Evidence of meeting #32 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was fertilizer.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Doug MacDonald  Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian National Railway Company
Peggy Brekveld  President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Martin Caron  General President, Union des producteurs agricoles
Ted Menzies  As an Individual
Russel Hurst  Executive Director, Ontario Agri Business Association
William Greuel  Chief Executive Officer, Protein Industries Canada

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I have a lot of stuff to get through, so it's going to be rapid-fire.

Mr. Menzies, what government policy moved you and your farm to zero tillage?

6:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Ted Menzies

None did.

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Mr. Menzies, what government policy moved you towards using GPS in your machinery?

6:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Ted Menzies

That was my own decision.

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Mr. Menzies, what government policy moved you towards using 4R on your farm?

6:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Ted Menzies

It was my own decision—well, mine and my wife's. I had better clarify that. Can I add that to my first answer?

6:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

That is a very good answer, Mr. Menzies.

Is the EU farm-to-fork program based on science? Is this policy based on science? Do you think it is a direction that Canada as a country should move in?

6:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Ted Menzies

I do not think Canada should follow that. I can't tell you whether or not it's based on science, but it certainly doesn't appear to be.

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

To wrap it up, of all the innovations that you've done on your farm since the mid-eighties, how many of those innovations were brought to you through government policies and direction, or was it based on your own knowledge of your land and the fact that you wanted to get better at what you did, become a better steward of the land, make sure that your land and soil were sustainable for your generation and the generations to come on your farm?

6:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Ted Menzies

You've basically written my bio. That is what it is. I talk about sustainability; it's environmental, but it's economic as well. If it's not economic, you won't get to the environmental sustainability that you want to get to.

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Thank you very much. I'm going to move to Mr. Greuel. Thank you for being here, Bill. I appreciate it. We've known each other for a long time.

We were talking about bringing more value-added to agriculture. I believe Regina can be the capital of value-added agri-food. We're seeing a boom in the opportunities to use canola crush plants, renewable diesel at the co-op refinery.

You were talking about bringing in new companies and new processing facilities. You touched on it a little bit. If you were scouting out where to take a new facility, if there was a jurisdiction that didn't have an ever-increasing carbon tax versus a jurisdiction that has a carbon tax that's always going to affect your bottom line, how would you decide where to put this facility?

6:50 p.m.

Chief Executive Officer, Protein Industries Canada

William Greuel

I think the variable costs will always be a consideration for wherever an organization is going to site a plant. When I talk to ingredient manufacturers on a global basis, they're considering everything from the competitiveness of the business environment to the geopolitical environment, as well as access to raw commodities, the variable costs that will be associated with utilities, and other taxes, so I'm not sure that most businesses would look at it in terms of one factor isolating itself as the decision.

What I would say is we need a highly competitive business environment in Canada, and we're not competitive with our major jurisdictional competitor, which is the Midwest U.S.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Yes. Thank you very much.

We were talking about one of your recommendations, which would be to have a regulatory climate that would foster investment. I think one issue that some companies see is a carbon tax that could go from $50 a tonne to $170 a tonne, which would affect not only the power the facility uses but also the trucking costs and everything in between. I think that's something that would come into effect, but I'll move on from there.

My other question would be around one thing that's happened around Regina. A lot of people now in the area, with the crush plants coming in, are looking to grow canola more than in the past. I would like your comments on how you feel about this. With food security being an issue, some arable land in that area and around Saskatchewan is going to be moved from food consumption to fuel consumption, which probably brings in a bit of a moral question. As we want to grow our plant-based proteins, how do you think those two are going to coincide with each other? What do you think is going to be possibly an unintended consequence of using more arable land for fuel instead of food?

6:50 p.m.

Chief Executive Officer, Protein Industries Canada

William Greuel

I think what you've underpinned is the need for continued innovation in advanced breeding technologies, the development of varieties and farming technologies so that we can keep pushing yields up, because the more we divert cropland to industrial bioproduct use, the more challenges we create. It's innovation on-farm—

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

I have one more quick question. The ability to create more yields would also be contingent on fertilizer use at some point in time. Are we going to be able to continue to make those yields greater if farmers are forced to lower their fertilizer use?

6:50 p.m.

Chief Executive Officer, Protein Industries Canada

William Greuel

I think I heard it here today: Farmers need all the tools in their tool box to be successful.

6:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Kody Blois

Thank you, gentlemen.

We're going to turn to Ms. Valdez, who I think might be splitting her time with Ms. Taylor Roy, for up to five minutes.

October 19th, 2022 / 6:50 p.m.

Liberal

Rechie Valdez Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

That is correct, Mr. Chair. I'll be sharing my time with Mrs. Taylor Roy.

Mr. Greuel, a November 2017 report from this committee noted that tariff barriers in Canada have decreased, but non-tariff barriers and technical requirements for Canadian exports have become more difficult. How can Canada reform its international trade policies to make it easier to export Canadian products like yours?

6:50 p.m.

Chief Executive Officer, Protein Industries Canada

William Greuel

I think again it's a focus on what it is that we're exporting. I would contend that our biggest opportunity to insulate ourselves against those is better integration into international supply chains with high-value products such as ingredients in food products, as opposed to raw commodities.

6:50 p.m.

Liberal

Rechie Valdez Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Thank you.

Your organization has helped Canada claim itself as a global leader in the agri-food sector. What role can plant protein play in addressing food shortages and providing more affordable food options for Canadians?

6:50 p.m.

Chief Executive Officer, Protein Industries Canada

William Greuel

I think this is a critical one, and the requirement for protein is going to grow on a global basis. What we need to do is provide additional choices for consumers on a global basis, based on the crops that we produce, but also domestically. The more we can help companies innovate and increase ingredient manufacturing, the more we will push down the price so that it becomes more accessible for more Canadians, leading to better food security domestically as well.

6:50 p.m.

Liberal

Rechie Valdez Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Thank you.

Mr. Menzies, you've spoken to audiences around the world. Earlier, you referred to and shared your stories of my birthplace, Africa. I was hoping that you could speak to any of the best practices you've seen in other countries that could strengthen our food production and trade here.

6:55 p.m.

As an Individual

Ted Menzies

Get men off the couch in Africa to help women grow food.

It's shocking. I'm sure you know what I mean.

6:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rechie Valdez Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Yes.