Brussels | Reuters –– The European Commission bowed to pressure to give Europe’s parliaments the right to ratify a landmark free-trade deal with Canada, a decision meant to address public concerns but which could wreck Europe’s broader trade strategy. In the face of popular suspicion about secretive trade deals benefiting big companies, Commission President Jean-Claude […] Read more
EU bows to pressure, gives member parliaments say in Canada trade deal
Nobel laureates urge Greenpeace to stop opposing GMOs
Washington | Reuters — More than 100 Nobel laureates called on the international environmental group Greenpeace on Thursday to end its opposition to genetically modified crops, saying there is a scientific consensus they are safe and can benefit society. At a news conference, the scientists cited in particular the value of a genetically modified rice […] Read more
Schoepp: The short and sweet of who we are and what we eat
A survey of eating habits shows that tastes differ across the country, but food brings us together
Reading Time: 3 minutes We have a saying in our home that breakfast is the most important meal of the day — you should always make it home for breakfast. (When I was in my teens it was to make it home for breakfast and for the 3 a.m. milking!) Canadians do love to eat breakfast, especially in Quebec […] Read more
MP calls for mandatory GMO labels, echoes Vermont regulations
CNS Canada — A Quebec MP has tabled a new bill calling for mandatory labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods, following steps taken by lawmakers south of the border. Pierre-Luc Dusseault, the New Democrat MP for Sherbrooke, introduced Bill C-291 Tuesday morning, calling for the mandatory labelling of genetically engineered (GE) foods in Canada. Dusseault […] Read more
China’s COFCO Agri hiring grain traders, opening Winnipeg office
Winnipeg | Reuters –– Chinese state-owned agricultural trader COFCO Agri is opening a trading office in the Canadian grain hub of Winnipeg, adding to the aggressive expansion of its North American agriculture business. COFCO Agri is hiring three grain traders and an operations manager to expand export and domestic trading, according to the company’s postings […] Read more
CN promotes CFO as CEO resigns
Canadian National Railway’s (CN) chief financial officer Luc Jobin will become its chief executive on July 1, as incumbent CEO Claude Mongeau steps down for health reasons. Mongeau announced Tuesday he will resign as CN’s CEO at the end of June, after leading the railway company for six and a half years. “I was filled […] Read more
Cool conditions see slow emergence, seeding nears completion
Alberta crop conditions as of May 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cool conditions prevailed over the week. Precipitation was reported in all regions in the amount of 10 – 20 mm with the North East Region receiving between 30 – 50 mm. Seeding progress is nearing completion at 97 per cent seeded compared to last year at 99 per cent, the 5 year average of 96 […] Read more
Bimbo to shut Canada Bread’s North Bay plant
Canada Bread, the Canadian arm of Mexican baked-goods giant Grupo Bimbo, plans to close its bakery at North Bay, Ont. later this summer. The company announced Wednesday it will begin to gradually wind down operations, transfer the plant’s work to its other bakeries in Quebec and Ontario and shut down the bakery effective Aug. 5. […] Read more
Hedge fund urges organics firm SunOpta to sell itself
Reuters — Hedge fund Tourbillon Capital Partners is urging Canadian organic food firm SunOpta Inc. to sell itself to a bigger rival, according to a letter sent to the company on Friday. Mississauga, Ont.-based SunOpta’s share price jumped 26 per cent after the US$4 billion hedge fund asked it to hire an investment bank to […] Read more
Saskatchewan names new deputy ag minister
A promotion for Saskatchewan’s deputy minister of agriculture leads to a promotion for one of the ministry’s assistant deputies. Doug Moen, who’s leaving his post as deputy minister to Premier Brad Wall at the end of June, on Friday announced Rick Burton as the province’s new deputy minister of agriculture, effective July 1. As the […] Read more
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