Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to table a petition with over a dozen pages of signatures from Most Blessed Sacrament parish in my riding of Hamilton Mountain.
The petitioners join with thousands of others in endorsing the campaign of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, entitled “So Much Love”. It is a global call to action to support small family farmers who are the guardians of the world's seed biodiversity. In a very real way, they are fighting to protect the future of food.
The petitioners ask the government to make two concrete commitments. The first is to adopt international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women, and recognize their vital role in the fight against hunger and poverty. Second, they want the government to ensure that these policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers and that they protect the rights of small family farmers in the global south to preserve, use and freely exchange seeds.
While the rules of the House do not allow me to endorse a petition, I share wholeheartedly in the desire to build a more just and sustainable food system for our human family.