Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, ladies, for being with us today. I would also like to thank the students for being here.
Ms. Townsend, on line 12 of page 2 of your document, you say:
All of these and other advances are entering the innovation pipeline at a rapid pace and hold great promise for farmers and consumers. The question becomes whether and how Canadian farmers will be able to access these advances.
Could you expand on that? You also say:
The answer is: Only when Canada's policy and regulatory environment facilitates investment.
Could you expand on that? Because on the next page, you say that there hasn't been a real improvement in investments in oats and pulses.
Why have these two products not benefited from significant investments? Is it because they are not profitable? Is it because people no longer eat them and no longer eat enough pulses?