Canada - U.S. Agree to Recognize Animal Disease Zoning

Jan 17, 2013

Canada and US to Recognize Zoning Measures in Cases of Animal Disease Outbreaks

Canadian Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced on Wednesday that Canada and the United States have agreed to recognize one another’s zoning measures in cases of foreign animal disease outbreaks.

While foreign animal disease outbreaks are rare, this new agreement will help mitigate trade disruptions while maintaining measures to prevent spread of disease.

The new arrangement will outline an agreed-upon process and set of conditions for the zoning recognition. This framework will involve extensive consultation with various stakeholders, including states, provinces and industry groups.

This announcement follows a commitment that was made in Dec. 2011 under the Joint Action Plan of the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council – which seeks to work towards enhancing the two countries’ regulations.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.