Trudeau team’s legacy on agriculture will be market access gains, says Minister Bibeau
After four years in government, the Trudeau Liberals’ biggest enduring legacy on Canada’s agricultural sector will be increased market access abroad, says newly appointed Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s (Papineau, Que.) government has ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which will open market access in 11 countries. It […]
Agriculture spending in 2019 budget
The 2019 federal budget offers new spending for the agriculture and agri-food sector worth almost $4-billion going forward. The highlights: A Food Policy For Canada The Liberal government is proposing a four-pronged food strategy that will attempt to increase Canadians’ access to healthy foods, promote domestically grown and harvested food, support food security in the […]
Agricultural innovation key to sector growth
Recognizing Canada’s large natural endowment of water and arable land, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) defined agri-food as one of six interconnected sectors with tremendous global growth prospects. But, as with the other five sectors, the government of Canada emphasized that the agri-food industry’s potential would only be realized through a concerted innovation […]
Canada must engage with China to resolve canola impasse, say trade observers
It’s time the Canadian government find a way to engage with China to protect its canola industry, say a former diplomat and stakeholder group, after the Asian country scrapped the export permit for one of Canada’s largest canola processors in the midst of a broader diplomatic spat. China is blocking Winnipeg-based Richardson International’s oilseed after […]
Senate Ag Committee to weigh in on how to boost competitiveness of value-added food sector
When I was summoned to the Senate just over a year ago, I brought with me many years of experience in the agriculture and rural sectors. I have been fortunate to be able to use that experience to contribute to the work of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (AGFO). Our committee has […]
Fight climate change with organic farming and agroecological principles
The ever-growing threat and impacts of climate change are all around us, with many populations in poorer countries already bearing the brunt of shifting global weather patterns and catastrophic weather events. Thinking about solutions for tackling these issues can be daunting and disheartening—it requires a paradigm shift in the way we live and in reflecting […]
Next PCO clerk Ian Shugart tapped to steady the ship, restore trust in the job, say observers
Ian Shugart being tapped as the bureaucracy’s next top public servant is an excellent choice, say public service observers. The incoming Privy Council clerk is said to have the steady, non-partisan hands needed to restore trust in the reputation of the role that may have been tarnished in wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal, which led […]
How Canada can cope with Chinese market access roadblocks to agriculture
China’s recent cancellation of Winnipeg-based Richardson International’s canola seed registration reminds Canadian businesses, once again, of the unique risks and unpredictability of the Chinese market. As the Canadian Food Inspection Agency deals with the specifics of this latest issue, it is important for Canada to focus on longer-term policy solutions to address the periodic agricultural […]
Making an equal WAGE: Monsef talks new department
In a few short weeks, Maryam Monsef has gone from being a junior minister in charge of an oft-sidelined agency, to juggling managing one full-fledged department and part of another. On Dec. 13, Ms. Monsef’s (Peterborough-Kawartha, Ont.) portfolio was transformed from Status of Women, the agency, to Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), the full department, […]
Compensation for producers in our supply-managed sectors should be evidence-based
There is no clear policy nor even any clear policy principles in Canada about compensation or transition assistance in the event of economic disruption. Should our dairy producers be compensated for losses they incur due to concessions made by Canada affecting the sector under recent trade agreements? Yes, maybe. If people suffer because of trade-related […]
