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. […]
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), […]
Agriculture
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 […]
The last intact sea
LONDON, ENGLAND—Hurray for sustainability. Commercial fishing for the Antarctic toothfish is permitted in the Ross Sea, provided that the biomass of the spawning stock (total weight of all the fertile adult fish) is still at least half of its previous level 35 years later. And at no time in that 35 years will the spawning […]
The end of cheap food
OTTAWA—For decades, governments in developing countries sought to keep food prices low to depress wages and attract investment in manufacturing. Cheap food also kept a lid on urban discontent, while ensuring a steady supply of cut-rate labour fleeing rural penury. Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Oxfam, and others long argued against this logic. If most hungry people […]
Ontario’s next wine region is…in Ottawa?!
Ottawa is known for many things; Parliament Hill, Canada Day celebrations, the Rideau Canal, and extreme weather. It is not—or at least wasn’t—known for its wine. Until now. KIN Vineyards, in the heart of the Ottawa Valley, is producing some terroir-driven, organically-made masterpieces. You’re probably skeptical that a climate known to drop to -40C in […]
Our livestock drug addiction
There is much to celebrate as we approach 2017, like our 150th anniversary as a nation and initiatives by our federal government for a more innovative, prosperous, clean and healthy Canada. One such important initiative is the commitment of Health Canada to end our current practice of routinely including antibiotics in chicken, pig, and cattle […]
