Canada must tackle root causes of displacement, conflict, as well as their effects
OTTAWA—Twenty million people in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Yemen are facing famine. It is being called the largest humanitarian crisis since the inception of the United Nations. In Yemen, the last two years of conflict has caused such severe economic breakdown that today some seven million people do not know where their next meal […]
While reporters watch Trump’s tweets, famines kill hundreds in parts of Africa
WINNIPEG—In late May, the government of Canada announced its Famine Relief Fund. The fund was launched to galvanize Canadians into helping the estimated 20 million people facing starvation in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and other countries in Africa. The announcement generated a bit of attention: a brief mention in the TV and radio news, a […]
Policy reviews a chance to bolster crop diversity
The recent news about a leak in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault brought renewed attention to the very real threats facing our food supply. This seed bank protects a million seed varieties, providing a valuable contingency plan in the face of climate change and other emerging threats to global agriculture. Securing this site is therefore […]
Five big ideas for a better food system
Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay recently announced the launch of consultations for the national food policy. This gives the chance to Canadians, increasingly worried about hunger, obesity, climate change, and eager to support their local farmers, to have a say in how food makes its way to our plates (or is wasted along the way). […]
Bernier wants to scrap it, but poll suggests majority of Conservative voters back supply management
Libertarians, despair: a new poll shows support for Canada’s supply management system, even if Canadians are told it takes a toll on their pocket-books. Three of every four Canadians polled said they approved when asked to evaluate the agricultural system, described as follows: “Canada protects its dairy and poultry industries from foreign imports with tariffs […]
Trade rules for food security: a Canadian contribution
When it comes to food security, international trade matters. An estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population depends on traded staple foods; in 2014, the value of the world food trade was over US$1.4-trillion. The supply, access and stability of food systems, and the quality of the nutrition people eat, are deeply integrated with […]
Got milk? Wisconsin has too much, but that’s not Canada’s problem
U.S. President Donald Trump recently denounced Canada’s dairy system. His animus resulted from a long-advertised change to Canadian dairy import regulations that affected ultra-filtered milk. The public face of the dispute is the about 75 dairy farmers in and around Wisconsin who were told that their milk was no longer needed by their processor, Grassland […]
MPs from all parties defend supply management against Trump, Bernier
Rural MPs from across multiple parties have been hearing concern from their constituents after American President Donald Trump threatened to come after Canada’s dairy industry. Mr. Trump turned his sights, and his tweets, towards Canadian dairy farmers last month, claiming that because of Canada’s trade regulations on dairy products, which block much of the United States’ dairy […]
Trump for dummies: there’s no scapegoat like a foreign scapegoat
OTTAWA—The CNN anchors kept looking at each other, half-laughing. “Canada?” they kept saying, as in United States President Donald Trump is picking a fight with Canada? This was a few weeks ago, when Trump was calling Canada’s dairy policies a “disgrace” that damaged the interests of U.S. farmers. With the 100-day mark bearing down on him, […]
Trudeau: don’t back down on Canada’s supply management system
TORONTO—Canada’s supply management system is now the target of the Trump administration, but this U.S. whining is not new. Successive U.S. administrations have railed against the system because it prevents a U.S. dairy industry, notorious for overproduction, from dumping its surplus into the Canadian market. Yet the system works well for Canada, providing stability for […]
