The CFIA must complete long delayed amendments to Candian livestock traceability regulation

When evaluating whether to launch Flokk four years ago, a key piece of information we relied on was the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) commitment in 2019 that amendments to federal animal traceability regulation would be published in the spring of 2020.

This is not unpopular and unnecessary regulation being imposed on resistant stakeholders. The necessity and process for, and the administration of, Canadian livestock traceability was/is established and funded by the industry.

We decided building and offering a simple and affordable solution for Canada’s ranching families to comply with this regulation presented a compelling opportunity to build a successful Alberta AgTech company.

After waiting four years for these amendments it was dismaying, but sadly not surprising, for us to read this weeks coverage in the Globe and Mail of a listeria outbreak with deadly consequences that continued, undetected by the CFIA, for 11 months in 2023 and 2024.

(Apologies that the item may be paywalled for you. This episode of “The Decibel” podcast also covers the topic, and is freely available.)

There are consequences when public service leadership is allowed to manage their work in isolation from, and in complete disregard to, public engagement and impact.

The consequence of the CFIA deciding every food production facility did not require inspection was the death and disablement of Canadians.

It is only thanks to good fortune that there has not been similar consequences from CFIA’s half decade of procrastination amending Canada’s livestock traceability regulation.

But Canada’s luck has run out. California has declared a state of Emergency to address bird flu in cattle. Traceability will be fundamental to protecting Canadians from bird flu in cattle when it, inevitably, arrives in Canada. But Canada’s livestock traceability system will not be up to the task because current regulation does not ensure universal participation and rapid reporting.

The CFIA’s failure to protect Canadians from listeria, and the inexcusable delay completing these amendments, share common cause; public service leaders allowed to foster a culture that prioritizes administrative convenience over organizational effectiveness.

There is no recovery from the consequences of the CFIA’s decision that administrative processes were the best way to protect Canadians from listeria. But there is a compelling opportunity for the CFIA to demonstrate lesson learned, and preclude future harm, by securing approval for, and publication of, the long delayed amendments to Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations.

Not next year, and not next week. Today.

We encourage our community contact Minister Holland and request the CFIA and federal cabinet urgently approve and publish the final amendments to Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations.