On behalf of the Canadian Soybean Council, I would like to thank the committee for inviting us to participate in the discussion concerning Bill C-474.
My name is Jim Gowland, and I have been the chairman of the Canadian Soybean Council since its inception five years ago. I would also like to introduce Michelle McMullen, who is the manager of the Canadian Soybean Council. She also started with the Soybean Council five years ago.
The Canadian Soybean Council represents the interests of 30,000 soybean growers in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. I am a cash crop farmer from Bruce County, near Walkerton, Ontario, and I farm approximately 2,300 acres of soybeans, wheat, corn, and white beans, in partnership with my wife Judy.
Our farm incorporates the benefits gained through biotechnology, while taking advantage of the opportunities to add value to our farm operation by growing non-GM soybeans for world markets. All of our production has been non-GM soybeans for many, many years.
Soybeans have been grown in Canada for over 60 years. They are mainly grown in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, but recently, owing to advancements in plant breeding, soybeans have started to be grown in the Maritimes and in Saskatchewan.
In 2009, approximately 3.5 million acres of soybeans were planted across Canada, making soybeans Canada's sixth-largest crop in overall production. Soybeans were ranked as Canada's fourth-largest source of farm cash receipts in 2008, with a total value of approximately $1.13 billion. Currently, 65% of soybeans in Canada are genetically modified. The remaining 35% are non-genetically modified but are destined mainly for export markets.
GM soybean varieties were introduced back in 1997, and the Canadian soybean industry saw the need to re-examine its production and handling systems. Dialogue was initiated with key stakeholders—including government, our customers, and export markets—to explore quality management practices throughout the value chain. Over the past 13 years our industry has demonstrated that we are skilled and experienced in developing and implementing protocols that can segregate specialty soybeans from bulk-handled grains. The investment of time and infrastructure was crucial to support the coexistence of GM and non-GM soybeans in addressing the needs of the industry's key market segments.
Science and innovation have played an important role in the success of our industry. Public and private investments in plant breeding have allowed Canada to capture opportunities using both non-GM and GM technologies. These opportunities help Canada's soybean growers to add value to their farm operation in both domestic and international markets.
Continued investment in biotechnology by seed companies will result in the development of new varieties that will bring production advantages to producers and benefits to consumers. These opportunities, which could add value to Canadian soybeans, could be put in jeopardy by the introduction of Bill C-474 and place Canada at a competitive disadvantage.
Maintaining our current markets and accessing new markets will continue to be a challenge. Many countries, including Canada, have a zero-tolerance policy regarding unapproved events that are developed through biotechnology. It is impossible for our industry to guarantee zero contamination of GM traits. Approval of new GM traits in our key export markets establishes thresholds that our industry can meet. If an unapproved GM trait is identified in a Canadian shipment, though, there is a zero-tolerance policy that could result in closure of the border.