Protesting farmers blocked roads across France on Tuesday and there was one fatal accident, as their unions urged the government to ease its drive for lower consumer prices and reduce environmental regulations.
One dead, two injured as French farmer protests spread
Farmers union says road blocks won't be lifted until government action on economic, regulatory concerns
California law worries provincial pork industry
Locals will have to follow Prop 12, weakening CUSMA agreement, says industry leader
Reading Time: 4 minutes A leader in Alberta’s pork industry is concerned about the precedent California’s Proposition 12 may set in agricultural trade between Canada and the U.S. Prop 12, which became law Jan. 1, stipulates that sows supplying the state’s consumers must be grouped in housing that provides a minimum of 24 square feet per sow. For Darcy […] Read more
Feds disburse funds on community food security projects
Since 2019 the Local Food Infrastructure Fund has committed $64.8 million to such projects
Wednesday, federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay announced up to $9.98 million in funding for community food projects through the fifth phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, an outworking of the Food Policy for Canada.
Loblaw’s gaffe and apology
The grocers code of conduct is needed to offset political grandstanding
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa recently witnessed a dramatic scene, especially during the proceedings of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, where a few witnesses chose to prioritize their agendas over assisting our elected officials in comprehending the complexities of food prices and the necessary actions to be taken. One particular individual, an economist seemingly more interested in grabbing headlines […] Read more
The rise of vertical farming
The development and future of vertical 'plant factories'
Reading Time: 7 minutes Broadly speaking, commercial vertical farming operations are humankind’s attempt to grow food under conditions more controllable than Mother Nature allows and with a minimum of wasted space. Many seem like sci-fi greenhouses: hydroponics, plants growing in stacks or up walls and high-tech sensor setups that seem straight out of the mind of Gene Roddenberry. And, […] Read more
Red Sea crisis cutting farm exports from Ukraine, minister says
Wheat shipments via Suez plunge amid Red Sea attacks: WTO
The situation in the Red Sea has led to a slowdown in Ukrainian agricultural exports in January, agriculture minister Mykola Solsky said on Thursday.
Opinion: Trade with the UK has issues — and opportunities
Rules-based trade can pay dividends for both nations but will need to be fair
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada benefits from more trade agreements with more countries than virtually any other nation. That makes sense, since we are a big, well-endowed country with large productive capacity, a relatively small domestic market, and we need to export. So Canada has long been a keen advocate of a robust, rules-based multilateral trading system, including effective […] Read more
World food price index ends 2023 some ten per cent below 2022 levels
Cereal prices, vegetable oils slumped most over the year, FAO says
The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 118.5 points in December, down 1.5 per cent from November and 10.1 per cent below December 2022 levels.
Future of food, sustainable business top agenda at Arrell Food Summit
Leaders and investors in Canada’s agriculture sector discuss climate change, avoiding food crisis
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Industry leaders discussed climate solutions and the future of Canadian food at the Arrell Food Summit: Pathway to Change, hosted by the Arrell Food Institute in Toronto earlier this winter. The eventt brings together agri-food leaders and experts to exchange ideas and learn more about topics affecting global food systems. In the […] Read more
Opinion: Sticker shock on grocery profits hides truth
The total number doesn’t look at profit margins, which paint a clearer picture
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to selecting the most significant non-scandal of 2023, the “greedflation” campaign is the absolute winner. Politicians, and even some knowledgeable economists, have convinced many that Canadian grocers have taken advantage of the recent inflationary cycle to profit unfairly. Despite compelling data and many reports pointing to the contrary, many Canadians remain convinced […] Read more