Thank you, Mr. Chair. I really appreciate it.
CropLife Canada is the national trade association representing the manufacturers, developers, and distributors of plant science innovations including pest control products and plant biotechnology for use in agriculture, urban, and public health settings. We are committed to protecting human health and the environment. We believe in driving innovation through continuous research.
CropLife Canada is a member of CropLife International, a global federation representing the plant science industry and a network of regional and national associations in 91 countries.
Our mission is to enable the plant science industry to bring the benefits of its technologies to farmers and to the public.
Mr. Chair, there has never been a better time to strengthen and enhance Canada's competitive advantage in agriculture than right now. In fact, that immense potential of Canadian agriculture was recognized both in budget 2017 and by the advisory council on economic growth chaired by Dominic Barton. Mr. Barton's council has done some tremendous work. The vision he has set out for the Canadian economy is, in our view, the right one, and there's a great excitement amongst agriculture stakeholders to see our industry receive recognition for both being a key economic driver and a source of future growth.
The goals are very lofty. The paper talks of increasing Canada's share of global agriculture exports to 8% from its current 5.7%, thus making us the second-largest agricultural exporter after the United States.
In the agrifood sector, the Barton report goal is to double our share of world exports to 5.6% from the current 2.8%. Obviously, this would require tremendous increases in the productivity and competitiveness of Canadian agriculture and agrifood.
It is our view that these increases in productivity and competitiveness will only stem from bold, meaningful policy initiatives from the federal government. For Canadian agriculture to realize the goals set out in the Barton report, CropLife Canada and its members believe it is imperative for the federal government to take the following actions.
First, revise the mandates of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency to include issues to the promotion of Canadian innovation. Virtually all innovation upon which Canadian agriculture relies as an engine of growth is ultimately regulated by these two agencies. At present, however, their mandates do not include the competitiveness of Canadian farmers and agrifood businesses globally, and the need to promptly commercialize innovations without compromising safety. These two agencies play a critical role in the facilitation and adoption of new technologies, and it's imperative that their respective mandates reflect this fact.
Let us be clear. Without a whole-of-government approach to the Barton report and an integration of its goals into the mandates of the critical regulatory agencies, there is no meaningful prospect of Canada ever hitting the goals outlined. The Barton report would simply be warm words and fond wishes, and that would be a shame given what a forward-looking piece of work it is.
Secondly, Mr. Chair, continue the focus on expanding multilateral and bilateral trade agreements with a strong focus on addressing non-tariff trade barriers. Across Canada nine out of every 10 farms are dependent on exports. This represents 210,000 farms and includes a majority of farms in every province. The fall of tariffs around the globe, however, is often quickly accompanied by a rise in non-tariff trade barriers, which often have a highly detrimental effect on Canada's agricultural exports. Fighting non-tariff trade barriers and insisting upon science-based regulatory standards will be critical to improving the competitive standing of Canadian agriculture globally.
These recommendations are entirely consistent with the Government of Canada's innovation agenda, particularly the commitment to ease of doing business, the goals set out in budget 2017, and the government's trade agenda. CropLife Canada urges the Government of Canada to take the necessary actions so that, in co-operation with industry and farmers, we can continue driving the Canadian advantage and improve productivity and competitiveness throughout Canadian agriculture and agrifood.
Mr. Chair, thank you again for inviting us to be here today. We look forward to the discussion with the committee, and at four minutes and 30 seconds I came in under your five.