Part of my motivation in some of the general comments that I made was really to try to support the idea that agriculture is central to what Canada is, that it is a high-tech endeavour and that it supports the jobs of many Canadians. Sometimes I think we take food for granted; it appears on our plates, and we don't realize the economic and intellectual ramifications of agriculture in the Canadian landscape. So that's why I said a public discourse on a food policy might help to remind some of the funding agencies of the crucial importance of agricultural research, writ large.
On October 25th, 2011. See this statement in context.