New public sector cuts could mess with your stomach.
Driving the news: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is closing seven of its federal research sites as Ottawa continues to zap the public sector with a shrink ray. One prominent facility in Guelph, Ontario, is focused on research and development in food safety.
Why it matters: The closure comes at a time of heightened safety concerns in Canada’s food supply chain. The U.S., our largest supplier of foreign food, has made its own disease surveillance and research cuts, raising the risk of cross-border food-borne illnesses.
“We can expect to see more incidences of contaminated food, illnesses, and deaths in Canada,” food safety expert Lawrence Goodridge bluntly told the Globe and Mail.
Another reason to be nervous about food safety: the fact Canada’s Food Inspection Agency has said internally that it’s not equipped to handle multiple emergencies.
Yes, but: Others in the industry don’t share this pessimism and think this could be a good thing. The managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute told the Western Producer cuts are a result of poor investing and AAFC now has an opportunity to boost efficiency.
Our take: The idea of draining a bloated public sector sounds good, but when the rubber meets the road, the consequences may be less appealing. Canada has to be prepared for ripple effects and, as the barrage of recent job cut notices has made clear, the inevitable human toll.—QH