The committee’s amendments to Bill C-275 diverge significantly from the original intent of the legislation, which sought to provide targeted intervention against the biosecurity impact and risk that individuals who come onto farms without authorization introduce to farming operations. These amendments are not supported by the members of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Cattle Association, National Cattle Feeders Association, Canadian Pork Council, and Canadian Meat Council.
Rather than addressing these important biosecurity concerns and taking a step forward in strengthening the overall safety of our food system, the proposed amendments risk punishing Canadian farmers, their workers, and invited guests in the event of a biosecurity breach and place additional burdens and mental stress on the very people who feed our communities. More specifically, Bill C-275 as amended fails to recognize that farms have little to no ability to intervene or enforce their protocols when someone unlawfully enters a farming premise.