Agriculture Committee on Jan. 31st, 2018

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

I want to welcome you all to this meeting of the committee.

I would like to welcome a new member, Mr. Earl Dreeshen, to our committee. It's good to have you here.

You're from which region, again?

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Red Deer—Mountain View. There is lots of farming out there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

I think everybody else is the same. I know I have to introduce the clerk.

Ms. Ariane Gagné-Frégeau is our new clerk.

We are going to hold an election first, since we need a new second vice-chair. Ms. Brosseau used to be the second vice-chair.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I'm not sure if we want to vote for....

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

There is no time for campaigning. This is at the ballot box right now.

We're going to have to elect a new second vice-chair. I will leave our clerk to go through the procedure.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Ariane Gagné-Frégeau]

Pursuant to rule 106(2), the second vice-chair must be a member of the opposition, from a party other than the official opposition.

I am now ready to receive motions for the position of second vice-chair.

[Pierre Breton, Liberal, Shefford, QC]

I nominate Mr. MacGregor.

[The Clerk]

It is moved by Mr. Pierre Breton that Mr. Alistair MacGregor be elected as second vice-chair of the committee.

(Motion agreed to.)

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

A good Frenchman.

[The Clerk]

I declare the motion carried and Alistair MacGregor duly elected second vice-chair of the committee.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

At this stage we shall suspend to resume in camera our business part.

[Proceedings continue in camera]

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Welcome back to the second hour of our climate change study.

With us from the Canadian Cattlemen's Association we have Andrea Brocklebank, executive director of the Beef Cattle Research Council. Also, by video, we have with us Fawn Jackson, manager, environment and sustainability.

Thanks to you both for being here.

To give us a bit of direction, I'm going to read the motion about what we're trying to do. I've read it with the committee before, but I'll just make sure we're focused on what we're trying to achieve.

Part of the motion is on “how the government can help the Canadian agriculture sector better adjust to the increasing severity of issues associated with climate change and better address water and soil conservation issues”. I know that's quite broad, but it will just make sure that we're focused.

We will start with a statement from you, Ms. Brocklebank. We might have more time than we usually have, but usually it's a seven-minute presentation. The floor is yours.

[Andrea Brocklebank, Executive Director, Beef Cattle Research Council, Canadian Cattlemen's Association]

Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. My name is Andrea Brocklebank, and I'm the executive director of the Beef Cattle Research Council. I'm joined by Fawn Jackson, who is the environmental and sustainability manager for the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.

My family operates a cattle operation in southern Alberta and Fawn is in Manitoba. The location of the majority of cattle operations in areas with comparatively poor soils, low rainfall, and uneven terrain makes raising cattle challenging. Building resiliency to changing climatic conditions is second nature to producers. It's an area that we have long focused on, and we will continue to do so.

Today, the Canadian beef industry has a tremendous opportunity to expand. This is exciting not only for our producers but for the 228,000 Canadians who work within our industry. This is also exciting for the conservation community, which understands that more cows mean more grasslands and more habitat for wildlife.

Our ability to expand will be contingent upon long-term investments in research and sound public policy to ensure our industry's resilience. The BCRC funds research to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of Canada's beef industry. We have administered two beef science clusters and are currently awaiting a decision from Agriculture Canada on our third science cluster. Continued investments in research are critical to developing solutions to the challenges presented by climate change. I'd like to give you two examples.

First, Canada's cold winters have prevented many parasites and animal diseases from surviving and becoming endemic here. Climate change threatens animal health and welfare, and research has shown that disease-bearing parasites are expanding their ranges.

The dog tick can carry the bacteria that causes anaplasmosis, which results in abortion, anemia, and severe productivity losses in cattle. This tick used to be found in southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. Recent research has found this tick farther north in Manitoba and as far west as Alberta.

Widespread ticks will make it much easier for anaplasmosis to spread. This is only one example of the animal health and welfare implications of evolving parasite and disease profiles associated with climate change. Investments supporting surveillance and alternative treatment strategies will be important in understanding animal health risks, as well as strategies to mitigate these risks and maintain animal health and welfare.

Second, we know that demand for food is growing globally and that Canada can play an important role in meeting that demand. This is not an easy task given that climate change could negatively impact productivity at a time when we need to improve productivity. Climate change is expected to result in greater climate variability, which includes extreme weather events and more frequent occurrences of regional climatic conditions that are too hot and dry or too cool and wet. Climate variability increases the risk of crop failures and, as a consequence, more land may be allocated to pastures, which are less susceptible to periodic stress than annual cash crops. Even on these resilient landscapes, though, losses in productivity and ecosystem health can happen very quickly, while improvements are usually made very slowly and over a long period of time.

Consequently, investing in forage and grassland research is critical not only to maintain but to enhance productivity, focusing on enhancing resilience to drought, waterlogging, heat stress, and frost, while at the same time preventing soil erosion, protecting soil carbon, and preserving moisture. In building resilience to climate change, government can play an important role through research by fully funding the proposed third beef science cluster. Furthermore, we recommend the funding of the smart agri-food supercluster, investing in long-term, higher-risk discovery research, and investing in critical research infrastructure and capacity.

To change over from research investments to policies that support resilience, the CCA has three main areas of recommendation.

