Agriculture Committee on May 27th, 2021

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you.

I would like one other question for the minister.

Specifically to the grocery code of conduct, I know that you have taken the suggestion and the recommendation from our previous study to the provinces, but I'm hearing from the provinces that they are not receptive to leading on a code of conduct because the reality is that 80% of the retail space in Canada is held in five strong hands. Those hands have a presence across all of Canada. It doesn't make sense to have a smorgasbord of codes or frameworks in the different provinces.

Minister, will you propose a legislated code of conduct and lead on this issue?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

I can assure you that we are leading. Actually, I'm co-chairing a committee with the Minister of Agriculture of Quebec. We met yesterday on this, because we want to come to the FPT meeting in July with a step further in this direction. We want to send the message to the retailers that we are serious. We want to find the best solution to ensure the situation is fair for our producers and farmers.

Actually, they came to the table. The retailers, the processors, the farmers, everybody participated around the table. Everybody's contributing and reflecting, trying to find a solution, trying to find a consensus.

I'm hopeful we will find a common space to solve the situation.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Epp.

Now we will go to Mr. Blois for five minutes.

Go ahead, Mr. Blois.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister Bibeau, it's always great to have you before our committee.

Let me first take a moment to congratulate you. When I look at the fall economic statement, when I look at budget 2021, I see massive investments in the agriculture sector, of course, directly and indirectly through some of the environmental initiatives, as you've mentioned. I'm sure that's because of your hard leadership and engagement within the government cabinet. Well done.

Congratulations on BSE. That's great for our country, and that's going to matter across the country and, indeed, in my riding of Kings—Hants.

I just have one more note before I get into my questions. For example, I looked at the actual business risk management programs and some of the main estimates there. Of course, the estimates are almost double this year what they would have been previously. Of course, some of that is highlighted because of COVID-19, but again, that's because of your work and our ability to increase the reference margin limits, which I know is going to help make a difference for farmers across the board.

My first question to you, Minister, is around the wine sector. I look forward to the chance that you might come down to my riding of Kings—Hants after the pandemic. We'll have a glass of wine together.

Let's talk about the $101 million that was in the budget to support the wine sector. Can you speak to that? I would really appreciate that.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Thank you.

Yes, you can see in the budget $101 million for the wine sector over two years. We are working on different options for how this program could roll out and how best we can support the sector. It's a work-in-progress—in consultation with the sector, obviously—so it's a bit too early for me to give you more details on that, but it's good news for this sector for the coming two years.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Absolutely. I know you'll be working with the industry, but the fact that it was in the budget, I think, was very important and well done.

The food waste reduction program is about a $3.5-million budget item in the main estimates. It's relatively small in what is a huge budget. Of course, I've had the chance to read your opinion, your op-eds, about food waste management and that this is a key piece for us to be able to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. I applaud you in that regard and that advocacy.

I had a stakeholder in my own riding, the Station Food Hub, that was one of the winners. It actually got to the semi-finals in this challenge. Speak a little bit about what that program means to incentivizing non-profits and businesses to be focused in this regard.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

It's a very exciting program. Actually, it's a challenge, so it has to be exciting. The idea is to stimulate and give the means to the innovator to bring forward their ideas, their technology and their business model, and then give them the financial capacity to scale up, to develop and then scale up.

A couple of months ago, we launched a business model challenge. We recently announced the semi-finalists. Only a few days ago—on the third and fourth—I announced the launch of the streams that are related to technology, and it's the same process. There will be three steps for the winners, and they will get more and more money, up to $1.5 million altogether for the winners. The idea is to reduce our food waste in Canada. Financially, it represents $50 billion—only in Canada—and the impacts on the environment in gas emissions are significant as well.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

We heard testimony on that actually just last week as we were continuing our study on the intersection between agriculture and the environment, so well done there.

Can you speak about the living laboratories initiative? I know, for example, that in Saskatchewan there was an important investment. I've seen one in Ontario. This is a program that, as you mentioned, was established prior to the fall economic statement, but you've received funding.

Can you tell the average person who might be watching this what a living lab is and what the objective is there?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

The idea is to bring scientists into the field with the farmers to make sure that they are working on very concrete practices that will make sense for the farmers and will be, maybe, a bit shorter term. We have expert scientists in laboratories, and we definitely need them, but this initiative is to bring them closer to the farmers and have all the neighbours, as well, looking at it. Hopefully.... We want to engage a community around the living lab. It will also help us have many more farmers adopt, for example, good practices in terms of the environment. Cover cropping is a good example, and managing water is another example.

