Agriculture Committee on Oct. 6th, 2025

[Brian Innes]

Our customers' expectations are also changing. When our Japanese customers talk to us and ask us for electronic certification, it's because their business is moving faster as well. They can go on a U.S. government website, scan a QR code and get the documentation, whereas it takes us literally using a courier to pick it up from the processing site in rural Canada and take it to an international place where it can be flown over, which then gets it onto another truck, and then it finally gets to the place where it needs to be in Japan—whereas it could have happened just like that.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

You just mentioned the agile project. Do you think there are ways that can be improved? I am looking for your recommendations, I guess.

[Greg Northey]

It's been a long process. Just to reiterate, it's been a process to identify the regulatory burden and regulations that need changing. Again, there was early talk about sandboxes, this idea of putting everybody in and trying regulations and unique ways in which.... If you're going to regulate something, you allow an environment, at least for a year, to test to see what the impact would be. For instance, for protein claims for pulses, put it in a sandbox. It's not going to damage the individual consumer. What are those looking like? However, we've seen nothing from that.

The ideas were there, and the intention was good. We have a giant spreadsheet. We've seen some things come out of it. We've had certain trials, at least in the pulse sector, and Protein Industries Canada has had some success getting some trials done that come out of that. Ultimately, it's a very good process, but what is the action?

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Do you think it would benefit the industry if it was followed up on and became something that the industry could implement?

[Greg Northey]

Yes, having a sense from the regulators that we can try and run with this to see how we can address this.... We can raise it, and it goes to a regulator, but then we don't know—to Brian's point—what happens to it, because it goes through a risk process, and what comes out at the end of it is often, from a Canadian perspective, not as dynamic as what we'd like to see in terms of how that regulation should actually look.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Collins, you can certainly send in your written answers to any of those questions I just asked.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Mr. Perron, you have two and a half minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Let's pick up where we left off, Mr. Innes. In the case of dicamba, you told my Conservative colleagues that inadequate collaboration was the problem. You said that the re-evaluation process was opaque and that farmers were presented with a fait accompli.

Consultations have begun and the agency is requesting additional documentation. Wouldn't that be considered consultation? If not, do you believe consultations should happen right at the outset?

[Brian Innes]

We believe the agency's role is to consider the farming community's perspective before making decisions. Here, a decision was made and everyone has to comply.

Our organization is also responsible for answering people's questions about regulations on crop protection products, which creates a lot of work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

I apologize. We need to check the interpretation here. It's not coming through.

Mr. Perron, if you want to say something, we'll see if it works.

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

I hope the interpretation is working.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Yes.

We'll take it from the top.

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

Mr. Chair, I'd like to know how much time I have left.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

You have two and a half minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Innes, we're going to start over since the interpretation wasn't working.

In the case of dicamba, you told my Conservative colleagues that there hadn't been any collaboration with the agency. You said the process was opaque and that farmers were presented with a fait accompli.

The agency is now requesting additional information; could that not be considered a consultation phase? If you believe this is inadequate, what would you propose?

[Brian Innes]

We know that the agency's decision was the result of a years-long deliberation process.

That said, if any of its decisions are going to impact farming practices, we believe it is important that the agency establish a consultation process. Farmers will want to know how they can adjust their practices to manage the risk cited by the agency. This process is important not only for food safety, but also for competitiveness.

The agency can change its process if it cares about how its decisions affect the farming community.

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

That's great. Thank you for clarifying that.

Earlier, in response to a question from Mrs. Chatel, I believe, you mentioned that it was worth looking at what other countries were doing with regard to use authorizations, but that it was also very important to look at what was being done in Canada. Indeed, these measures must be adapted to different crops and to where they're grown.

You emphasized that more action should be taken on crops rather than relying on decisions made abroad.

Could you elaborate on that point?

[Brian Innes]

What matters to our farmers is what's happening in their fields. What the agencies need is to understand international decisions and scientific decisions. For farmers, what matters is knowing how they can produce safely based on the local climate. They have to deal with weeds, diseases, local pressures, and so on.

Collaboration with international agencies is important, but the most important thing is what matters to our producers.

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

So, we should prioritize local production.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Thank you very much.

This concludes our meeting.

I want to thank all of our witnesses for being here today.

Mr. Collins, please feel free to submit any type of document. If you need any assistance, please contact the clerk. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The meeting is adjourned.