Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to talk about an important issue for farmers in Kitchener—Conestoga and for all Canadian farmers from sea to sea.
It is a real honour for me to speak in support of this positive initiative put forward by my friend and colleague, the member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.
Farmers in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga have spoken to me about the issues covered in this motion, long before Motion No. 460 was tabled, so I know that this is a timely and crucial issue for them.
Not being allowed to use newer products that are more effective, less costly and safer for our environment puts them at a competitive disadvantage with producers in other countries who can use these new and improved production tools and still export their vegetables, fruit or meat here to Canada for our consumers.
Farmers in my riding and all Canadian farmers need timely access to these newer products in order to remain strong and competitive in our global markets. These production tools they refer to include a broad range of federally regulated agricultural products: fertilizers, seeds, feeds and veterinary biologics under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and pesticides and veterinary drugs under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and the Veterinary Drugs Directorate of Health Canada.
Canadian farmers compete with foreign growers, particularly those in the U.S., for market share both in Canada and abroad. It is vital that we provide our farmers with an environment that is conducive to business while we continue to protect human health and the environment.
A significant step forward would be to ensure that the regulatory frameworks that apply to production management tools are flexible enough to put our farmers on par with competitors while respecting our legislative requirements. That is why I support Motion No. 460, which reaffirms the Government of Canada's commitment to support the agricultural industry and our producers. This motion reflects the concerns of the agricultural sector regarding the lack of availability of production management tools, which in turn affects Canada's global competitive position.
The Government of Canada recognizes farmers' need for timely access to safe and high-quality agriculture production management tools in order to support our global competitiveness. In Canada agriculture remains an important element of the economy, and in the current climate of economic uncertainty this message of support must be loud and clear.
Over the past several years, we have made progress in ensuring that producers have the same access as their competitors to production management tools, but there is always room for improvement. That is the essence of Motion No. 460.
We can continue to strengthen this vital industry by reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadian farmers with better access to more diverse products. Supporting this motion will allow us to do just that. Whether they need fertilizers, seeds, pesticides or veterinary drugs, it is our responsibility to ensure that the federal regulatory system provides Canadian farmers with access to products similar to those used by competitors in foreign jurisdictions.
In order to achieve this, Motion No. 460 calls for increased consideration of equivalent scientific research and agricultural regulatory approval processes by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada in making product registration decisions. By doing so, the Government of Canada would continue to improve regulations on food and product safety and corresponding legislative commitments to expedite and streamline the Canadian regulatory approvals process.
Collaborating with other countries also ensures Canada maintains its high standards for the protection of the environment and human, animal and plant health.
However, before going further, I must make an important point regarding the use of foreign scientific data. Using foreign scientific data does not mean that any product that is registered in another country would automatically become registered in Canada. We have the sovereign right to make decisions that are based on some of the most stringent regulatory requirements in the world. All production management tools must meet Canadian regulatory requirements in order to be approved for use in Canada.
I mentioned earlier that there is always room for improvement, but I would like to spend some time talking about the work that is already being done by our government to address the concerns of the agricultural community.
The Government of Canada has been a global leader in establishing processes that allow simultaneous approvals in many countries at once.
In the past, pesticide manufacturers often approached one market at a time. But with the new joint review process that Health Canada supports, they now routinely seek regulatory approval in several countries simultaneously, taking advantage of incentives offered through these new processes.
Joint reviews are now the preferred way of doing business when registering new chemicals as pesticides. Canada has been at the forefront of the joint review process due to early efforts made more than a decade ago with the U.S. to better align our regulatory systems. Thanks to this, in 2010 new pesticide submissions going to the U.S. will also come to Canada.
Canada is also taking a leading role in new global joint reviews that span many countries. However, more work needs to be done. Supporting this motion signals a clear step forward.
In order to improve Canadian farmers' access to new and effective products already available in other countries, our government is strengthening collaboration between all stakeholders, including foreign governments, producers and the agriculture industry. For example, Health Canada has information-sharing agreements with our trading partners, such as the U.S., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
However, we are hearing from many farmers that there are still needs that we can address. Acting on this motion can foster more effective co-operation between these groups.
I mentioned earlier that we have one of the most rigorous regulatory systems in the world. Not only must products be registered, but specific uses for those products must also be approved. This ensures that extra level of protection for our environment and for the health of our people. However, this has also resulted in a new challenge.
Although more and more products are being registered simultaneously in Canada and in the U.S., our next challenge, one that this motion addresses very well, is that new uses for products are often expanded faster in other countries than in Canada, into what we call minor crop uses.
In order to bridge this gap, Canada is successfully working with the United States environmental protection agency to review, evaluate and make decisions on regulatory packages for minor use pesticides.
In 2008 and 2009 Health Canada and the EPA completed many joint reviews of applications that were submitted jointly by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the U.S. department of agriculture. This joint effort shows our commitment to providing Canada's agriculture industry with access to similar tools as other foreign countries.
The Government of Canada considers foreign data packages and risk assessments in our regulatory decisions. Health Canada continually seeks out new and innovative pesticide products and uses for growers, including reduced risk products, such as bio-pesticides. Continued foreign co-operation such as this can lead to more production management tools being available to our country's growers.
Another way that we are addressing the concerns of the agriculture community is by helping to provide farmers with improved access to pest management tools under the action plan for the agriculture sector.
This action plan advocates the use of other countries' scientific assessments to help make regulatory decisions for new chemicals. In order to achieve this, our government has provided $22 million to Health Canada as part of this initiative. Foreign assessments can also help in the re-evaluation of pesticides that are already registered in Canada.
Funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada initiatives has helped the government to respond to growers' needs, while allowing us to streamline the regulatory process and increase international co-operation.
Health Canada has been acknowledged by stakeholders for its regulatory progress. The Government of Canada will continue to improve its regulatory procedures and help farmers access the tools they need, while continuing to protect human health and the environment.
Our government is committed to improving the lives of all Canadians and to making this country's population among the healthiest in the world.
Supporting this motion is a show of support for Canadian agriculture. But, more important, we will be doing so in a responsible way. The Government of Canada will continue to require that new products meet regulatory standards and every decision, while based on science, will always respect Canadian law and the environment.
This motion is a driver toward meaningful change that will result in more production management tools becoming available to Canadian farmers, tools that are currently available only to competitors in major markets, particularly in the U.S. and the EU
The Government of Canada stands behind our farmers and our agriculture industry. We are continually making improvements to reduce the regulatory burden on the industry while maintaining a rigorous science-based approach to regulatory assessments.
I urge all members of this House to support Motion No. 460 and, in turn, continue to support our producers and our Canadian agriculture industry.
