Minister Bibeau holds First Bilateral Discussion with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack

Ottawa, Ontario - The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, held her first official bilateral dialogue with the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, in which they reinforced the strength of the Canada-U.S. agricultural trade relationship.

 

Minister Bibeau emphasized the need to work collaboratively on many mutual priorities with a focus on the resiliency of Canada-U.S. food supply chains, climate change and environmental sustainability.

 

Minister Bibeau and Secretary Vilsack also discussed their mutual interest in championing rules- and science-based international trade. Both parties agreed that working together to address these priorities is critical for agriculture to take a leading role in a sustainable recovery that is inclusive, protects workers and supports jobs and businesses on both sides of our border.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how critical Canada-U.S. agricultural supply chains are to food security and to our two economies. By continuing to work together to strengthen and maintain integrated agricultural supply chains throughout the pandemic, we can ensure producers on both sides of the border are finding markets for their quality products, and consumers are getting food at affordable prices.

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.