Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, guests, for coming here.
I was here four or five years ago. We did a study on agriculture. And we have some of the same issues we had four or five years ago. I think, really, the sad reality is that it's getting tougher than it was four or five years ago.
I have three questions, and if you can keep answers short so I can get the three of them in, I'd appreciate it.
The first is to Madeleine on the identification of produce. The reality is that three-quarters of produce bought by Canadians comes through the retailers, even though there are farmers' markets. And there are only three or four left in Canada. My sense is that they want to see the same produce every day in every store, and they want to get the cheapest price possible.
They'll do the talk that, yes, they want to buy local. They'll advertise that. But I've dealt with them for 20 years, and the reality is that this is the way they deal with it.
First, should we be changing the signage? Even on the labels, they don't even want to see the labels. They turn them. They just want to see fruit. That's the way they're going to do it. Even though you add the label, that's the way they're going to do it. Should we be looking at signage in more Canadian stores to show where it's grown and how it's grown? Would that be a solution to identification?