Progress seen in bolstering agricultural research funding, though hiring gaps remain: advocates
The Trudeau government has made made strides in increasing publicly-funded agriculture research, though more work is needed to return to the previous high-water marks of the past decades, say advocates. Serge Buy, CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Canada, an advocacy body for agricultural research and innovation, said Canada is well positioned to tap into surging […]
‘Don’t fix something, that isn’t broken:’ AG Minister MacAulay defends supply management amid NAFTA talks
The long-winding renegotiations of the North America Free Trade Agreement have many trade-dependent industries in Canada on edge. At first, talk was that the negotiations would amount to nothing more than mere tweaks to the decades-old pact that lifts most tariffs on commerce flowing between the three North American countries. But that narrative has been […]
Farmers reeling from the unintended consequences of new Liberal policies
Selfies, symbolic appointments, and carefully crafted PR can only buoy a government for so long before its ship begins to sink under the weight of so many broken promises. And as the Liberals’ disappointments and deceptions keep piling up, Canadians are rapidly waking up to the fact they elected a government that can never be […]
Agriculture
NAFTA turmoil an opportunity for Canada to strike on agriculture
As North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations appear to teeter on the brink of failure, now—counter intuitively—is the best time for Canada to make new demands at the bargaining table. Specifically, it is an opportunity for the seemingly ignored agricultural sector. There are two reasons for this. The first is something that has gone […]
More choice, less retailer control wanted in possible Nutrition North overhaul
Food security experts are hoping the federal government’s lack of action six months after releasing a report highlighting criticism of the Nutrition North program is a sign of a coming overhaul that will lead to more choice for participant consumers and increased food security. The program is aimed at reducing high food prices in remote […]
Scrapping supply management could be a win-win for Canada, U.S.
The prime minister has been clear: his government will do whatever it takes to support middle-class Canadians and those who aspire to be in the middle class. As we head into the fourth round of NAFTA talks, it is an opportune time for Canada to give consideration to whether we should maintain our reliance on […]
A national poverty reduction strategy must include forgotten single adults
One of the most alarming trends in Canada’s food bank network is the increase in the number of single, working-age adults seeking food assistance. Single people have grown from 30 per cent of households helped by food banks in 2001, to 45 per cent in 2016. One in every three single adults in Canada lives […]
Most Canadian farmers thrive without supply management; what’s so special about dairy?
CALGARY—With negotiators butting heads on most major elements of NAFTA, the second round of talks wound down with no real breakthroughs, and we’ve yet to see the results of the ongoing third round. One major sticking point for the Americans remains largely unresolved: Canada’s supply management system. While the Americans have called for action on […]
Industry groups should stop stalling updates to animal-transport rules
Re: “Beef farmers care about their animals’ welfare,” (The Hill Times, Aug. 30, p. 9). Richard Horne’s letter on behalf of Ontario’s beef industry fails to acknowledge several important facts. First, of the 750 million animals sent to slaughter annually, less than one half of one per cent are cows. Thus, Mr. Horne’s statistics do […]
