THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Thursday, March 30, 2023
(38)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry met this day at 9 a.m., in room B45, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Robert Black, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Black, Burey, Cotter, Duncan, Greenwood, Jaffer, Klyne, Petitclerc and Simons (9).

Participating in the meeting: Joanne Markle LaMontagne, Analyst, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, the committee continued its study of the status of soil health in Canada.

WITNESSES:

Government of Saskatchewan:

Rick Burton, Deputy Minister of Agriculture (by videoconference).

Government of British Columbia:

Mark Raymond, Executive Director, Extension and Support Services Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food (by videoconference);

Dieter Geesing, Provincial Soil Specialist, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food (by videoconference).

Government of Ontario:

Christine Brown, Field Crops Sustainability Specialist, Agriculture Development Branch, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs;

Daniel Saurette, Land Resource Specialist, Soil, Environmental Management Branch, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Rick Burton, Christine Brown, Mark Raymond and Dieter Geesing each made a statement and, together with Daniel Saurette, answered questions.

At 10:57 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Ferda Simpson

Clerk of the Committee