Farmers need a champion, the Liberals haven’t answered the bell
Canadian agriculture is a critical pillar of our economy, but it can only reach its full potential with reliable, strong trade agreements. The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sectors account for more than $100-billion in economic activity every year and employ more than two million Canadians. However, few countries are as reliant on global trade as […]
Food insecurity demands attention in a hungry, unstable world
The latest data from the United Nations are staggering. In 2019, 821 million people around the world were chronically under nourished, up 10 million from the year before. This means that an astounding 11 per cent of the world’s population does not get enough food to eat. Equally concerning is that around two billion of […]
Agriculture Policy Briefing
Agricultural innovation critical for industry and government to address climate change
In the global discussion on climate change, agricultural innovation is a vital part of the solution. But in the public discourse to date, agriculture is often portrayed as a major cause, as opposed to part of the solution, when it comes to addressing the challenges posed by climate change. To be sure, agriculture and its […]
Agriculture Minister Bibeau was the most-lobbied MP in 2019
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, House Veteran Affairs Committee chair Wayne Easter, and active backbench Liberal MP Francis Drouin were 2019’s top-lobbied MPs, according to a Hill Times analysis. Ms. Bibeau (Compton-Stanstead, Que.) became the most-requested minister for lobbyists soon after she was named to the agriculture portfolio in March 2019. At the time, Canada was […]
Senators should dig in to a soil-health study
In 1984, the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry published a report, entitled “Soil at Risk: Canada’s Eroding Future.” The study, under the chairmanship of Senator Herbert Sparrow, who later went on to form the Soil Conservation Council of Canada in 1987, provided the government with several recommendations in an attempt to reverse […]
Canadian farmers are the on front line of climate change
For many Canadian farmers, the focus on climate change in the recent election campaigns missed the mark. Climate change was front and centre, as it should be. It’s the biggest threat we face as a country. And while there was plenty of talk about what we should be doing to mitigate its impacts—from clean energy […]
Nearly $2-billion in government subsidies does little to improve animal welfare
No matter how you feel about paying taxes, you probably don’t like to see them wasted. One of the worst things a government can do is spend precious taxpayer dollars in ways that do not reflect the priorities and values of the majority of its citizens. So it is particularly frustrating to see our government […]
‘Every half degree matters, every action matters’: IPCC report tackles role of land use in climate change
Canada has a unique opportunity to play a leadership role in nature-based solutions to climate change, say environmental experts, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a special report last week on why land use must be considered a vital tool in the battle against climate change. The IPCC, the United Nations body tasked […]
Last chance to lobby MPs sees June numbers shrink, with influencers eyeing the campaign season
The waning days of the House’s busy legislative calendar were coupled with an unsurprising dip in lobbying, but some were making the most of the last month with MPs in Ottawa before an extended break for the campaign ahead of an October election. With party platforms still being written, June was a good time for […]
