Ottawa, Ont. (Rural Roots Canada) – A new private member’s bill is proposing to speed up the approval of agricultural products in Canada by relying more heavily on decisions made in other countries.
Bill C-273, the Facilitating Agricultural Regulatory Modernization Act, would amend several federal laws, including the Feeds Act, Fertilizers Act, Seeds Act and Pest Control Products Act. It proposes a system allow products already approved in at least two “trusted jurisdictions” to receive provisional approval in Canada within 90 days of a complete application.
The bill, introduced by Conservative MP for Bow River, Alberta, David Bexte, defines “trust jurisdictions” as foreign governments or regions designated through regulation. That could include jurisdictions like the EU, the U.K., the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.
Under the proposed changes, feeds, fertilizers & supplements, and seed varieties could be provisionally approved or registered if they meet the foreign approval threshold. Final approval would follow a full Canadian science-based review system to ensure compliance with domestic rules. That same approach would extend to pest control products.
Read more: Canadian potatoes could soon head to Mexico as part of new trade agreement
Several agricultural groups and organizations have come out in support of Bill C-273.
Fertilizer Canada calls it “a practical step toward modernizing Canada’s regulatory framework and ensuring farmers have the tools they need to grow healthy, hearty crops.”
The Grain Growers of Canada welcomed the bill, saying it “would help drive innovation and competitiveness in Canadian agriculture through faster access to crop protection tools.”
“Improving the pace at which new products reach the market has long been a priority for the agriculture sector, which has consistently called for regulatory modernization to improve the timeliness, transparency and predictability of the agricultural innovation system,” it adds.
The Wheat Growers are also on board, saying it’s a critical first step to restoring Canada’s competitiveness.
“This legislation is a long-overdue signal that Canada is ready to start taking competitiveness seriously again,” said Gunter Jochum, President of the Wheat Growers Association, in a statement. “Farmers are not asking for shortcuts. We are asking for timely access to tools our competitors are accessing and often using safely and effectively.”
Finally, the Canadian Canola Growers Association says the bill “represents an important step toward modernizing Canada’s regulatory system and reducing unnecessary red tape that has impeded the timely adoption of innovative agricultural products.”
“Farmers have consistently called for more timely access to new tools and technologies that improve productivity and competitiveness,” it says, in a statement. “By enabling a 90-day provisional approval process for products already vetted in trusted jurisdictions, this bill supports innovation while maintaining regulatory integrity.
The bill received first reading in the House of Commons on April 14.
