FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Saskatoon, SK – The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is welcoming the passage of Bill C-30, calling it a long-overdue recognition that Canada’s regulatory system must protect health and the environment while also considering food security, affordability, innovation, and economic competitiveness.
The association has advocated for years that regulatory decisions should include an economic lens and reflect the realities of competing in a rapidly changing global economy.
“This is an important moment for Canadian agriculture,” said Daryl Fransoo, Chairman of the Wheat Growers. “For too long, we’ve treated competitiveness as separate from regulation when in reality they are deeply connected. Farmers need a system that protects Canadians and the environment while also encouraging innovation, investment, and growth.”
Bill C-30 updates the mandates of federal regulators, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Pesticide Regulatory Directorate, to consider food security and food affordability as part of their decision making.
“This isn’t about lowering standards,” Fransoo said. “It’s about modernizing how decisions are made. Canada can have world-class regulations and be a world leader in innovation. In fact, if we want to remain competitive, we have to do both.”
Darcy Pawlik, Executive Director of the Wheat Growers, said the legislation represents one of the most meaningful shifts in regulatory thinking in decades.
“This is one of the most significant steps forward since the federal government’s Smart Regulation initiative more than 20 years ago,” said Pawlik. “It recognizes something farmers have known for a long time: regulatory decisions have consequences. They affect food prices, investment decisions, access to innovation, and whether Canada is viewed as a place to build and grow.”
The Wheat Growers say Bill C-30 should serve as a foundation for additional reforms, including the advancement of Bill C-273, the FARM Act, which would accelerate approvals for products already approved in trusted jurisdictions and improve farmers’ access to innovation.
“Bill C-30 is an important first step,” Fransoo said. “Bill C-273 is the next step. If Canada wants to attract investment and lead the world in science-based decision making, we need regulatory systems that move at the speed of innovation.”
“The countries that will lead the next generation of agriculture are the ones that combine rigorous science with timely decisions,” added Pawlik. “Canada has the farmers, the researchers, and the entrepreneurial spirit to lead. Now we are beginning to build the policy framework to match that ambition.”
The Wheat Growers say Canada has an opportunity to become a destination for investment and innovation, but only if it continues to modernize the institutions and systems that support agriculture and food production.
“The world is moving quickly,” Fransoo said. “Bill C-30 sends an important signal that Canada intends to move with it.”
Media Contact:
Darcy Pawlik
Executive Director, Wheat Growers Association
Email: dpawlik@wheatgrowers.ca
Phone: (306) 361-5667
About the Wheat Growers
Founded in 1970, the Wheat Growers is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing public policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole.
For more information please visit: wheatgrowers.ca. Click here to see who is helping to advocate for grain farmers.