Canadian agriculture: strong and growing
Canadian agriculture and food industries are key drivers of our economy. “From gate to plate,” these sectors generate over $100-billion of our GDP and over $60-billion of our exports. Canada’s food processors employ more Canadians than any other manufacturing industry in the country. At its foundation, there are over 200,000 producers and thousands of small- […]
Vox Populi on agriculture
Don McCabe, president, Ontario Federation of Agriculture: “The issue of urbanization is massive. To give a direct impact in Ontario, from 2006 to 2011, using census data, we lost 350 acres a day to expansion. When you now have lands that are held for development into the future, you can find that some of those […]
Government needs to say what it’s doing to help farmers deal with CETA
Now that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union has been signed and Bill C-30 has been tabled, this is probably a good time to talk about two very important points. The first is the need for compensation as promised by the Liberals for dairy industry losses. The second is the […]
Higher food prices, alternative proteins expected to result from carbon tax
A price on carbon, opposed by many in the agricultural sector, could lead to an adjusted Canadian diet as some things get more expensive and other options become more attractive for both consumers and producers. “I’m going to stick my neck way out and predict within the next 10 years we’ll be seeing significantly alternative sources […]
Silver linings and steep fears over Monsanto-Bayer merger
The creation of a monolithic biotech company with the merger of Monsanto and Bayer could allow the industry to reinvent its negative image, but some say it is another step towards leaving bio-tech and genetics intellectual property in too few private hands, and could lead to higher input costs for farmers, say Canadian industry reps. […]
Agriculture
No time like present for Canadian agriculture
There is an old saying, “There is no time like the present.” Agriculture lives that out on a daily basis. These are interesting times for Canadian agriculture. The sheer diversity of agriculture in this country is astounding. As the House of Commons Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee holds hearings on the developing Agricultural Policy Framework (APF), […]
Politics This Morning: Norway’s royal couple starts Canada tour, with emphasis on Arctic relations
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway are in Canada and will be visiting the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa at 2 p.m. They will be there to celebrate the opening of a Norwegian photo exhibit on the Arctic, compiled in partnership with Laval University, ArcticNet, Arctic Frontiers and the Royal Norwegian […]
Female farmers face climate change risks
Trenia Arana had been farming seven acres of land in central Nicaragua. But after years of severe drought, crop failures and growing debt, she finally decided to take up a job as a housekeeper last year. With her husband working in neighbouring Costa Rica, Trenia’s 11-year-old son must now tend to the family gardens before […]
Want to save lives in a disaster? Invest before the crisis
As aid agencies rally to help Haitians recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew, it’s an important reminder of the need to invest before disaster strikes. Oct. 13 was the International Day for Disaster Reduction. It came and went with little attention as we seldom focus on what can be done to lessen the […]
