Agriculture committee  That's a good question. Producers are perhaps in a better position to answer. As I said, I don't know how research could fit into risk management programs, but it's also a prevention tool, even if it's certainly a longer-term one. However, when it comes to the farm itself and the tools that could be developed to reduce the risks associated with international trade, I'm less able to comment on that.

Agriculture committee  We totally agree with what Élise presented earlier. Some of the decisions were unfortunate and had impacts on the Living Labs. Yes, we are totally aligned with what Élise presented earlier.

Agriculture committee  It depends on what happens under future international trade agreements. There is a law in place, but that could indeed happen if there is increased access to our market. Furthermore, if we reduce the capacity of certain companies that are more focused on exporting niche products, it could also have an impact on the country's dairy processing capacity.

Agriculture committee  It requires conditions that attract investment, as you suggested. I was talking about uncertainty earlier. We would like to be able to control what happens on the other side of the border, but unfortunately, that's beyond our control. Furthermore, we need to ensure stable conditions without making additional concessions in the context of international trade agreements.

Agriculture committee  I talked about this earlier. It has to do with the uncertainty and risks associated with international trade. I think we have to learn to live with these risks, because, obviously, we know the administration south of the border: it's not exactly a model of stability. There can always be surprises.

Agriculture committee  We are preparing for this by working closely with Canada's dairy producers. In fact, I would even say that we always meet with government representatives together. We stand united in saying that we have already made enough concessions. Indeed, regarding the Americans' demands, even though producers are also affected, one could argue that, when it comes to certain demands, processors are likely the ones on the front lines.

Agriculture committee  First and foremost, it certainly provides considerable stability. Our industry does focus on the domestic market, but we still export. Perhaps a certain paradox has emerged. I spoke earlier of a fundamental change, in a good sense, resulting from the protein craze. Usually, in the Canadian dairy market, demand for butterfat grows faster than demand for protein.

Agriculture committee  I think that there was a report on Boréalait recently, if I'm not mistaken. I visited Abitibi two years ago—

Agriculture committee  Yes, and I know the Rancourt family, who—

Agriculture committee  You asked a good question. I always say that this is driven by consumer demand. We see a demand for local distribution channels. We must respond to it. Other consumers are more interested in obtaining the best price for their purchases. We need to satisfy this demand too. We must really adapt to consumer demand.

Agriculture committee  Thank you for the question. I would say that it's the risks involved in international trade. We're working closely with the government on this. Obviously, the uncertainty doesn't come from our government. It comes more from south of the border. However, this has been part of the new reality for almost two years now.

Agriculture committee  Good morning, Mr. Chair and committee members. On behalf of the Dairy Processors Association of Canada, I would like to thank the committee for inviting an association representing food processors to participate in your study. We recognize that the vast majority of stakeholders invited to speak as part of this study represent agricultural producers.

Agriculture committee  Thank you. Just as Mr. Donaldson was saying earlier, I believe that the reality of plants that can only sell their products in Canada is very different from that of those that can look to many markets in various countries. Generally, as you know, the dairy sector plants can only sell their products in Canada because of the supply management system, and this means that the reality for the various agri-food sectors' can differ greatly.

Agriculture committee  Yes. One study, in which I did not take part, was led by our lawyer's firm. Confidentiality agreements were in place. Indeed, we noted that the difficulty of passing on regulated price increases to retailers is definitely a big problem. Furthermore, I must say that a code of conduct won't regulate prices as such.

Agriculture committee  Yes, exactly.