On Monday, June 13th several agriculture organizations appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.  The Committee is chaired by Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings—Hants, Nova Scotia.  The committee is currently studying the issue of food security. 

Jean-Marc Ruest, Senior Vice President and Corporate Affairs and General Consul, Richardson International Limited; Rob Saik, Certified Agrologist and Ag Consultant; and Catherine King, Vice-President Communications and Stakeholder Relations, Fertilizer Canada provided admirable input about the important role fertilizer plays in global food security and the importance of the sector in Canada.

Ruest said that with regard to current global food security concerns, many of the issues we are currently facing predate the war in the Ukraine, he cautioned the committee that it would be unwise to view the situation as a temporary one. 

To address the food security concerns, Ruest told the committee that Canada should "Produce as much as we can, and export as much as we can, as quickly as we can."  However, he stated that Canada struggles to put policies in place that would easily allow that.   

"To produce as much as we can we need to encourage development and adoption of technologies that increase production, through a regulatory system that is grounded in science, " he said. 

"Canada and other counties on whom the world relies to meet their food supply needs must immediately and unwaveringly commit themselves to science as being the foundation on which agriculture production, and regulation and ag trade will be based."

The full hearing can be watched here, there appearance begins at approximately the 12:22:00. 

For more information, please contact CAAR Executive Director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 204-989-9303.