I had an opportunity to chair a panel at the Global Business Forum with the former head of the UN World Food Programme, and the discussion we had was very illuminating.
Syria remains a mess. Afghanistan is a disaster in terms of its ability to provide food. This situation is not just the result of conflict but also because natural disasters have taken place in those countries as well. It's a growing problem all through that part of the world, and we're seeing these increasing challenges arise there.
One thing we are doing at the Global Institute for Food Security.... I know we're here in Saskatchewan, but we do have international partnerships to enable the transfer and training of staff and experts in countries to enable them to utilize the most advanced tools and technologies. We're able to help with training and with the development of capacity and infrastructure to enable these countries to increase their domestic food production. It will not be a replacement for importation, but it would further provide more resiliency in their systems.
Last week the Global Institute for Food Security ran a workshop on the application of technologies related to improving the rate of innovation in plant breeding, particularly for wheat, rice and canola in Bangladesh. That is technology that we're using and developing here for Canada, but we have the opportunity to do the same internationally, and through partnerships and collaboration, we can see that taking place.