QUESTION PERIOD — Agriculture and Agri-Food
Food Security
September 18, 2024
Senator Gold, in 2019, the Senate released a report entitled Made in Canada: Growing Canada’s Value-Added Food Sector. That report highlighted the underdevelopment of Canada’s food-processing industry and laid out a plan to enhance the sector, particularly in Western Canada. Despite the recommendations provided, it appears that little progress has been made, as recent challenges in British Columbia’s food-processing industry demonstrate.
The closure of the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative has left the Okanagan orchardists struggling to get their products to market, exacerbating food insecurity and economic difficulties. The situation raises concerns about the effectiveness of our national strategies in supporting the food-processing sector.
Senator Gold, how has the government utilized the recommendations from the 2019 report? And if the recommendations have not been implemented, could you explain why not, given the ongoing struggles within the industry?
Thank you for your question and for your ongoing advocacy in this area.
I can assure you, senator, that the government takes those recommendations seriously. Although I don’t have a specific answer with regard to the British Columbia situation you highlighted, I can remind the chamber that the government recently announced investments by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Those investments are resulting in $16 million worth of energy cost savings to help food-processing businesses increase their energy efficiency, lower their costs and, one hopes, stabilize their businesses and their business models.
I’m sure that the government would be happy to work with B.C. and other provinces to help deliver investments for this important industry.
Given the current state of the food processing industry in British Columbia, what specific measures is the government considering to prevent further closures and support the sector’s growth, ensuring that our agricultural products reach consumers and contribute to food security?
Again, I don’t have a specific answer for you, senator, and I apologize. My understanding is that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Food Industry Division periodically conducts reviews of emerging transit technologies in the sector, and I’ll certainly bring your question to the attention of the appropriate officials in that regard.
