Report released last summer highlights how federal and provincial regulations holding back the sector.   Ottawa—After waiting patiently for more than seven months for the government to respond to a report on helping the food producing sector grow its export business, Senator Diane Griffin wants her colleagues' support in formally asking for one. Griffin was chair of the Senate agriculture committee when it held hearings across the country, and then released a report with nine recommendations back in July. They were well received by food processors and farm organizations but didn't draw any comment from the government before last fall's election. She has placed a motion before the Senate asking it to support a request for a response to the report. The committee “has gotten a lot of great public response to it.” Earlier this year, she and Ontario Senator Rob Black co-authored an article for The Hill Times newspaper to remind the government and Parliament about the report's nine recommendations to help the agrifood system, which “is mired in inconsistent federal and provincial regulations. “The ball is now in the government's court; we hope it will take concrete steps to implement our recommendations – and soon,” they said. The report called for overhauling regulations to reduce internal trade barriers and boost export prospects, updating the Canada Food Inspection Agency and Canada Border Services Agency and supporting research and innovation to encourage food exporting businesses. “Currently, only about half of the food grown in Canada is processed here, demonstrating a gap the committee believes should be closed,” the report said. Last year, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce struck a similar them in its call for regulatory reform to boost the growth of the food processing sector. To accomplish that, the Chamber said the government needs to modernize many of “the 140,000 regulations at the federal level alone because Canada's red tape impedes innovation and competitiveness, hurting Canadian jobs and limiting the choices on grocery store shelves.” It also needs to help make Canada “a global leader in innovative food and packaging solutions that address our most pressing challenges. Current policies are driving away opportunity, with four in five new products sold on Canadian shelves developed abroad.” The agrifood sector also wants a level playing field between manufacturers and retailers. “With five companies controlling more than 80 per cent of grocery stores, farmers, food manufacturers, grocers, and government must work together to find a balance that works for everyone.” The Senate committee's conclusions also gained support in the December report on the Canada Brand which said the country's agrifood sector needs a team effort by industry and government to achieve its goal of being among the most trusted and sustainable food producers in the world. Based on ideas generated during a year of discussions with about 600 members of the agrifood sector, the report focused on how to make the Canada Brand on food exports a sought-out item among consumers around the world. The Senate report noted that the 2017 Canadian Free Trade Agreement has made little progress on reducing and eliminating obstacles to trade between provinces. These barriers result in higher costs of doing business across provinces and less competitiveness in the agri-food sector. While Canada has trade deals with Europe, Mexico and the United States, and the Pacific countries, “we still have major barriers to trade within our own borders. “If we add value to our products before they leave our country (by exporting apple cider instead of apples, bread instead of wheat, or cranberry juice instead of cranberries), the agricultural industry stands to become much more profitable.” Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.