Agriculture Committee on Nov. 26th, 2020

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

Yes, with pleasure, because we are investing significantly in research and innovation not only within the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, but also through the Department of Innovation.

Let's talk about AgriScience and the agricultural discovery science and innovation program. These two programs represent an investment of $600 million per year in science and innovation, and we keep hiring scientists, up to 75 new scientists, in emerging fields.

The program I am very proud of is the living laboratories initiative. We are putting in place new research programs that are being done in the field in direct collaboration with the farmers, and we expect that it will be.... I can tell you that when I was at the G20, everybody was very excited and interested in knowing more about that.

Through the Canadian agricultural partnership agreement with the provinces, we have also dedicated $690 million to innovation in science programs over a five-year period.

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

That's good news. That's important because we have a number of universities in our area, including the University of Guelph, the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. Thank you for that.

I was hoping to pivot. The COVID pandemic has impacted every aspect of our society, of course, including the farmers, and it's been a very tough year. Mental health is something that comes up a lot. It's important to the health of our farmers.

I have had some difficult but important conversations, as I'm sure my colleagues have, with the farmers in my riding of Kitchener-Conestoga. It's important that we have resources to provide mental health support for those in the agricultural sector. We need to raise awareness. We need to destigmatize these issues and help the people who are suffering silently.

Minister, can you share with us some of the measures our government is taking to address mental health issues in our agriculture sector?

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

Yes, thank you.

You will remember a few years ago we announced the transfer to provinces of $5 billion for mental health, and I know that in Quebec, Minister Lamontagne, maybe a year ago, announced a few hundred million dollars for an initiative for farmers, although I don't remember the exact amount. I was very excited to see that our transfers to the provinces were, in some of them, utilized to offer direct services to farmers. I hope many other provinces will do the same as Quebec, because providing health services is, really, provincial.

We are also supporting Farm Credit Canada. It has put in place some resources to support its clients, and farmers in general. I think they are easily accessible through its website.

We have invested $240 million to develop, expand and launch virtual care and mental health tools. Obviously, our colleagues at the Public Health Agency are also providing different tools that are available to everyone, including farmers.

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Thank you. This is something we're also aware of here.

My colleague mentioned food waste, and we're studying processing right now. I know there's a food waste reduction challenge. Maybe in the time I have remaining you can elaborate on that so that I can share the information with people in my riding here in Kitchener—Conestoga.

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

This is a very exciting program. I know that $20 million will be distributed through a challenge. We are inviting organizations of different types, and partnerships as well, to submit their best ideas in terms of business models for how to reduce waste or redirect food. It's a very important issue. We are losing 50 billion dollars' worth of food in Canada only. This is something we have to work on.

It will probably provide better access in these communities to the people in need. It's to the benefit of our farmers and processors as well, and it could also have an impact on the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Minister, and thank you, Mr. Louis.

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

Go ahead.

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

Minister, what I would like to ask you about is with regard to what the UFCW brought to my attention—

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Yes, Mr. Perron. I unfortunately made a mistake there.

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

That's all right. If you promise me another two minutes, I'll let Mr. MacGregor continue his remarks without interruption. I simply want to make sure we don't run out of time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

That was just an error on my part. You can have two and a half minutes, Mr. Perron.

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

My apologies, Mr. MacGregor.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Go ahead, Mr. MacGregor.

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

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wasn't sure what happened there, but we'll just go with it.

Minister, my question has to do with UFCW. I brought this question up with CFIA officials during our processing study. I think we all acknowledge the central role that labour plays in keeping agriculture and agri-food going, and I know we have a shortage of labour.

For the workers who are employed and who have very real and legitimate concerns about their workplaces.... I know they submitted seven core recommendations to your ministry with regard to how they can make their workplaces safer. Some of the recommendations have been taken up quite well, but others are being applied quite haphazardly.

Given that we're now in November and are going through a second wave, can you please explain to the committee how you are going to act upon the recommendations to ensure that there is uniform compliance by employers, so that our workers are feeling safe when they go to do this critical work?

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

Thank you.

There are shared responsibilities between the provinces and the federal government on this issue, of course. You know about the $77.5-million program that we have provided to the processors to help them put the right measures in place to protect their workers.

When it comes to the CFIA, their first responsibility is to ensure that food is safe for Canadians while protecting their employees, but also to collaborate with and support the businesses by making sure the right protocols are applied, while these protocols are put in place by the regional or local public health services. It's a collaboration. There is only so far we can go as the federal government.

If I may—I think it's a matter of language—were you talking about PACA in your last question? I was not sure.

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

I was, yes. For the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, that has been a long-standing ask.

My question to you was, how are you going to advocate for the establishment of PACA, given that it was a unanimous recommendation of two standing committees? It's been quite some time since then.

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

I'm sorry. I know a bit about this issue; it was just that I'm not using translation, so I'm doing my best.

This is something we are following up on, but I think that the safe food for Canadians regulations are already a good step in the right direction to support them, giving us more capacity and the right measures to make sure that producers who enter into Canada apply the same rules. I know there's a difference between.... There is also a dispute resolution program included in this regulation, but I can't pretend that I have a clear answer.

I don't have a clear answer, but this is something we keep working on. My deputy minister will probably be a bit more technically informed on this issue. You might want to ask him that question later.

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

Okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Minister.

My apologies once again, Mr. Perron. You now have the floor for two and a half minutes.

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

That's not a problem as long as I have all my speaking time.

Minister, first I'd like to finish our previous exchange. You said that Bill C-216 should be examined more carefully. For it to be studied more carefully, it has to reach the committee, and, to do that, it must be adopted on second reading. This concludes my remarks on that subject.

Now with regard to the next topic, you discussed the meeting that will be held tomorrow with the provincial ministers, including the one from Quebec. I'm pleased to hear that Quebec may adopt the same course of action as yours. That would help us give the sector what it's seeking from us. That's the course of action we always follow here, and I believe you follow the same one. So I'm counting on you.

As regards AgriStability, the UPA people said at the premiers' meeting that they were concerned you wouldn't reach an agreement with the other provinces. At least that's the consensus view in Quebec. The president of the UPA even suggested you might do what you've done during the COVID-19 crisis, which is to put up your 60% portion without necessarily encroaching on the provinces' jurisdiction .

Could that be a way out if no agreement is reached??

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

The meeting will be held tomorrow, so I won't prejudge anything. That's not bad faith, Mr. Perron.

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

I expected that.

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

You don't negotiate in public. I still hope we can reach an agreement tomorrow to improve the AgriStability program.

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

I expected that answer, but I nevertheless wanted to pass on the UPA's request to you.

You mentioned the emergency processing fund. Several small processors have contacted our riding offices to inform us that funding has been exhausted. In some cases, they've started to invest. I'm thinking, for example, of a small pork processing plant located near my home.

Do you think you'll be increasing the fund soon? That seems necessary.

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

Yes, the program's quite popular. We've supported more than 550 businesses, including 100 or so in Quebec. I'm sure you passed on the information to the people in your region as soon as the program was announced.

We're currently considering how we could expand and improve the program, but I don't yet have any announcements to make.