Evidence of meeting #46 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 issues.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, Canada Organic Trade Association
In the last four months.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Is it safe to assume that reinstating the function of this office to its former self is something that you would be interested in pursuing?
General Manager, Pro-Cert Organic
We need to reinstate it and we need to reinforce it. As I mentioned in my talk, we need to put it into the regulation that this office exists. The organic sector is unique in Canada. To have that office and pull it away from an international context is a very retrogressive step. I would say we need to enshrine it so that it can't be done again.
We don't know what the forces were behind this decision, but it was a decision. It happened and it could happen again. We need to enshrine the Canada organic office as a unique entity in the system.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much.
You mentioned that the economy in the sector is $8 billion worldwide, and of that, $4.7 billion for Canada. That's a substantive amount. More than half of that industry comes from Canada.
I had the opportunity of inviting a delegation, in my previous life, from China to look at aquaculture products and aquacultural know-how in British Columbia. It was a huge event in the sense that they had no idea of the amount of organics that we grew. Their interest in the area.... I think there's going to be a huge uptake with respect to that as people learn more about environmental impacts and food safety. In any event, I just wanted to acknowledge that.
With only six minutes, I'm going to move on. I'm going to get into beef very quickly.
The big question is about the United States and the change in administration. What might be coming down the pipe, what are your biggest concerns, and what actions we should be taking as a precaution?
Executive Vice-President, Canadian Cattlemen's Association
We've been there three times already this year. That will give you an idea how important that is to us. Obviously making sure they don't bring back something like country-of-origin labelling. There's talk they could try to do that through the farm bill.
When we get into negotiations with NAFTA, we are putting together a list of things that we think would be wins for both countries. I was impressed with the meetings that took place last week with our Prime Minister and the President. I heard very positive comments about that. It is being proactive down there. It is demonstrating that we have huge benefits in both directions. If we can do that, I think we can maintain the benefits of that agreement and probably address some older issues. The fear is always that you become collateral to other issues.
Continue the very strong focus and the dedicated focus that's going into that market, because 70% of our exports go to the United States.
Liberal
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you all for being here today.
I had some questions surrounding beef.
I had the opportunity to visit Taiwan in the fall of last year. Being from Atlantic Canada, I was pretty focused on seafood as a possibility for trade and expanded trade. Of course, with the timing, the big story then was talking about how that market opened up again for Canadian beef. I didn't realize that it was such a large market. In fact, they represent the seventh-largest export market for beef in Canada. It's $12 million annually.
From your perspective, what steps happened? First of all, is that an example of a trade barrier, the scenario that happened there? Secondly, what went well so that was resolved?
Executive Vice-President, Canadian Cattlemen's Association
Typically, when markets open after they've been closed for a while.... It should have opened a lot sooner, I'll be the first to say, and it should have opened much wider than it did. We're getting boneless, under 30-month beef into there. We should have a much broader group of products going there, but the market access secretariat continues to work relentlessly on that market.
Taiwan is somewhat unique, because there are diplomatic complications when you're working with Taiwan. Whereas you can bring in ministerial and even more senior assistance—you could get up through the Prime Minister travelling to countries—generally both countries want something positive to be done while that's occurring. Quite often, as we saw with China when we got the bone-in, under 30-month beef accepted, it coincides with the minister's trip over there. When you can combine it with the imperative politically, you break through some of these things that should have been done sooner and you do a lot of technical work.
I mentioned veterinarians abroad. For many years we had Dr. Gary Little over there. He probably did more work in China and Japan to help open markets than he'll ever get credit for. Again, he developed a trust level with all the regulators. Trust is important in every market around the world.
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
If I'm hearing you correctly, it's evidence-based data and relationship building that are key.
You mentioned also that you see further growth opportunity there. I'm just choosing that one market, but what other products did you say...? What are the limitations now, and what is the potential?
Executive Vice-President, Canadian Cattlemen's Association
Taking a look at the products, there are soups and a variety of things. There is offal and other products, and there are a number of bone-in products that, as you get into these different markets and some of their traditional products, we could move into more.
Each country has somewhat varying nuances, but I think you could lump the Chinese together, with pretty similar demands. We could be moving considerably more product into mainland China—we move a lot into Hong Kong and Macau—once we get over some of these.
Take the fresh category. No other country in the world treats chilled as frozen. If you're a high-quality producer, they want to buy unfrozen beef; that's the reality. There are things such as this concerning which we just have to continue to be patient and to work through.
We're very excited about the delegation over there this week. Coming back, it may be the start of negotiations with China. We would be very supportive of that.
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Going back to this idea of relationship building and evidence-based data, I had the opportunity to meet with young farmers recently at both a national and a provincial level in New Brunswick. Both of them have talked about the relations and delegations that they take to the U.S.
Do you think such delegations are helpful in the relationship building as we go back and forth?
Executive Vice-President, Canadian Cattlemen's Association
This is a fantastic story. One trip I took to the U.S. was down to Denver. We have a cattlemen's young leaders program that we work with. We actually have had a number of former ministers mentor some of our young leaders, and a former minister of trade.
We have an international beef alliance that moves around the world each year. We take two young leaders to it. We had a group of young leaders in Denver, and they are building lifelong relationships. In these other countries, we're a little behind, but they're bringing young leaders and they're establishing a network that's going to benefit us for decades to come.
We also had the first young leader become president of one of our provincial associations this past year, so we're already seeing them move up into the organizations. It's exciting to watch.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
I think that pretty much wraps it up. We are very close to the time, so I want to thank the panel for coming to talk about those trade barriers. Hopefully we can move them forward and resolve some of them.
Thank you, everyone.
We shall see you next week.