Agriculture Committee on March 21st, 2022

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you. That was actually my second question.

You do not expect to implement or support a U.K. model, which has a regulatory framework. You are supporting a voluntary code, like Australia has, which doesn't seem to work.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Let's see what they come with. I think we still have space for them to come to us with a voluntary code of conduct. If we had to apply something else, it would fall under provincial jurisdiction, and that would be quite a challenge to the country.

Once again, all the options are on the table. They are working. We have seen progress. I look forward to seeing the concrete options they will put on the table by the end of the month.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you. I know the industry is looking for federal leadership so that our suppliers can seamlessly ship across the country.

With respect to the CP Rail strike, which is one of the factors that feed into the need for a code of conduct, what advice are you giving to the Minister of Transport right now? Are you suggesting binding arbitration, back-to-work legislation...? How will this be resolved now?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

My colleague, Minister O'Regan, is in Calgary right now, following the situation. They are still negotiating in the presence of the federal mediators. I can assure you that I am sharing with Minister O'Regan the reality of the impact this labour dispute has on the ag sector. It is very significant, and it has added to all the pressure we already had on our food supply chain because of COVID. Now, with the invasion in Ukraine, it's also adding to our will to provide good Canadian food to countries that won't be able to be supplied by Ukraine.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Your answer flows right into my next question. Thank you, Minister.

With the situation in Ukraine, with fertilizer being needed on our farms right now, what is your advice to the CRA regarding the 35% tariff on purchase orders that were put in place prior to March 2?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

It's the same as I keep saying with Minister Regan. We have this conversation with Minister Joly as well.

We want to be strongly supporting Ukraine, as you know, taking into consideration what we need and what Canada can do to feed the world.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you.

I have limited time, and I want to get one more question in.

With respect to labour, I want to pick up on the comment of my colleague, Yves Perron. In your opening comments, you addressed long-term labour strategies, but 11 groups wrote to you in the fall. They asked for something before January 31. They wrote again on February 23. Again, we're dealing with the CAP issue, which was part of the study we finished back in June.

When can we expect to see some action on the emergency program, which we desperately need?

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Mr. Epp, we're at time.

Minister, if you want to take a few seconds to answer, I can move on.

Over to you.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Minister Qualtrough is the lead on this. I know she's working hard. I don't have the date.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Thank you, Mr. Epp.

Right now we have Ms. Taylor Roy, for five minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for your remarks and the time you are giving us today, Ms. Bibeau.

As we all know, the agricultural sector is very important to our economy and to Canadians' health. You therefore have a crucial role to play, Ms. Bibeau. You have numerous challenges to meet because of the COVID‑19 pandemic, geopolitical problems, and, of course, the climate crisis.

My question is about the measures being taken to combat the climate crisis and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I think Mr. MacGregor already referred to the costs of the risk management programs and these climate disasters we're seeing more frequently.

While I know you're busy dealing with a lot of the short-term crises that have to do with the situation in Prince Edward Island, which is very severe, as well as, obviously, in Ukraine, we still have that longer-term issue that we need to keep dealing with.

Could you talk a little about how the department is addressing your mandate to deal with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector to help us reach our goal by 2050?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

We are investing significantly. In the last year, we have committed more than half a billion dollars on environmental measures. For example, we are extending our living labs. We're really proud of how we are taking our scientists and having them work with farmers in the field. That is showing results, and it helps inform farmers as well. We have added $165 million to this initiative.

We added $200 million for direct incentives to farmers. Actually, a few weeks ago I announced who the project managers, as I call them, will be. We have 12 partners across the country who will be intermediaries with the farmers, and they will get financial incentives for cover cropping, rotational grazing and better management of the fertilizer.

The third thing is $185 million for the clean technology program. You may remember that in our platform we committed to tripling this amount of money. A portion of this is dedicated to research and innovation. We also want to incentivize the industry to develop faster and to commercialize and scale up these good technologies. A big part of that is really to provide farmers with incentives, actually subsidies, to buy technologies that will help them reduce their emissions, for example, grain dryers, poultry barn heating and equipment for precision agriculture. That type of equipment can be purchased with subsidies. I like to say it's fifty-fifty for most farmers—for the experienced farmers, let's say—but young farmers, women and under-represented groups can get a subsidy of up to 60% through this program.

