I think we need to ask ourselves whether the export market has a future. Why do we export? First of all, we export when there is demand for our products. Analysts around the globe are all saying that the population is increasing. We will need more and more products to feed people. For example, pork is the meat that is most in demand in the world: global demand grows at a rate of more than 2 per cent annually. So, there is definitely a market for it.
We are currently in the midst of a crisis, but the government has to support its exports and its agricultural products because there is a market for them. Is it important for Canada to have a presence across the globe? Yes. There are rules governing international trade. Indeed, we are currently negotiating those rules at the WTO.
You asked a question about market access. If the European Union would just abide by WTO rules aimed at allowing European consumers to access up to 5 per cent, when European market access is now only 0.5 per cent, that would already be an incentive to the countries of the world to abide by WTO standards, which we are in compliance with.
As producers, we comply with Canadian standards, which are stricter than those of most countries. That is why I was saying that we have to focus on standards of quality. Mr. Vilsack said that food safety and security act as a barrier to Canadian exports. That is a tremendous concern for us, knowing that Canadian producers are held to a higher standard. One example would be Carbabox, which is banned in Canada but is used in the United States.