The 2019 federal budget was released today and contains a few items that could spark potential benefits for the seed sector.
Funding for Protein
The budget sets aside $153 million for the Protein Industries Supercluster. The supercluster was established to apply plant genomics and new processing technologies to increase the value of key Canadian crops, including plant-based meat alternatives—such as pulses and flax-based proteins—that are in high demand in foreign markets.
“The Government’s investment of $153 million in this Supercluster will help Canada become a leading source of plant proteins and, ultimately, feed the world,” the budget says.
Regulatory Roadmap for CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which is working with the seed sector to implement seed regulatory modernization, is part of a strategy to provide key government agencies with “regulatory roadmaps” designed to create “a more user-friendly regulatory system, including the use of more digital services (e.g. online portals, electronic templates), and clearer guidance for industry so that innovative and safe products are available for Canadians more quickly.”
The Roadmaps, to be released in the coming weeks, will “propose greater exploration, innovation, and the use of sandboxes and pilot programs for new and innovative products. This will allow these products to be approved for use in a risk-based and flexible way—encouraging ongoing innovation while continuing to protect Canadians’ health and safety, and the environment.”
New Food Policy
The budget proposes a “first-of-its-kind” Canadian food policy, which will “set out a coordinated and collaborative approach to addressing food-related issues while ensuring that Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector continues to succeed and help grow the economy as a trusted global source of healthy food.”
The Food Policy for Canada will establish four areas for near-term action, including proposals to:
- Help Canadian Communities Access Healthy Food
- Make Canadian Food the Top Choice at Home and Abroad
- Support Food Security in Northern and Indigenous Communities
- Reduce Food Waste
Genomics Research
Budget 2019 proposes to provide Genome Canada with $100.5 million over five years, starting in 2020,21. “This investment will also enable Genome Canada to launch new large-scale research competitions and projects, in collaboration with external partners, ensuring that Canada’s research community continues to have access to the resources needed to make transformative scientific breakthroughs and translate these discoveries into real-world applications.”
