Political leadership needed to preserve precious prairie grasslands
Temperate grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems in Canada and globally. For 80 years, the federal Community Pasture Program successfully restored and managed more than 800,000 hectares of native grasslands in Saskatchewan. These community pastures include some of the most significant remaining tracts of native grassland in Canada with high concentrations of species at […]
Canada should boost aid for agriculture
Carla Duran credits her successful career as a farmer, and her family’s food security, to a Bolivian co-operative supported by the Canadian government. As a child, Carla’s parents grew maize and potatoes on their small farm in Bolivia. They could barely make ends meet. Carla’s situation changed when her parents joined UNEC, Unidad de Negocios […]
Harvesting prosperity from seven years of negotiation
Threats to rip up NAFTA and trash the TPP send a chill down the spines of Canadians whose livelihoods depend on trade. And while the Trump administration’s action plan is not yet clear, it is crystal clear that Canada’s past and future depend on trade. Prime Minister Trudeau can warm things up by promoting the […]
‘We’re the fifth largest exporter of food in the world, and the global demand is growing,’ Ag Minister MacAulay eyes opening Chinese market
PARLIAMENT HILL—Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay is eyeing the opening Chinese market as a “vitally important” market for Canadian farmers to tap into and says he wants to make sure the industry has the ability to invest in innovations that will see the country’s sector poised to meet China’s rapidly expanding growing demand. “The […]
Canada sits on food sector goldmine, but needs to eliminate barriers to success, say experts
Exporting too much raw food product, rather than packaging it first in Canada; an inefficient transportation sector; and a jump in food imports are all hindrances to growing Canada’s food and agriculture sector, according to industry representatives. First, if the country focused on turning its raw food commodities into processed food that are then shipped, […]
Value-added agriculture: much more than wheat and potatoes
In 2015, global investment in food and agriculture technology start-ups reached US$4.6-billion, nearly doubling the 2014 levels. Why are fund managers so interested in this market? A look at recent trends provides some clues. Demographics are leading the change in how we approach food and diet. Many countries in the developed world are facing aging […]
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- […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