I was very proud to speak about it at the G20 agriculture ministers meeting, because other countries are looking at us and are moving forward with similar innovations.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Chair, I know you're about to cut me off. If I can leave just one last point, it would be around regulatory reform.

Minister, if you get the chance to incorporate that into it, I think there are a lot of good stories there, and I know that would resonate with you as someone who is a previous business owner. If someone else gives you the chance, that would be lovely.

Thanks.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Blois.

Thank you, Minister.

Mr. Perron, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Madam Minister, I would like to return to the issue of the code of conduct, which has been discussed with other speakers.

You tell us that you had a meeting yesterday on this and that things were progressing well.

However, someone said that the provinces were not interested.

Are we moving towards a voluntary code of conduct at the federal level, with a mandatory provincial code piggybacked onto it?

Can you speak to that?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

At the moment, I am working closely with the Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mr. André Lamontagne, as we are the two co-chairs of the group. Our teams work together and we hold a lot of consultations. There is good participation from producers, processors and retailers. Concrete proposals for voluntary codes of conduct have even been tabled.

There are a number of options on the table at this time for mandatory or voluntary codes of conduct that would be associated with regulation or legislation.

Various options are on the table. Mr. Lamontagne and I are in the process of sorting through all of that. We will be presenting proposals to our provincial colleagues when we meet in July.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

In terms of the environment, there were a few questions about encouraging transition and recognizing what is being done. I think that's important for you to consider. In our study on business risk management programs, there was also a suggestion to give companies more flexibility about when they can innovate.

Do you plan to give them upstream support to encourage good environmental practices?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

There are several possible ways to answer this question.

Business risk management programs are primarily designed to address challenges such as unpredictable revenue declines and increases that threaten the viability of the business, or that result from crop failure.

There are also programs to encourage innovation, both at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and at the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, for which Minister Champagne is responsible. So there are other opportunities for innovation on that side.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I understand that you are considering it. I would like to ask you some more questions before my time runs out.

There is a great desire to increase exports, and we agree on that. At the same time, we see the parallel threat of complaints from the U.S. We know that we're respecting the agreement, but it is something that is never ending.

There are two very important bills right now. There's Bill C-216, which addresses that issue, and there's another one on farm succession, Bill C-208. I would imagine that these bills are progressing well and that we can count on the government's support for farm succession, among other things.

This is an issue that is near and dear to your heart, isn't it?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

The issue of succession is very close to my heart. Minister Freeland is also keenly sensitive to this issue. We are working with the Department of Finance to find the best possible solution to facilitate intergenerational transfers.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

We have a good one on the table, Madam Minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Perron and Madam Minister.

Now it's Mr. MacGregor for two and a half minutes.

Go ahead, Mr. MacGregor.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

I think I'm going to follow up on a question that was asked by Mr. Blois. The Cowichan region, which I represent, is a designated wine-producing region. It got that designation officially from the B.C. government. We have the vast majority of the vineyards on Vancouver Island, and I'll have to send Mr. Blois a bottle of Pinot Gris to see how it measures up with his region.

I did actually share information from budget 2021 with all of the wineries in my region, and the response I got back was that they've all seen a collapse in sales over the last year. Some of them were not able to access any of the relief programs that were offered to many small businesses.

One of the main questions I got back, Minister, had to do with this program. There is interest in this program, but they were wondering, given the difficulties that they've all experienced, why this program is beginning in fiscal year 2022 rather than right now, given the immediate needs of the sector. That was a main recurring question I got from the wineries in my region.

Why are these funds not being made available now, given the difficulties that they've just gone through?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

The process of a budget is always difficult, and we're trying our best to balance the different challenges.

I don't have a very clear answer to give you, but we will use this time to consult with the industry and to make sure that we are putting in place and designing the program in a way that will best support our producers.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

I don't have much time left for questions. I know the budget has been voted on and the implementation act is going through Parliament, but is there any wiggle room for this particular fiscal year? April 1 of 2022 is still a long time for them to wait, and yes, we are hopeful that things are going to turn around this year, but again, they are still having to make up for a very difficult year.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

I understand your point. We have to look at the program and evaluate whether retroactivity might be an option and whether it makes sense with the program that will be put in place. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it does not. However, the money will be made available only in April of 2022.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Okay. Thank you for the clarification.