Canadian Food Bill

[Guest guest]



I changed the font to red below, which is what the wise Canadians are concerned about.

Another thing I have been noticing is that USA and Canada seem to be following the same trends.

Blessings, Joy

Beyond Factory Farming Coalition

Family Farms Not Factory Farms

Bill C-27

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Enforcement Act - Bill C-27 was introduced into Parliament on November 26, 2004. Bill 27 went from being “mere housekeeping†when it was introduced in November 2004, to “too hot to handle†a year later. The bill was expected to go to debate at Second Reading in Parliament during the fall sitting, but it did not make it to the floor of the House before the government fell in a non-confidence vote on November 28. This is the second time a bill to enhance the CFIA’s powers has died on the order paper. Bill C-80, the Canada Food Safety and Inspection Act, was abandoned in 1999 after strong opposition by Canadian citizens.

During the spring of 2005 Bill C-27 was studied by the House Standing Committee on Agriculture. The Committee recommends extensive amendments, but these amendments do not address the CFIA’s dual and conflicting mandate. The bill still provides the legal framework for adopting so-called “smart regulation†for food and agriculture, which would tie Canada’s regulatory system to that of the USA.

Bill C-27 proposed to:

Consolidate and concentrate the CFIA’s power Authorize the CFIA to re-write Canada’s food and agriculture regulations Affect the regulations under the Meat Inspection, Fish Inspection, Health of Animals, Feeds, Seeds, Crop Protection, Fertilizer, Customs, Canadian Agricultural Products, Consumer Packaging and Labelling, Competition, Monetary Penalties, and CFIA Acts. Facilitate the privatization of the food and agriculture regulatory system. Let the CFIA make agreements with foreign governments and corporations to collect any information for the investigation or enforcement of any law. Make it even harder for the family farm and the small food processor to survive because of the CFIA’s track record of regulating in the interests of export, trade and promotion of the corporate agri-food sector.

The CFIA is the agency in charge of preventing BSE in Canadian cattle, which it failed to do in spite of clear warnings and knowledge of other countries’ experience.

The cost?

Thousands of family farm livelihoods, billions of dollars and Canada’s international reputation. The CFIA is the agency that bungled the 2004 Avian Flu crisis in BC, unnecessarily killing millions of healthy birds including exotic, rare and irreplaceable genetic stock. The CFIA is facilitating amendments to the Plant Breeders Rights Act which helps multinational seed companies and hurts family farmers by placing restrictions on farmers’ traditional right to save seed. According to the Auditor General the CFIA is one of the most secretive agencies in the government of Canada. All of its surveillance and inspection work is hidden from the Canadian public. Yet Bill C-27 would give the CFIA authority to disclose, share and make available ANY information to foreign governments! The CFIA has a conflicting dual mandate 1. It regulates and promotes agriculture and food sector. The CFIA is a failed experiment with industry self-regulation. In the risk-benefit balancing act, the CFIA leans towards its agri-business “clients†who reap the trade and revenue benefits while ordinary citizens — consumers and farmers — must bear the health, economic and environmental risks.

Should we be giving the CFIA even more power?

The previous government claimed that Bill C-27 is step two in a three step process to modernize Canada's agriculture and food regulations via so-called "Smart Regulations". We say Bill C-27 will give the CFIA carte blanche to put regulations in place that will lock us into the US regulatory system and cripple our ability to protect our food system and diversify our trading relationships.

External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation Report

The government claims that Bill C-27 will protect Canada from bio-terrorism by increasing surveillance. We say Bill C-27 will let the CFIA take away our civil liberties by giving foreign governments and corporations the ability to collect and share any information for the purpose of investigating and enforcing any law.

Documents and Links

The Legislation

C-27 Legislation www.parl.gc.ca Legislative Summary (pdf) Library of Parliament - Information on Bill C-27 First Reading and referral to Committee Report of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee Summary of amendments: PDF or MS Word version

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Information

CFIA press release and backgrounder

“Smart Regulation†Information

Smart Regulation fact sheet (pdf) External Advisory Committee on SMART regulations (with links to executive summary and whole document). CELA’s critique of the SMART regulations report (link to several documents and press releases, all very good) External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation Current Federal Regulatory policy Agricultural Canada presentation on North American market integration (pdf)

Bill C-28 + Smart Regulation = A nasty business. Canadian Health Coalition brief (pdf) Smart Regulation, Drugs, Health and Pharmaceuticals West Coast Environmental Law brief on Smart Regulation

House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food

Committee homepage Transcripts of Committee meetings

Briefs to the Agriculture Committee

Beyond Factory Farming Coalition (pdf) Brief by E. Ann (pdf) Brief by the National Farmers Union (pdf) Canadian Labour Congress (pdf) Canadian Health Coalition “Bill C-27:Rewarding Failure†(pdf) Backyard Farmers Association submissions to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, Abbotsford, January 18, 2005

Related issues

National Farmers Union information on CFIA and Plant Breeders Rights Act (pdf) The BSE saga: a long and maddening road Edmonton Journal article about the CFIA’s role in Canada’s failed BSE prevention strategy. (pdf) Open letter to Hon. Andy , Minister of Agriculture. (pdf)

1 The mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, as outlined in its Corporate Business Plan, is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of federal inspection and related services for food and animal and plant health. The objectives of the Agency are to contribute to a safe food supply and accurate product information; to contribute to the continuing health of animals and plants; and to facilitate trade in food, animals, plants and related products. See www.inspection.gc.ca

© Copyright 2006 Beyond Factory Farming. .

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