Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I certainly agree with it. As I say, traceability is the next step, and that's where we are driving our commodity groups. Certainly the fruit and vegetable growers are supporting traceability. Many of the commodity groups--you've cited the greenhouses--certainly have traceability.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Starting with your last question, we have discussed that. We did discuss the fact that, yes, they should meet our standards, because it doesn't create a fair marketplace for us. So we have discussed that. With respect to the responsibility of the government to make sure that we do have on-farm food safety and that the program and the audit process are available so that we can be certified, there are funds right now.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I would say participants, because the audit process is something that happens every four years. Or they can be random audits also. It's 80% of production, not necessarily the number of producers.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  There is not any initiative I'm aware of to make it mandatory. You must realize that there are a lot of what we call mom-and-pop farms out there, family farms where maybe the mother and father and some of the kids are growing cucumbers or peppers or something, and they are not aware.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Yes, they do. They want to know where their food is coming from. They feel that they're getting fresher, safer food when they come to the market or to the farm gate to buy that product. That, I guess, would cause a bit of concern, too, if you're looking at an on-farm food safety program, because that could be a bit of a misconception.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Presently, there are many different ways the products we produce are packaged. Some are done in a very sophisticated way through electronic grading. They have the ability to be computerized where everything is logged into the computer. They have the stickers on the product. They can simply look at the sticker and find out exactly what day and almost what tree that apple or that peach came from.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  It's growing as we speak.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  They are annoyed and they do feel it's unfair. Yes, we certainly would like to see standardization. If we're going to all be selling in the same marketplace, let's have a level playing field. We've been saying that for many years. We don't want to beat the retailers up too much, because they are the people who buy our product.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Imported products are always of concern to us, because they are our competitors. When we ask the retailer why they purchase product that we don't feel has met the same food safety standards that we have been expected to comply with, there's not a lot of communication. In fact the retailers I think sometimes have positioned themselves as being above reproach.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I have not been exposed to any. Historically, I was wondering the same questions as I was putting this together. I think there was a problem a few years ago with some sprouts that were grown in a controlled area. It wasn't a massive production, but it was an incident with bean sprouts or something.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Yes, there have been concerns about the role of CFIA. The technical review that has to take place for the certification of our on-farm food safety programs has been delayed many times. There are five categories. Four have finally passed. It has taken many months. I don't want to say “many years”, but it seems like it has been a long time.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  The numbers are more in the acreage. Looking at the uptake of the program, I would say 80% of production is being covered, because the larger producers certainly are on record as being on the program. That pretty well covers all commodities. The uptake by the larger producers has been very good, so that takes into consideration the larger percentage of the acreage of horticulture that's being produced.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I believe the program will be market-driven. In terms of making it mandatory, I certainly would support that, but that is not going to happen because of the nature of the producers. Somehow, some way, not all will be on the program. But because it is market-driven, it will happen eventually.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I'll be very honest with you: I did have something in my presentation about imports, and I removed it because I didn't want to be acting in a derogatory way, because we do resent the fact that we feel we do a much better job with our on-farm food safety programs. As to our competition that's being imported, I understand some countries are implementing programs now, but as to what standards these imports are meeting when they come in, I have no idea.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I'm pleased to be able to attend today representing horticulture and on-farm food safety for the fresh fruit and vegetable growers of Ontario. I am Brenda Lammens, the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association, which represents 7,500 producers of fresh fruit and vegetables.