Just a few weeks ago, members of the American Farm Bureau sat down with representatives from Canada's wheat pools in Calgary to get a fuller understanding of one another's concerns and interests. As well, the Record of Understanding commits both countries to work toward finding better ways to recognize the excellence of each other's risk-based food inspection systems. The fact of the matter is, farmers in both of our countries face similar challenges, similar opportunities. As Canada's minister responsible for both rural affairs and agriculture and agri-food, these questions are of deep concern to me. There are no easy answers, but certainly these are issues that, as members of both the farm and rural communities, we need to work together to solve.
Biotechnology is another challenge, but also an opportunity.
This technology has the incredible potential to lessen our dependence on pesticides and herbicides, making our industry kinder to the natural environment. The potential to feed more people with less land and water. The potential to develop better crops and even medicines that will keep people healthier, longer. At the same time, it is a technology that pushes biological frontiers, and many consumers particularly in Europe are not yet convinced the benefits outweigh the risks. Canada and the United States are both leaders in this rapidly advancing field in research, in development, and in regulation.