Evidence of meeting #132 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was agriculture.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
Sure. It's really a simple logistics issue that the safe transport of animals and the legal transport of animals, especially on those longer hauls, involves the supply chain. The movement of livestock has expanded in terms of the length of hauls, so that requires the truck drivers at times to stop.
You have two requirements here. You have the rest and feed element for the animals, and obviously the truck driver's hours of service. There are no conflicts. Where the challenge comes is actually a place that works logistically for both the truck driver and the animals. There are currently rest areas/feedlots in Thunder Bay and in those areas, but they are in need of improvement. For the safety and welfare of the animals and for the drivers themselves, we're saying there should be a review of these facilities. Quite frankly, after the review, I think they will come to the same conclusion that we need to invest in these facilities, and that's part of it.
Liberal
Joe Peschisolido Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Mr. Chair, I only have 10 seconds left, so that's fine.
Bev Shipley Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
Thank you very much.
I only have a couple of minutes.
First of all, I want to commend each of you for what you're doing for your great industry.
On the movement of animals, my concern is that we have trucks on the road moving pork, for example, to slaughter plants. We have people on the road giving them water through the sides of the trucks. I don't know if it's water or if it might be something that poisons the animal. If that animal is poisoned, is it true that the farmer would lose the truckload?
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
I can't speak to the supply chain in terms of how it works concerning the delivery of animals.
I was educated myself as a trucker. We became educated ourselves. The problem with watering swine in the heat is that it can cause a heart attack.
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
Yes. I don't think half a bottle is going to give them a heart attack. It's the principle of what's happening.
Thank you, Mr. Pelissero and Mr. Lambert. Do we import eggs?
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
Do the farms they come from meet the same standards in terms of feed and housing that you have to meet?
Chairman and Egg Farmer, Egg Farmers of Canada
The short answer is no. They meet CFIA standards, but I have a major concern that I've talked about with the ministers in place regarding our animal welfare standards. On the feed side, there are standards they meet, but on animal welfare standards, they don't.
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
Do we have an issue then in terms of the economics of our industries, whether it's cattle, pork, beef, eggs or dairy and milk? Do we have some of the highest standards in the world?
Chairman and Egg Farmer, Egg Farmers of Canada
We have some of the highest standards in the world.
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
Thank you. Now we are able to bring products in that don't meet those standards, but because they take a sample—it always drives me crazy—the next question will be antibiotics. Antibiotic-free is how they gauge it when it comes in because there's a residue level that they meet, but it has nothing to do with how the animal is raised, how it is trucked in that country or any of that.
Would that be true?
Chairman and Egg Farmer, Egg Farmers of Canada
That's true, sir. There are different standards in the United States regarding antimicrobial use as compared to here in Canada. There are differences there.
Liberal
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
Can I get them to send something in on a question?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Absolutely. If you have anything you want to send to the committee, by all means—
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
Would each of you tell me what you're doing to change public opinion, where the federal government can help, and what we should be doing? I ask this because the public opinion is critical.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Ms. Tranberg, Mr. Laskowski, Mr. Shoan, Mr. Lambert and Mr. Pelissero.
We'll break quickly for five minutes and then come back.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Welcome to the second half of our meeting on perception of and public trust in the Canadian agricultural sector.
For this part of the panel we have with us today, Ms. Johanne Ross, executive director, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada.
From the Agri-food Innovation Council, we have Mr. Serge Buy, chief executive officer.
From Food Secure Canada, we have Ms. Diana Bronson, executive director; and Leticia Deawuo, director of the Black Creek Community Farm.
Welcome to all of you. We will start with presentations of six minutes each.
Do you want to start, Ms. Ross?
Thank you. You have six minutes.
Johanne Ross Executive Director, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and committee members, for the opportunity to appear today and to share the importance of bringing agriculture education to Canadian classrooms from coast to coast.
I am very proud to be here today as executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada. You will hear me refer to it as AITC. That's what we call ourselves.
Before I talk about Agriculture in the Classroom Canada, though, I want to give you a little bit about me. I grew up in the city of Winnipeg, and after completing my Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1988, I moved to western Manitoba with my husband to become a farm girl. We have raised our family on the farm, and we've built our cow-calf farm operation there, and it's where I remain today.
