Governments of Canada and Manitoba invest in on-farm beef verification program

Feb 11, 2019

Brandon, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - The Canadian and Manitoba governments are investing $350,000 over five years in the Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) to deliver the Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) Program, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay, and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced.

The VBP program is a national program that helps producers meet industry standards for food safety. In 2016, VBP expanded to include modules for animal care, biosecurity and environmental stewardship and is now called VBP+.

Source : Government Of Canada

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.