Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The theme of my first question is going to be very similar to what Monsieur Perron just asked.
We've clearly established that higher soil carbon content allows our farmers to better withstand extreme weather events. The higher soil carbon content allows us to both retain more water during drought years and act as a sponge when we get excess precipitation events.
What I also want to know about is the plant breeding side of things. We know that looking after healthy soils is going to help us better withstand that, but I also want to know about the role in plant breeding. We know that these extreme weather events are going to become more and more common in the future. Are our current crop genetics going to be able to withstand this rapid pace of change that is affecting western Canada in particular? What can research tell us about plant breeding techniques that might better help future crops adapt to these rapidly changing climates?