The other Syrian refugees
Wherever I went in Jordan and Lebanon last month while visiting refugees from Syria, I heard people express gratitude for what Canada had done in accepting 25,000 people from that war-torn country. “Canada has a very good reputation here,” one aid worker told me. But while so many feel good about how Canada responded to […]
New Zealand high commissioner brings defence, trade background
“I arrived at the end of February, 3 o’clock in the morning, in the middle of a snowstorm.” What a welcome to Canada for New Zealand’s high commissioner, Daniel Mellsop. It was a few days after Ottawa got its last big dump of snow: 50-something centimetres of the white stuff. “That was fun, bringing a young […]
Tory MPs push Liberals on China’s canola crackdown
Conservative MPs from canola-rich ridings are pushing the Liberal government to dissuade China from bringing in stricter standards on canola imports from Canada. Randy Hoback, who represents Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert riding, called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to personally raise the issue with Chinese officials at the highest level, days after China’s government announced it […]
Drought tightens the screws on Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable
It was the fourth time Nelia had planted; and still, the rains were not enough to germinate her seeds. She had buried her first seeds in the Zimbabwean soil in December. But the regular, predictable rains she remembered from years past never materialized. The second and third crops also failed. I met Nelia in Zimbabwe […]
Animal-based agriculture environmentally harmful, says letter-writer
Reading The Hill Times’ excellent green economy policy briefing on March 21, I was disappointed by its greenhouse gas omissions. I must ask, “Where’s the beef?” Missing from the briefing was any mention of agriculture and, in particular, animal-based agriculture despite it being a major source of greenhouse gases and other serious pollutants and a […]
Meat industry officials see opportunity in TPP
On the heels of Canada’s meat industry winning a trade dispute over labelling of products in the United States, the sector sees opportunity in the signed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said it was “elated” by the U.S. repealing its country of origin labelling (COOL) after the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled […]
A primer on House of Commons committee members, agendas
As of now, almost all House committees have elected their chairs but just 16 per cent, or four of the 25 committees are chaired by women, and 40 per cent, or 10 of 25 of committee chairs are rookies. According to The Hill Times review of committee makeups, male and veteran MPs are still dominating the […]
Five steps to redefine Canada’s agri-food system for the future
With one of the safest food systems anywhere, Canadians can trust the food they eat. But consumers here and abroad are pushing the bounds of what “trust” means to them. Can Canada lead the world in redefining trust for the future? Food costs are a primary concern for many consumers. Nevertheless, a wide range of […]
Many Canadians struggle to put food on the table, five things about food insecurity in Canada
For many Canadians, food plays a central role in the holiday festivities. But for those experiencing food insecurity, a bountiful feast was not in the cards this year. More than four million Canadians, including 1.15 million children experience some level of food insecurity. Food insecurity, also known as ‘food poverty,’ can cause significant anxiety over […]
GM & Irradiated Foods
