We feel that labelling can be voluntary. Enforcement is possible under subsection 5(1). I think a voluntary approach is the way to do this going forward. It would take much longer and be more complicated and costly to do a regulatory change. We can do it, but we need some common definition so that we go forward with something consistently to consumers.
Does “Grown in Canada” include livestock, or only fresh fruit and vegetables? We need to make sure and be cognizant. Some provinces also have provincial rules around this. New Brunswick, for example, has “Grown in New Brunswick”.
As we go forward, I think there needs to be consultation with some of the parties involved to make sure we get it right. When we have a common definition, we should go forward with that. Once we have a sign-off on that common understanding, then it can appear.
It is often of equal value to consumers to know what the marketing and the definitions mean. There's cost in the label and there's also the promotion of it. That's a partnership with government once we have some common understanding of what this means. We need to work together through all the mediums possible to explain what it means. Then we're truly communicating something to consumers, so that they know what they're buying.