Mr. Speaker, it is a huge honour today to table e-petition 6778, signed by over 6,203 Canadians.
The petitioners are deeply concerned about proposed regulatory changes to Canada's Plant Breeders' Rights Act. They note that the act currently grants plant breeders exclusive rights for 20 years, but it also protects farmers through a farmers' privilege clause, which allows them to save and replant seed from their own harvest.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is proposing to remove this privilege for fruits and vegetables, ornamental and hybrid varieties. The petitioners warn that this would force farmers to purchase seed annually, drive up production costs, restrict access to new varieties and undermine the ability of farmers to adapt to climate change. They argue that this change would unfairly erode the age-old practice of using farm-saved seed and that Canada should strengthen public plant breeding.
The petitioners call on the government to abandon these proposed changes.