We believe very strongly that canola is a solution to the transfat issue. Regulation would drive up demand for canola oil. The transfat task force was careful to ensure that we gave our canola growers enough time to develop crops sufficient to address transfat.
In the report, we also addressed the issue of palm oil and saturated fat, which we found was not a solution. We believe that we need to come up with a healthful solution to transfats, and that the solution is canola. By putting the regulation in place and driving up the supply, we will also position Canadian canola oil producers and growers in a lucrative export market. This would help other countries, including the U.S., to deal with the transfat issue.
We were very careful to take timelines into account. In the consultations, we heard the growers saying that we need a regulation to send a clear market signal, and that we need time to get the crop in the field and have it available in the food supply.