Wanted: A long-term vision for the future of Canadian agriculture

Oct 26, 2023

Glacier FarmMedia – What does Canada’s agriculture and food sector need to do to insulate itself from major disruptions?

According to the latest Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) report “A Toolbox for Managing Crises,” everyone linked to ag needs to stop working alone to extinguish fires and instead adopt a more dynamic approach to problem solving.

In practice, the report’s authors say, that means developing a much wider understanding of the issues facing each sector and how they intersect and then implementing long-term strategies to account for risks.

This approach is lacking. The authors argue that, by focusing on a single business or sector at a time, Canada’s agriculture and food system remains more vulnerable to disruption.

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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.