(Quebec) The Ordre des agronomes du Québec says it wants to separate the advice and the sale of products to protect the public, but that this should be done in the Code of Ethics and not in the law governing the profession.
Agronomists were flayed following the Louis Robert affair and consultations are underway to reform the law that governs them, dating from the 1970s.
In the upcoming reform, the government aims to make a very clear distinction between the agronomist who prescribes pesticides to farmers and the one who charges for the product, in order to prevent conflicts of interest.
In a statement released late Friday, the Order maintains that it “recently declared that it wanted to go beyond the government’s proposal by separating advice and sales in all fields of agronomic practice, without limiting itself to pesticides. (phytoprotection) ”.
“To do this, the Order is of the opinion that it is in the Code of ethics that it will be necessary to make changes on this subject and not in the law itself. The Order is currently continuing its consultations in order to propose the best way to proceed to the Government of Quebec and to the Office des professions, ”said the President of the Order, Martine Giguère, in a press release.
If the president affirms that the “status quo is not an option”, she adds that the proposed modifications must be “applicable in the daily life of agronomists”.
“We must offer the best option to protect the public and preserve professional independence,” says the statement.
In an interview with The Canadian Press that aired earlier Friday, Mr.me Giguère said he wanted to better regulate “the appearance of conflict of interest” in the agronomist who both advises and sells.
She maintained that ramparts were already in place to avoid conflicts of interest, such as a declaration of interests that the professional must issue.
Likewise, the agronomist can no longer receive incentives or bonuses to sell products such as pesticides. A working committee proposed 17 recommendations to promote the independence of their members.
However, she acknowledges that there is still “work to be done” regarding the appearance of a conflict of interest.
However, “it is too early at the moment to say how far we will go,” said in an interview Mme Giguere.
“The work, the reflection is now starting”, suggested the president of the Order of agronomists.
“Our board of directors has given the approval to initiate reflection work, to better frame this appearance of conflict of interest in the dual role of the agronomist, who provides advice and sales”, in the code of ethics, she told The Canadian Press.
She admitted that we must rebuild the bond of trust with the population. However, she added that she has no doubts about the competence and independence of its members.
“I think we have to work to rebuild confidence in the professional, because I have never doubted competence and professionalism in recent years. ”
Recall that agronomists were splashed following the Louis Robert affair in 2019.
This agronomist employed by the Ministry of Agriculture had become a whistleblower by arguing that the pesticide industry still holds sway over much of the agricultural world. He also indicated that he had been pressured to silence him.
In 2021, the Minister of Agriculture, André Lamontagne, had let it be known that he wanted to modernize the law so that there was no longer any ambiguity between advice and sale.
He also said that farmers still apply too many pesticides in Quebec.