Facilitating Agricultural Regulatory Modernization Act
Modernizes Canada's agricultural regulatory system by allowing federal agencies to recognize and rely on approvals from trusted foreign jurisdictions for feeds, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, and food products — speeding up how quickly new agricultural tools reach Canadian farmers.
Sponsor · David Bexte
Canadian farmers could gain faster access to new crop protection products, fertilizers, and seeds already approved in countries like the United States or Australia, potentially reducing costs and improving competitiveness.
The debate · 5 points
Supporters say
- Creates a 'trusted jurisdiction' pathway, so farm products already approved by countries with comparable safety reviews could get a provisional Canadian licence in about 90 days, instead of years of duplicate testing.
- Lower regulatory costs and delays would reduce farmers' input costs for feed, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, which supporters say could help keep food prices down for consumers.
- Manufacturers often skip Canada because it is a small market and registration is expensive. Faster approvals would bring more products to farmers, improving choice and resilience.
Critics say
- The government says it is already making similar changes through its spring economic update, including amending the statutes of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the pesticide regulator to use trusted foreign science. It argues a separate bill is unnecessary.
- Some ask whether these changes must be written into law at all. They argue that temporary arrangements negotiated with Health Canada and Agriculture Canada could achieve the same goals more flexibly.
Where do you stand on this bill?
You are reading this in full, for free. An account is what lets you act on it.
A free account lets you record where you stand, see how your MP voted, email them about it, and get a summary of what matches you — daily, weekly, monthly, or not at all.