Minister Bibeau attends virtual 2021 Summit of State Agriculture and Rural Leaders

OTTAWA, ON - Canada and the U.S. enjoy the largest agricultural trade relationship in the world. The Canada-U.S. agriculture partnership strengthens our place in the global market, ensures people have access to safe and high quality food and will be vital to the relaunch and recovery of our economies. 

 

Today, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau delivered a keynote address during the virtual 2021 Summit of State Agriculture and Rural Leaders (SARL).  During her address, Minister Bibeau pledged to work with the incoming U.S. administration to further strengthen the bilateral agricultural trading relationship between Canada and the United States.

 

Minister Bibeau spoke of the many challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the pressure it has put on farmers, processors, and the entire food value chain. The Minister raised many areas of collaboration between governments such as research, regulatory, health and safety, as well as joint efforts to prevent and prepare for African Swine Fever. The Minister also highlighted the importance of continued collaboration to ensure our agriculture sectors remain resilient and globally competitive.

 

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.