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

That's great. Thank you very much for that.

Do you feel that with the money that's being spent now there's enough buy-in from the farming community? I know it's a very large community and we're talking about processors and farmers and, obviously, different types across the country. Do you feel that the will is there and that the associations have really bought into the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Well, farmers are taking care of the land forever—for generations—and this is what they have that's most precious. I think they get it. They are the first to be impacted by extreme weather events.

I can tell you that through the associations, they really get it. They are working hard, and I really feel that they want to be part of the solution. The challenge we have in the ag sector as compared with other sectors of the economy is that we have about 200,000 farming businesses, family farms, across the country. It is a challenge to reach out to all these farmers, to incentivize them, to get them to adopt these practices, and just to share the right information and let them know what are the best practices and what are the results of our research and everything. It is a challenge, but I can feel that the associations want to be part of the solution.

Once again, their fields are the most precious things they have, and they want to take care of them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Thank you, Ms. Taylor Roy, and thank you, Minister.

Mr. Perron, you now have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Bibeau, I am going to take the opportunity provided by the fact that you are talking about the environment to address the subject of funding relating to the organic standard. Producers in the organic sector have told us that funding for revising the standard had been cancelled.

Has that decision been reviewed? Is there a plan to do so over the next few weeks?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

I would not say that funding has been cancelled. In fact, it had been established for a certain period, at the end of which it was to be reviewed.

Certainly, the organic sector has a positive impact on the environment. There are a number of good practices that can be adopted, and they may go so far as total adherence to organic production. We are therefore trying to encourage agricultural producers to adopt best practices at all times.

It is still possible to discuss the support given to the organic sector, since that has not been cancelled.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Your words give me some reassurance, because that means you are keeping an open mind. The least that could be done would be for the federal standard to be funded by the federal government. That standard is the basis on which products are marketed. Of course, we also agree about improving practices when it comes to agriculture in general.

You are talking about targeted grants. The committee will be pursuing its work on this subject in the next few weeks and we will be proposing very concrete measures. I hope you will be open to the idea of adopting them.

I am going to come back to the code of conduct. You said just now that you were waiting to see the proposals from the provinces. I think you have an exceptional opportunity at this moment, since all of the provinces have mobilized to have a mandatory code of conduct adopted.

Is that in fact the objective you are hoping to achieve?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

The current objective is to adopt a code of conduct that would be followed voluntarily. The interested parties and industry representatives have sat around the same table to discuss it and there has been progress.

We have also offered them administrative support to facilitate the process. If it were to fail, it would be somewhat complicated to harmonize it all in order to respect provincial jurisdictions, but it wouldn't be impossible. We still have hope. My Quebec counterpart, Mr. Lamontagne, and I are eager to receive the next report, at the end of the month, which will include concrete recommendations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Thank you, Mr. Perron, and thank you, Minister.

Mr. MacGregor, you now have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, over the years that I've been a member of this committee, it's often been said that we need to have better representation of various departmental staff at our embassies abroad. I notice that in these supplementary estimates, there is a transfer from Global Affairs Canada to AAFC, so that we can have departmental staff located at those missions abroad.

I would like to know how this fits in with our strategic diversification goals. What countries have you selected as a short list for where the departmental staff should be going? Do you have an idea of how many staff will be involved? Finally, has the war in Ukraine changed your calculus about which countries suddenly have more importance?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

This is something we are looking at, obviously, in partnership with Minister Joly and Minister Ng. The Asian zone and the countries that are part of the CPTPP are definitely the next zone we are looking at.

I cannot be very much more precise at this point yet, unless you want to turn to my deputy. He might have additional information. I would say that, for now, this is where we are looking.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

You know the region, but not specific countries yet, and not the numbers.

Do you have an idea, as a minister, of what you would like the departmental staff to focus on? What will be their main priority when they are staffed at those embassies abroad?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

I can tell you that I would appreciate more diversity—diversifying our markets—because we know that when we depend too much on one market, it could be at risk. Developing markets in trusted countries would definitely be helpful for that sector. We have so many opportunities.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

We'd be heading off any phytosanitary arguments that may come up before they become a major problem, I hope.