 ACORN Statement on Bill C-30 - Changes to Pesticide Regulations Protecting Science, Public Health, and Canada's Food FutureThe Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN) is concerned by pesticide-related amendments included in Bill C-30 that would expand Cabinet's authority to intervene in pesticide regulatory decisions using broadly defined "food security" and "economic security" considerations. Canada's pesticide regulatory system has long relied on independent scientific review to determine whether a pesticide poses unacceptable risks to human health or the environment. Bill C-30 creates a new pathway through which Cabinet could authorize or reinstate certain pesticide uses, even after scientific review has identified unacceptable risks. While ACORN supports efforts to strengthen Canada's food system and ensure farmers have effective pest management tools, we believe these objectives should not come at the expense of scientific integrity, transparency, or public confidence in pesticide regulation. Independent Science Must Remain the FoundationPesticides are restricted or removed from use because scientific evidence demonstrates that the risks outweigh the benefits. As research advances, regulators sometimes discover new health or environmental concerns that were not understood when a product was first approved. In other cases, products are reassessed because they contaminate water, persist in the environment, harm pollinators or wildlife, or because safer alternatives have become available. This ability to respond to evolving science is one of the strengths of Canada's regulatory system. Bill C-30 introduces broad concepts such as "economic security" and "food security" into these decisions without clearly defining when or how those considerations should override scientific conclusions. We are concerned that this shifts pesticide regulation away from independent science and toward political discretion. The Senate committee that reviewed Bill C-30 also questioned this approach, noting that amendments of this significance deserved separate study rather than inclusion in an omnibus bill. Food Security Depends on Healthy EcosystemsFood security is about much more than maximizing crop production in a single season. Long-term food security depends on healthy soils, clean water, biodiversity, thriving pollinators, and resilient farming systems that can continue producing food for generations. These natural systems are the foundation of agriculture. We are concerned about framing pesticide access as synonymous with food security. There is little evidence that weakening pesticide safeguards directly improves food affordability, while the long-term costs of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, water contamination, and public health impacts can be significant. When discussing economic security, we should also ask whose economic security is being protected. Farmers, rural communities, and future generations all depend on healthy ecosystems. The costs of environmental damage are often borne by the public rather than reflected in the price of production. Food security and environmental stewardship are not competing priorities—they are inseparable. Organic Agriculture Offers Proven SolutionsOrganic and ecological farmers demonstrate every day that productive farming does not depend on the highest-risk synthetic pesticides. Organic producers manage pests through crop rotation, healthy soils, resistant varieties, biodiversity, habitat for beneficial insects, companion planting, biological controls, physical barriers, and approved pest management products that meet rigorous organic standards. These approaches protect pollinators, improve soil health, safeguard water quality, and build resilience to climate change while producing healthy food. Evidence continues to show that organic systems also deliver strong long-term economic performance. The 2025 Organic Task Force Report found that organic farming can generate competitive long-term returns while reducing pesticide use, increasing biodiversity, improving soil health, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Canada should be investing in faster approval pathways for biological controls and lower-risk pest management products - not creating mechanisms that could allow higher-risk pesticides to remain in use despite scientific concerns. ACORN Calls on the Government of Canada to:
Our PositionFarmers need effective pest management tools. ACORN supports innovation and practical solutions that help producers respond to increasingly complex challenges. However, if a pesticide has been found through independent scientific review to pose unacceptable risks to people or the environment, economic convenience should not become the justification for weakening those protections. Canada's food system depends on both productivity and public trust. Protecting clean air, clean water, healthy ecosystems, and science-based regulation is essential to the long-term resilience of agriculture. ACORN believes Canada can strengthen food security while maintaining the independent scientific safeguards that protect farmers, consumers, and the environment. We urge Parliament to ensure that Bill C-30 reflects these principles. ACORN Program Manager Bethany Koughan discusses concerns in the CBC interview below:Atlantic Canada Organic Regional Network You can reach us with your questions or comments at acornoffice@acornorganic.org |
