CFA congratulates re-appointment of Minister Bibeau

Nov 21, 2019

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture congratulates Minister Bibeau on her re-appointment as Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food. CFA, which represents 200,000 farm families across Canada, looks forward to working once again with Minister Bibeau on helping Canadian agriculture meet its vast potential, which has been outlined in both the Barton report and the Agri-Food Economic Strategy Table.

Mary Robinson, President of the CFA noted that “We look forward to working with Minister Bibeau and discussing the CFA’s key priorities which include action on CN rail strike, trade relief, Business Risk Management programming, rural infrastructure funding and additional funding for climate-change related agricultural research.”

The CFA hopes that the new government works collectively with our sector to ensure Canadian agriculture fulfills its potential in contributing to Canada’s overall economy, meeting Canada’s food security needs and help Canada improve the environment.

The CFA will seek a meeting with Minister Bibeau to discuss Canadian farmers’ priorities at her earliest convenience.

Source : CFA FCA

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.