Agriculture committee  That's a very good question. I am glad you asked it because we were very clear about the process and the consultative mechanism to make sure the policy developers were well aware that the discussion should not be about expensive or affordable food, but about how we enable people to afford food.

Agriculture committee  We have engaged some of the key provinces and asked some of the questions, and they are watching closely, from what they're telling us, with regard to where and what the policy will be. That's the big question from everyone: what is the policy? While we see the buckets, and we recognize that these buckets are very important in how they could support the agriculture sector and multiple other sectors across the country, the question is how will they be framed under the umbrella?

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the invitation to speak today regarding a food policy for Canada. In Canada, the fresh produce industry has an economic impact of close to $16 billion on GDP, supports over 181,000 jobs across the country, and plays a significant role in supporting the health of Canadians.

Finance committee  Definitely. As the chair is aware, we work closely with allied partners, including the Canadian Horticultural Council, who really have their hands on the SAWP program and ensuring that it's successful. We'd be happy to share some conceptual models with you and with the committee.

Finance committee  Exactly.

Finance committee  There's a combination of food hubs as a concept and looking at innovation that can enable it. There are pilots going on right now on what can be grown locally in northern climates, from new greenhouse technologies to vertical farming to container technology. The other piece is the government's focus on infrastructure: how do we actually get product effectively north?

Finance committee  I agree with the philosophy and the potential. The produce industry, within this entire supply chain, has invested heavily in not only housing and the health of its employee base but also on education. That does exist across the country within different jurisdictions. The challenge comes back to the skill, the training.

Finance committee  It does come down to regions. It is an ongoing challenge every year. Every year, we see growers leaving crop on the tree or in the ground because they don't have the labour resources to pull it out. I can quantify those numbers after this meeting, but there is a challenge.

Finance committee  Innovation is extremely important in driving the labour discussion. Three weeks ago I was in Hong Kong presenting a document on disruptive technology and how it can help drive our entire sector. There is a range of new tools that can support harvesting and picking. I had an opportunity two weeks ago to visit a new innovation centre in Salinas, California, where they've created an innovation hub—a brand new, amazing facility—that has supported the development of new tools and new products that farmers can develop, and not only farmers but full supply chains.

Finance committee  Actually, we just came from NAFTA negotiations in the stakeholders room, and I was in Washington, D.C., last week speaking with allied partners in the U.S. We understand that the U.S. industry is strongly suggesting to their government that this should be part of negotiations. We haven't seen any significant text from the U.S. as of yet, but we understand that the U.S. industry is pushing strongly.

Finance committee  I'm sorry?

Finance committee  We're in a unique position in that they're pushing strongly, we want something, and it can be a win-win for everyone. Especially within a NAFTA discussion in which the current administration south of the border needs a win, this could be seen very favourably within a political environment.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the committee for inviting me to speak today about budget 2018. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association is a 93-year-old trade association representing over 840 companies across the fruit and vegetable supply chain from farm gate to dinner plate.

Agriculture committee  Very quickly, the challenge is also the volume they are dealing with and how they are rating and identifying priorities. It's very difficult for the market access secretariat. The volume of people who are trying to influence where the priorities are put is a challenge. They are doing the best they can with the rating system they have in place, and trying to identify what is number one versus number 300.

Agriculture committee  Exactly.