First, continue and expand investment in disaster response programs. With climate change, the risk of severe weather events increases. Droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events significantly impact the economic and environmental performance of our industry. As these risks increase, it is imperative to have tools available to help manage financial risk for our producers. CCA believes there needs to be sufficiently funded national agriculture risk management programs that are delivered consistently across all jurisdictions.

AgriRecovery has been delivered in several areas in Canada and has helped producers sustain their business after weather-related disasters. However, there is room for improvement, including the creation of clear triggers and reference materials regarding what the program will and will not cover. Historically, AgriRecovery's dependence on political decision-making during a disaster has compounded confusion in challenging times and has made planning for disasters enigmatic for producers.

Second, invest in forage insurance. While the CCA understands the benefits that an ad hoc national blanket framework provides, government should consider the different types of risk that are unique to each agriculture sector. For the beef industry, improved hay and forage insurance that includes a mechanism to help producers account for increased feed prices during times of shortages could potentially replace some of the calls for AgriRecovery responses. The CCA encourages both federal and provincial governments to continue to work towards implementing AgriInsurance recommendations made by the FPT forage task team.

Third, increase investment in infrastructure that supports the long-term mitigation of disasters. The construction of improved water management infrastructure such as irrigation systems and flood structures, including dams and outlets, are examples of worthwhile projects.

In closing, we recommend that primary agriculture and meat and food processing be exempt from carbon pricing. Do not confuse this request with a lack of environmental commitment. It is just not right the tool for the beef industry. The greenhouse gas footprint per kilogram of Canadian beef is half the global average and has fallen by over 15% since 1981. These improvements are the result of research, innovation, and appropriate policies, such as those we've mentioned today.

Thank you for your time. We'd be happy to answer any questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Ms. Brocklebank.

Seeing that our other witnesses have not arrived, we'll start the question round. For six minutes, we will have Monsieur Berthold.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Brocklebank, thank you for your very instructive presentation.

When you think of cattle producers, you don't necessarily immediately think of the consequences of climate change. We forget that cows are animals that have to be fed. We don't think about fodder or a whole host of other things. I thank you greatly for having raised these matters.

If committee members permit, especially since we will probably have a bit more time today, I would like to give the floor to Mr. Dreeshen, who is a new member of the committee. Since this is Bell Let's Talk Day, which is in support of mental health, Mr. Dreeshen has a fine proposal to submit to the members of the committee.

I will let Mr. Dreeshen make his request.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you very much, and thank you, Mr. Chair and all committee members.

There's a serious issue that is taking place, and I felt that since this is Bell Let's Talk Day, I would like to present a notice of motion. I would like to read it into the record.

I don't have it in as good a form as I would like, so I will read it carefully into the record: “that the committee consider undertaking a study on the mental health challenges that our farmers, ranchers, and producers face; that this study meet with farmers, ranchers, producers, and community health groups with the goal of understanding the issues they face and the sharing of best practices; and, that the committee report its findings to the House”.

I realize that there's a 48-hour time frame for discussion on this, unless, of course, one were to have unanimous consent to waive that 48 hours. I will leave that with the committee.

Again, when you take a look at the added stress that there is in agriculture and the concerns that are there, you can see so many people who are doing so much work in this area. Certainly, I know that The Do More Agriculture Foundation has presented information in just the last couple of days. Also, we can go back to many groups that are talking about the concerns for the mental health of agricultural producers. I would like to leave that on the table for discussion.

Again, perhaps I could ask for unanimous consent to waive the 48 hours. I guess I will do that, but you may want to have a discussion on this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Do we have unanimous consent to waive the 48-hour motion at this time?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

May I make a comment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Yes, you have the floor, Mr. Drouin.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

It's certainly an issue that Jean-Claude Poissant has been very passionate about, so whether we waive the 48 hours or not, we're still going to be here on Monday. Maybe we can discuss that on Monday.

On our side, I know that we'll be extremely supportive. I know that Jean-Claude's eyes lit up when you talked about that. It's an issue that's been big in Quebec, and I know there was an article today—I think on CBC—with a farmer in Edmonton who mentioned it. We just want to discuss it with you further at some other point, but good job.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Do you have any comments to add, Mr. Poissant?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

You may already know this, but I worked in the mental health field, in connection with producers. In the past, I was the president of an association in Quebec.

This is indeed a topic we should look at. However, I would like us to define our approach in that study in greater detail. I suggest that we postpone this till our next meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Are there other comments?

Mr. Berthold, you have the floor.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Since today is a day dedicated to mental health in Quebec and Canada, I found Mr. Dreeshen's idea very timely. Normally, we would need 48 hours' notice, but in light of the circumstances, Mr. Dreeshen had this idea today, and I think it's important that we be able to discuss this.

We are asking that the committee meet with farmers, cattle producers and groups who work in the mental health field, and that it do a study on this topic. Normally, the motions are not very long, and we determine the direction and details of the study in question later.

It would be a good gesture on the part of the committee if it adopted this motion today. We could all announce on social networks that the committee will be undertaking a study on producers' mental health, and next week, we can pin down its direction and content. I see no problem in our supporting this unanimously. We can pin down the specifics of the study later. If we are unanimous, no party will take advantage of this.

The mental health of producers and breeders is of concern to all of us. That is what is behind Mr. Dreeshen's motion.

I heard Mr. Poissant's comments, but I think that we could very well adopt the motion unanimously and define the framework of the study later.