Guaranteeing Canada’s food sovereignty
For the last two years, the agriculture and agri-food sectors have been under a great deal of strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic: labour shortages, management difficulties, the scarcity and inflation of inputs, and the unavailability of efficient transportation to and from production sites. These major, complex challenges have far-reaching consequences. That is why the […]
Government needs to listen to itself to help agriculture
Long ago—2018 to be exact—the federal government initiated the Advisory Council on Economic Growth and Economic Strategy Tables, an initiative designed to foster greater collaboration between industry and government and establish growth targets for key economic sectors. Two of those sectors—agriculture and agri-food—was tasked with the ambitious objective of increasing its domestic sales to $140-billion […]
Farmers scramble for alternate fertilizer sources as world looks for Canada’s help in possible global food shortage
Canada cannot afford any further disruptions to its supply chain if the agriculture sector is to contend with a potential shortage of fertilizer as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to agriculture organizations. “We have a window of opportunity where farmers use fertilizer to maximize their crop production and their yields, and if […]
Other countries are rewarding farmers for fighting climate change, it’s time Canada does the same
Recent years have seen a surge in nature-based climate solutions, with the goal of including the agriculture and forestry sectors as partners in the fight against climate change. Popular among them is carbon sequestration (also known as bio-sequestration or carbon farming), a regenerative agricultural practice that captures and stores atmospheric carbon into soil. In Canada, […]
Farmers are fighting battle against climate crisis on the front lines
It is an unquestionable fact that climate change is already all around us, causing profound and detrimental effects on Canada’s agriculture sector. Our hard-working farmers are fighting vanguard battles against the climate crisis. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events is impacting everything from farmers and their bottom line, to feed for livestock, to shortages […]
Let’s not turn agriculture into a ‘tragedy of the commons’
At a time when all eyes are fixed on the drama unfolding in Europe, the war reminds everyone the necessity of strong and sovereign agriculture in the short term. Globalization did not change the fact that many revolutions start with an inflation of agricultural commodity prices, and that political stability goes hand in hand with […]
Canadian ranchers and farmers facing tumultuous times
The world is changing, and Canada has an opportunity to unleash its incredible potential and be a global powerhouse as a reliable, trusted supplier of vital commodities. Now more than ever, it is crucial for Canada to act as a leader and ally and get our agriculture commodities to market to help other countries and […]
Agriculture Policy Briefing
Canadian farmers fight climate change
From large-scale farms to the smallest backyard gardens, agriculture and agri-businesses depend on climate at every stage of the production cycle. We know that our climate is changing. What some Canadians may not know is that the agricultural sector often sees these changes first due to the nature of their work. 2021 was a particularly […]
Moving Canada off the toxic treadmill of key chemicals laws
One month into 2022, scientists worldwide are calling for rapid transformation to counter chemicals and waste over-running the Earth’s systems, worsening climate chaos and mass extinctions. Closer to home, pollution contributes to the chronic diseases that predispose people to severe COVID-19. Pollution prevention and reduction are key for public health, and a vital public policy challenge for Environment […]
