CropLife Canada’s response to the PMRA’s public consultation on the PCPA

The plant science industry supports an independent, science-based and transparent pesticide risk assessment process in Canada. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is world renowned for the rigour of its regulatory process, which includes hundreds of independent scientific experts. It’s important to note that the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA), which regulates pesticides in Canada, is one of the most modern and transparent pieces of legislation in this country.

This consultation on the PCPA comes at a critical time for Canadian agriculture. With global food security at the forefront, Canadian farmers need timely access to safe and effective pest control tools and science-based policies to continue to sustainably grow food for Canada and the world. These same tools are critical for controlling insects and rodents in people’s homes, controlling potentially disease-carrying mosquitos, managing invasive plant species and keeping critical infrastructure safe.

Last summer saw an unprecedented political intervention into the pesticide regulatory system and now it is critical that politics take a back seat to science. The consultation document outlines several areas where improvements to the system can and should be made – better focused resources, improving the public’s understanding and trust in the regulatory system, and better accessing and leveraging real-world data.

The plant science industry is supportive of some targeted modernization initiatives as they have the potential to allow the PMRA to make timelier and more transparent decisions based on the best available data. However, it is unfortunate that the PMRA’s already stretched resources are being used on this consultation when real transparency and efficiency gains could largely be made through process improvements.

There are some groups whose agenda is to eliminate all pesticide use in Canada. They will use this consultation as an opportunity to mislead policy makers and Canadians about the rigour of Canada’s pesticide regulatory system and push for non-science-based changes to the regulatory process that could impede the PMRA’s ability to make timely, science-based decisions and would ultimately damage Canadian agriculture for generations to come.

The plant science industry remains committed to developing and delivering safe and effective pesticides that help Canadian farmers produce some of the safest, most sustainable and highest quality food in the world. We call on the Government of Canada to protect Canada’s science-based approach to pesticide regulation.