Evidence of meeting #67 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 consumers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
The issue is not the content of the motion; the issue is the person making it.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
I asked for consent for the motion. As I understand it, we have no consent to discuss it today.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
So I will introduce it right away so that we can discuss it during next Thursday’s meeting.
As has already been said, on our side, we are all new members, so please excuse the many questions.
I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Poissant this summer in my constituency. He is holding his own consultation on a future food policy. I would just like to know what the committee's contribution will be to the study he is conducting. I see that people have a lot to say.
I do not know whether the minister has met with you. I would first like to know whether you have had the opportunity to meet any departmental officials about the food policy. Then I can come back to my question.
Let’s start with Mr. Ross.
Director of Business Risk Management and Farm Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
We've had a series of meetings on this subject with the department itself and have raised the issue with the minister in previous meetings. I can say that we have had a series of discussions over the past, at this point looking back, years, as we've been advocating for this to various governments for quite some time.
We have met with the minister to discuss the subject, but also have met with the department a number of times on the matter.
Interim Executive Director, Soy Canada
We have not met recently with the minister or any part of the department about a national food policy. Some of the elements we've talked about have been the subject of various discussions, but not a national food policy per se.
Associate Director, Food Horizons Canada, The Conference Board of Canada
A whole process is under way in the country, both regionally and nationally. We have been part of it directly and indirectly. Tomorrow, I am going to meet with the deputy minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. We have been involved in this matter for a long time, especially because we were a source of factual data.
Conservative
Associate Director, Food Horizons Canada, The Conference Board of Canada
Thank you.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
So you are saying that a double process of consultation is under way and that you will be called on to participate.
Actually, Mr. Poissant, is the process over?
Liberal
Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC
No, it will be at the end of September. Then we are going to have to put it together. A first draft should be ready after the holidays.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
If the department has already produced a consultation report, how will the committee's report be able to influence the department?
We have heard extremely interesting comments this morning and I want to be sure that they will be considered. Mr. Poissant, how will the input and the testimony that we have heard here be able to influence the people in the department?
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
We had planned six meetings, and they should be over on October 5. That leaves us plenty of time to table the report. Then they will be able to see what came out of our meetings.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
We are perfectly coordinated: your six minutes just ended right now. Thank you, Mr. Berthold.
Mr. Longfield, you have the floor for six minutes.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thanks to all the witnesses for participating in this.
I have had a town hall meeting in Guelph discussing this with about 80 people from Guelph, ranging from farmers to scientists to civil society. We also had one of the national consultations at the University of Guelph. That included indigenous people.
I want to address the first question to Mr. Le Vallée.
An item came up in our discussion at our community town hall around food waste. One of the people there said that France, as an example, has a policy under which restaurants are not allowed to throw out food, that hey have a policy whereby they have to find a home for food, not the garbage can.
Has the Conference Board done any study, maybe through Mr. Charlebois, who came from the University of Guelph and now is the dean at Dalhousie? Have you done any work about food waste policy in other countries that could be submitted to this committee?
Associate Director, Food Horizons Canada, The Conference Board of Canada
We've done a study for the National Zero Waste Council based in Vancouver to make the business case for incentives to have business supply edible food to charities, so as to reduce the waste at the retail site. That's the research I have that I can share. I will definitely share it when I share the Canadian food strategy.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
If you could put that in through the clerk so that we can all have access, that would be wonderful.
Associate Director, Food Horizons Canada, The Conference Board of Canada
Absolutely. It will be my pleasure.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thank you.
You also mentioned inputs and jobs. The University of Guelph has just finished an update to a previous report in which the Ontario Agricultural College now says there are four jobs for every graduate. Five years ago there were three jobs for every graduate. We're going in the wrong direction, clearly, in terms of meeting the needs of the market.
Do you see a role that the Conference Board could play in connecting youth to opportunities through education? Is the Conference Board thinking of any programs to engage youth in agriculture?
Associate Director, Food Horizons Canada, The Conference Board of Canada
We're happy to supply research services. We're not an organization that does advocacy or training. We offer training to train the trainers, but we don't work directly to create such programs. We have educational tools, however, and a whole centre behind—a peer group of mine—that works on this issue on a full-time basis.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
It's interesting that you're tying this into food policy, because it could be labour policy. It could be economic policy.
Associate Director, Food Horizons Canada, The Conference Board of Canada
Food is horizontal. That's the first thing I said.