I just don't feel comfortable commenting on something that I'm not thoroughly involved in.
Now, when it comes to the science cluster, to give you a bit of my brief history, I am general manager for the BC Cattlemen's Association, but that's only been two years. For 40 years prior to that I was a rancher in Alberta. I was involved a little bit in the inception, when the science cluster took place. I haven't been involved on the level of the projects they're doing.
We do have representatives from our province who participate within the Beef Cattle Research Council who understand and know what they're doing. Because we're such a big industry and because we're national, we have to trust on their input and that national body to do it. Having said that, I have no worry that if I have an issue with one, or if I have a problem, I can phone up those involved, Andrea or Reynold, and talk to them about it; I know I will get a straight answer.
Research is something where often—and I'll consider myself a layman, as a producer—we need to step back a little bit, too, and not be too involved, because sometimes we will disrupt what the outcome of that will be, or we direct it in a way that isn't right. Research needs to be pure. If research is to achieve what we want it to, we have to keep out as many outside influences as possible.
As I think it was alluded to earlier about those who fund, sometimes we look at the credibility behind it. Often if we fund a research project on food safety, the consumer looks at it and thinks, “Oh, the beef producers did it. What value is it? They have an ulterior motive.” But when we have a cluster and everyone is involved, it gives some trustworthiness to that. It gives some credibility to it, and accountability. I really applaud it.
Too, the other thing that happens with these clusters is that they create some efficiencies as well. All too often when I was involved on a committee level, we would see research come in from different applicants and they were trying to do the same thing. By having it concentrated in one area, we're able to make sure we aren't duplicating that same research.