Good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee.
My name is Tia Loftsgard, and I am the executive director of the Canada Organic Trade Association, representing 7,500 organic operators across the value chain in a sector valued at $11.8 billion.
As we move towards the next policy framework, this is an important opportunity to ensure that the BRM programs better reflect today's production realities and contribute to the long-term resilience of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector.
Reliable production is required for supply chains, as stable pricing and ensuring that buying Canadian is always the best choice for manufacturers and retailers looking to source organic products and ingredients. To bring this into focus, I'd like to introduce Scott Shiels from Grain Millers, who is also a board member of the Canada Organic Trade Association and who can directly speak to what this looks like on the ground and across the supply chain.
I'd be happy to answer questions afterwards.