Long-time innovators, Canada’s farm equipment manufacturers poised to help meet challenges of the agri-food supercluster
Farming may not be the first thing that comes to mind when Canadians think about technology, but because of this country’s harsh climate, rugged and vast land, Canada has developed a reputation for producing high-quality, leading edge agricultural equipment that is second to none globally. It’s a story of dedication, innovation and adaptability that has […]
Close to 500 politicos schmooze, feast, and celebrate Canadian Agriculture Day
It was Canadian Agriculture Day on Feb. 13 and that meant close to 500 people attended one of the best industry parties of the season. It’s hard to compete against an event where almost all of the agriculture groups serve up some delicious food from their respective industries. Party Central bumped into Liberal MP Celina […]
House committee ought to have heard from ag groups on food guide
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came into office and immediately sent his ministers on a number of listening tours to hear from Canadians about everything from electoral reform to defence policy to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. He was making a show of the fact that his government was being open, transparent, and had an open […]
Innovation
Zero-sum debate not helpful to advancing sustainable food production
There is an emerging sense that Canada may be uniquely positioned to reassert its position as a key player in multilateral engagement, following recent meetings by the prime minister in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum and the announcement of Canada’s inclusion in the Trans-Pacific Partnership 2.0. Combine this with the fact that the […]
Building community resilience in Nicaragua: Canadian development assistance at work
This past January, I was very privileged to be invited by the Canada Foodgrains Bank to accompany other Canadian Members of Parliament to visit Nicaragua to witness some of the community agriculture projects supported by the Canadian government. This work is supported by non-governmental organizations, including the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, USC Canada, and the World […]
Why this backbench MP is lobbied more than most ministers
Canada’s most-lobbied backbench MP in 2017, Francis Drouin, is a “rising star” who’s developed a reputation as a rural champion, say lobbyists. Mr. Drouin’s 136 communications posted to the lobbyist registry in 2017 are connected to agriculture, tied to his work on the House Agriculture Committee and the interests of his Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Ont., constituents. A […]
Blanket claims cloud conversation on meat taxes: Cattlemen’s Association
There has been a lot of rhetoric in the media recently about meat taxes with the inference that eating less meat will reduce ones’ carbon footprint. Unfortunately, balance and context are often absent from this complex discussion, particularly around the Canadian agricultural environment, which is unique in the world. For example, cattle grazing supports the […]
Where’s the beef? Industry stakeholders cry foul over Health Canada food guide freeze-out
Industry groups shut out of in-person consultations with Health Canada in its current effort to overhaul Canada’s Food Guide have delivered their concerns—and their own set of potentially competing goals—to politicians and other federal departments. Health Canada declared in 2016 that it would not meet one-on-one with industry groups while revamping its food guidelines because […]
We should tax meat and subsidize fruits and vegetables
Nothing elicits grumbles quite like talking about taxes. Governments around the world tax income, carbon, alcohol, tobacco, sugar, houses, inheritances, even saturated fat. And these taxes can be not insignificant; in Canada, for example, 35 per cent of the pump price for gas is tax. If a group of investors managing trillions of dollars is […]
