I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting No. 59 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food.
I will start with a few reminders. Today’s meeting is taking place in a hybrid format. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. Just so you are aware, the webcast will always show the person speaking, rather than the entirety of the committee. Screenshots or taking photos of your screen is not permitted.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motions adopted by the committee on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, and Monday April 17, 2023, the committee resumes its study of Environmental Contribution of Agriculture.
This meeting will be on the topic of bee mortality.
I'd like to welcome our witnesses who are joining us both in the room and online.
First, online, we have from the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists, Ernesto Guzman, who is a professor.
Welcome to our committee, Mr. Guzman.
From the Alberta Beekeepers Commission we have Jeremy Olthof, the past-president, and Ron Greidanus, a delegate with the Canadian Honey Council.
From the Government of British Columbia we have Paul van Westendorp joining us online.
Thank you so much for tuning in from British Columbia.
To our witnesses, the way this works is that we're going to allow for up to five minutes for opening remarks for each organization or individual who is here and then we'll turn it over to questions.
Colleagues, unfortunately, or fortunately for you, depending on how you view it, I have to run at 5:30. Mr. Barlow and Mr. Parent, unfortunately, are going to have to be absent the second hour, which puts both our first and second vice-chairs unavailable.
I think it's time that Mr. MacGregor, who has done great work on this committee, gets to come to sit up here.