The Agricultural Growth Act will modernize and strengthen federal agriculture legislation, support innovation in the Canadian agriculture industry and enhance global market opportunities. The bill proposes changes to the suite of statutes that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) uses to regulate our agricultural sector.
The Government of Canada tabled the Agricultural Growth Act on December 9, 2013. It was passed by the House of Commons on November 24, 2014, passed by the Senate on February 24, 2015 and received Royal Assent on February 25, 2015.
The Act will
- Strengthen intellectual property rights for plant varieties in Canada
- Create a regulatory environment that benefits from the latest scientific research
- Reduce red tape and regulatory burden on producers
- Increase consistency across CFIA regulations
- Provide the CFIA with stronger tools to fulfil its mandate to protect Canada's plant and animal resource base
- Align Canada with its international trading partners and expand global market opportunities.
Source: CFIA