Cereals Canada President Cam Dahl joined Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay during a stop in Italy last week.
The two took part in talks surrounding country of origin labelling on pasta, which has severely limited Canadian durum exports.
"We did have some very positive sessions, including some of the farm groups and agriculture groups in Italy that are supportive of trade," explained Dahl. "The protectionist view is not universal in Italy and maybe building some of those coalitions with organizations that understand the value of trade, understand the value of science-based regulatory systems, I think that those will be very helpful in going forward."
Dahl has been urging the Canadian government to launch a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Source : Steinbachonline