The House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food met to study business risk management (BRM) programs in Canada's agricultural sector. Witnesses included Catherine Filejski from the Canadian Animal Health Institute, Ashley Honsberger from the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-food, Adeline Cohen Boulakia from Équiterre, Jean Caron from Université Laval, and Jeanne Pratt and Mike Hollingworth from the Competition Bureau Canada.
Catherine Filejski argued that BRM programs should be complemented by proactive animal health and biosecurity initiatives, as relying solely on reactive compensation is insufficient. She recommended creating abbreviated regulatory pathways for veterinary medicines by recognizing approvals from trusted jurisdictions like the EU or U.S., and reducing Canada-specific data requirements, citing the lack of a licensed treatment for blackhead disease in turkeys as an example of regulatory barriers causing preventable losses.
Ashley Honsberger emphasized that BRM programs should better recognize practices that improve long-term farm resilience, such as soil health, and adapt to increasing climate volatility. She recommended exploring approaches that reward proactive risk reduction and improve coordination across industry, financial institutions, and supply chains, while ensuring solutions reflect regional differences.
Adeline Cohen Boulakia and Jean Caron argued that current BRM programs encourage vulnerable practices like monoculture and do not reward crop diversification or soil health. They recommended integrating soil health into actuarial risk assessments, funding innovation with specialized insurance for experimental practices, offering premium discounts for good practices, and supporting short supply chains by adjusting reference prices.
Jeanne Pratt stated that the Competition Bureau is prioritizing affordability in the food sector, noting that Canada's grocery industry is concentrated and that property controls limit competition. She highlighted ongoing investigations into property controls and a recent merger remedy in grain handling, and advocated for reducing interprovincial trade barriers, which could add 4% to 8% to GDP.
Mike Hollingworth added that the bureau is beginning to examine competition across the entire food supply chain, beyond retail, and that algorithmic pricing is a focus due to potential collusion risks. He noted that the bureau can be directed by the Minister of Industry to conduct market studies.
Procedural matters included the adoption of a motion to invite additional witnesses and the scheduling of future meetings, with no debate or votes recorded on the study's substance.
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