I have held several different roles throughout my career in agri-food, but without a doubt the most rewarding and the most challenging has been the work I've done with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada over the last 20 years.
Agriculture in the Classroom Canada is the communication vehicle for the agri-food story in our nation's schools. We are a Canadian charitable organization made up of nine provincial member organizations from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Literally, agriculture connects us all directly or indirectly, yet Canada's agri-food sector is suffering from a significant trust issue evidenced, of course, by the work you're undertaking. On top of this, agriculture has a serious labour shortage that seems to only be getting worse. There has never been a more critical time for agriculture communicators to get louder and prouder in telling the real story of Canadian agriculture with transparency and openness.
Why is agriculture education needed? Simply put, we have a communication gap when it comes to agriculture information in our schools. Today, there are over five million listening pairs of ears and inquiring minds in Canadian schools. Not only do students make up almost 15% of Canada's population, they are consumers, decision-makers, voters, leaders, future policy-makers and, of course, the workforce as well.
The reality is that reaching our students with truthful agricultural information is certainly not without challenges. Social media has changed the learning playing field, and celebrities with no scientific background at all are often being trusted more than renowned scientists are.
Movies that don't portray agriculture in a positive or accurate way, such as Food, Inc. and Cowspiracy, which you may have heard of, are being shown in thousands of classrooms. They are part of the lesson plans for some teachers.
There is so much noise about the food we eat, often directed at young people, that students are often confused, and they are having trouble navigating their own food choices.
As recently as this week—I know you have already discussed it—activists were actually storming the farm gate, and students are watching this unfold right in the palms of their hands.
These are only a few examples of why we need to be turning up the volume on agriculture conversations in Canadian classrooms. If we don't do it, other groups are happy to do that for us. In fact, there are many organizations whose job it is to do exactly that, to spread myths and misinformation about Canadian agriculture into classrooms and beyond.
Why would teachers and students trust AITC in a time of such public distrust? AITC has earned this trust from coast to coast by adhering to what we call our ABC principle: accurate, balanced and current.
AITC's goal is not to promote the agriculture industry but to offer truthful and authentic resources and learning experiences on agriculture as a whole story that is accurate, inclusive and based on today's agriculture.
Our ABC principle guides us in everything we do, from writing a lesson plan to providing a field trip experience or a classroom speaker during an event such as Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month, which is happening as we speak. Agriculture in the Classroom will always tell the whole story of agriculture, all practices, all systems, all careers.
Beyond the ABCs, other areas set us apart in the eyes of educators. We inherently encourage critical thinking, inquiry-based learning and robust discussions or even debate in everything that's developed.
Where are the gaps in Canadian classrooms when it comes to agriculture information? The question may be where aren't the gaps? In most if not all jurisdictions in Canada, the subject of agriculture is not an element of core curriculum. Therefore, agricultural concepts are not talked about very often, and if they are, the information must be linked and woven into provincially mandated subjects such as science, social studies and math. Teachers don't have the time or expertise or, in many cases, the interest to do this, nor do they necessarily have access to accurate information. Enter Agriculture in the Classroom.
Integrating agriculture information into curriculum is what we do best, and teachers love it, because most educators do want to bring this important information to their students. All of our teaching resources, outreach programs and initiatives are linked by curriculum to the learning outcomes that teachers are mandated to teach, whether that's in grade 2 or grade 12. We work with all grade levels, and it is working.
AITC is making substantial impacts, as evidenced by our reach of over one million students over the past year. Part of the strength and success behind our organization is our deep belief in partnerships and a collaborative culture. We have worked closely with hundreds of ag industry partners, farmers, agribusiness, retail partners and even the education and health communities to deliver many successful initiatives, which I hope to talk about in the question period.
Informed, inspired youth who understand the importance of critical thinking are key to ensuring both the public trust required and the workforce Canadian agriculture needs to be a top competitor in the global market. Agriculture in the Classroom is the organization, on behalf of Canadian agriculture, that will continue to lead this effort in our nation's classrooms.
Thank you.
I really look forward to the questions and to talking more.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Ms. Ross.
Now, from Agri-Food Innovation, we have Serge Buy for six minutes.