Thank you and good afternoon, Mr. Chair. Thanks for the invitation to be here today.
The Global Institute for Food Security is a government, industry and academic partnership.
I'd like to begin my testimony with a critically important statement: Global food insecurity is global insecurity.
Norman Borlaug noted that you can't build a peaceful world on empty stomachs and human misery. Mr. Chair, at no time has this statement been more poignant than it is now.
Global population is expanding rapidly. We have the challenge of feeding a growing world with limited resources of land, water and nutrients, as well as challenges both natural and entirely self-inflicted, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These all threaten the resiliency of the global food system and our ability to feed the world sustainably.
However, there's a solution to these challenges. In Canada, we are one of a handful of nations that are net producers of food, and we do so in a manner that's economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. We have the food, fuel and fertilizer that the world needs, and our agriculture and food sector is poised to feed a growing world. However, to succeed we need to support the industry with appropriate policies that enable us to take advantage of the opportunities before us.
The previous two witnesses mentioned the Barton report, and they identified the opportunity here. The report's right, so today I'd like to recommend four domestic policy opportunities that can improve Canada's exports on the global stage.
The first is around innovation. We cannot continue to tackle today's and tomorrow's challenges with yesterday's tools and technologies. We need innovation to help deliver the greatest positive impact through our agriculture and food sectors. Unfortunately, Canada's innovation input does not produce the returns on investments that we should expect.
The most recent Conference Board of Canada report ranks our nation as eighth in investments but 23rd in outcomes achieved. We need to remedy this situation by creating a coherent, integrated, national innovation strategy. Innovation is a team sport, and we can no longer focus on revamping one part of the system without consideration of all areas involved.
The next policy recommendation is to drive major capital investments into infrastructure. We can't recommend a policy to improve Canadian exports without addressing the infrastructure to support this, such as rural wireless connectivity, ports and rail systems. Investments in our infrastructure will ensure that Canada remains competitive and regains its reputation as a reliable supplier. Canada must own this.
The third policy recommendation is around regulatory modernization through the creation of a transparent, predictable, science-based, interactive and enabling regulatory framework. Our agriculture and food sectors are impacted by regulatory complexity and bottlenecks that limit producer and consumer access to the latest proven innovations. A highly functional regulatory framework is a competitive advantage for Canada. It builds trust, both here domestically as well as internationally. We know this can be done, but it shouldn't take a crisis for things to work. Let's lay the building blocks now for modernizing our regulatory system to embrace a science-based approach that supports innovation.
The last policy recommendation I'd like to highlight relates to sustainability. Canada is one of the world's most sustainable producers of food. We need to be proud of the strides we have made and how far we've come.
On changes in agronomic practices, Dr. Fraser mentioned regenerative agriculture, such as no-till practices. Variable rate fertilizer application in western Canada, and in particular in Saskatchewan, has resulted in 22% more land being used in annual production, with the elimination of summer fallow. Remarkably, on a production intensity basis, farmers in western Canada have decreased nitrogen fertilizer use by 28% per bushel per acre over the last 30 years.
When we consider policy changes such as recent discussions to reduce fertilizer emissions, and by extension usage, we must consider the unintended consequences of such policies. Not doing so will paint an inaccurate picture of how sustainable Canadian agriculture is and will lead to public mistrust of our resilient and sustainable agriculture system. This will in turn negatively impact export opportunities. We need to lead the way on this. Canada should not be following.
One last point I'd like to leave with the committee is that we need to bring all parties to the table together to address these challenges. GIFS model of industry, government and academia partnership embraces the best of all three of the stakeholders needed to advance innovation. We need to capture the wisdom of the room with all of the stakeholders.
As I wrap up, I'd like to thank you, Mr. Chair, and members of the House committee, for the invitation and the opportunity to share my thoughts with you today. I look forward to questions.
Thank you.