Most Recent USDA Data Projects Imports to Remain at 11 Percent of U.S. Consumption

May 25, 2020

Discussions about beef imports were put in the spotlight this week. NCBA agrees that the industry should have a conversation about imports and where we’re sourcing beef, but it’s important that the conversation be rooted in facts, not back of the envelope estimates using data from nearly a decade prior.

In response to R-CALF’s May 22, press release on trade levels, NCBA would suggest that it’s important that any reasonable discussion on trade include the most recent information available. Global beef trade is dynamic and trade levels rise and fall based on factors such as changes in currency valuation, areas of drought or moisture, global consumer demand, and many other variables, so utilizing old trade data is just the latest demonstration of R-CALF’s willingness to cherry-pick the facts to drive their agendas.

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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.