Thank you very much.
Thanks to all of you for being here.
I'd like to take a minute to talk about food security and food sovereignty.
We've seen, and we're seeing it across Canada, that the movement is growing. We know that UPA is supporting this in Quebec. At the meeting in Russell, we saw representatives from Quebec and the president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture underlining the importance of this. We saw it at the convention of the National Farmers Union. In my riding in British Columbia there are pockets of people who are getting food charters and even going to the extent of once again growing wheat in an area so we can have local wheat.
Our committee, in the report we made after our cross-Canada tour--I believe it was Larry's recommendation--emphasized food security in Canada.
By doing what we're doing, by revisiting product-of-Canada claims, and by ensuring that this really reflects what it's supposed to, could this be a necessary first step as we look at the whole issue of food sovereignty and food security?
Second, I've heard the words “voluntary” and “mandatory”. I'm wondering how you folks see that. Should there be certain criteria that make it mandatory? Should there be some that leave it voluntary?
For example, in the area of meat, we know that our cattle producers, and I guess the pork producers, are not happy with the COOL regulations in the United States. But if we then turn around and put in the same kinds of regulations here, how does that affect that industry, when we know that meat goes back and forth across the border? Should they be separate from fruit and vegetables and grains and oilseeds? That's a question I have.
And my last question
is to you, Mr. Monty.
Could you give us some details and concrete examples about the rules that are not favourable to Canadian producers?
So maybe we'll start here. We haven't heard from Nigel, who's a young farmer. Do you have any comments on this? You've just been sitting and taking this in. Then maybe we can just go around the table.