Agriculture Committee on Oct. 19th, 2022

[Ted Menzies]

Yes.

I go back to our technologies. We have some incredible technologies. Through research, we have developed crop varieties that require much less water. In Japan, they're now growing rice that doesn't have to be grown in water. Those technologies can be exported tariff-free to help Africa.

I don't need to tell you how frustrating it is to watch. I saw a rice processing plant in the Limpopo River valley, where there were 70,000 acres that used to be in rice. That flooded. The plant is sitting empty now. It's just frustrating. We could help with so much.

We have grain storage technology in this country beyond what other countries have. We can protect against food loss simply by exporting some of our technology on how to keep grain and how to keep vermin out of grain to save it so that people can actually eat it.

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Thank you.

It's over to you, Ms. Taylor Roy.

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Thank you.

I have a quick question for you, Mr. Greuel, but I wanted to start by saying that I consider myself a full-belly activist. However, I fill my belly on plant-based proteins, which, as I'm sure most people here recognize, since we're all concerned about farmland preservation and use, use 47% to 99% less land than conventional protein and are much more effective at addressing world hunger.

Mr. Greuel, I was wondering if you could comment on the supercluster, on the innovation that this government began in 2018-19, and how that's helped your endeavours to solve the problem of world hunger by using plant protein.

[William Greuel]

Yes. With the investment from the Government of Canada of $173 million, we've been able to work with trail-blazing companies across Canada to inject almost half a billion dollars into innovation. I'm a firm believer that innovation will not only underpin the growth of the plant-based food sector but also lead to domestic and global food security.

The incentive that government put on the table has really leveraged business investment in research and development, which is severely lacking in this country. I think the outcome in terms of jobs, GDP growth and the intellectual property portfolio that we've been able to create will sustain grown for the sector for years to come.

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

That's fantastic. Thank you so much.

I have a half a minute left, so I have just one follow-up question.

How important do you think plant-based proteins are in solving the world hunger problems in places like Kenya or South America, where I did visit in international development and looked at farms in those areas, as well as here?

[William Greuel]

I'm not familiar with diets in those areas, but the reality is that protein consumption on a global basis is increasing, just as population is increasing and just as more people are entering the middle class. Canada has a responsibility, as I've heard today, to be a global supplier of high-quality food, and not just plant-based proteins but all high-quality foods.

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

We're going to have to leave it there.

Thank you, Ms. Taylor Roy, and thank you, Mr. Greuel.

Let me just thank our witnesses.

Mr. Menzies, Mr. Greuel and Mr. Hurst, it was a really important discussion today. Thank you for your testimony and thank you for your leadership in the agriculture sector. Our committee is certainly better off as a result of your testimony today.

Colleagues, before we go, we have just a few minutes and I have to run a few things by you.

In terms of our scheduling plan, I've been working with the clerk on when we would do clause-by-clause study for Bill C-234. I've asked her to schedule legislative counsel for November 14.

On that basis, here is what I would ask your permission for in moving forward on a schedule plan.

For next week, Monday and Wednesday are already set. The clerk is working on having those witness panels lined up. I think we've truly fully exhausted our witness list for Bill C-234, so I would propose that on Halloween we allow members to use that two-hour period to discuss potential amendments.

When we're back after the break, we would use November 14 for the clause-by-clause study, as I mentioned. Otherwise, we would continue with the global food security study.

I am going to be away next week, so I need you all to be on your best behaviour for Mr. Barlow. Mr. Barlow, let's have no funny tricks while I'm gone.

Is what I've just proposed something you all want to move forward with?

I'm seeing consensus. Okay. That's how we'll move forward on the schedule.

I have just two other notes. On Agribition, Warren Steinley sent me a text to remind me that November 28 to December 3 is a major show in Saskatchewan and of course for the whole country. Maybe our leaders can have a conversation about whether or not we could perhaps use MP travel points to be a part of that. I'll leave that to the leaders on the committee to discuss.

I want to thank our translators and our technical team. We had a bit of a delay with the vote. We did push this right until seven o'clock. Thank you to our translators and thank you to our entire team.

The meeting is adjourned.