventing foreign plant pests from entering Canada and from spreading throughout our country. We must also continue to protect the integrity of our phytosanitary certification export program. To achieve these objectives, we will continue to rely on scientific data and collaborate closely with our domestic and international partners.
Once again, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me the time to speak before your committee.
