THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Thursday, November 30, 2023
(60)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry met this day at 9:01 a.m., in room B45, Senate of Canada Building, the deputy chair, the Honourable Paula Simons, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Burey, Cotter, Jaffer, Oh, Pate, Petitclerc and Simons (7).

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 Newfoundland and Labrador:

Stephen Balsom, Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Lands, Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture (by videoconference).

Government of the Northwest Territories:

Mike Gravel, Director, Forest Management, Northwest Territories Environment and Climate Change (by videoconference).

Government of Prince Edward Island:

Carla Millar, Manager, Sustainable Agriculture, Department of Agriculture (by videoconference).

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:

David Lobb, Vice Chair, Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada:

Bob Turnock, Senior Science Advisor, Science Partnerships - International, Science and Technology Branch (by videoconference);

Pascal Michel, Director General, Ontario - Quebec Region, Science and Technology Branch.

At 9:03 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 9:05 a.m., the committee resumed.

Stephen Balsom, Mike Gravel and Carla Millar each made a statement and answered questions.

At 9:59 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 10:01 a.m., the committee resumed.

David Lobb and Pascal Michel each made a statement and, together with Bob Turnock, answered questions.

At 10:56 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Ferda Simpson

Clerk of the Committee