Reading Time: 5 minutes The push to breed drought-resistant wheat has taken on new urgency as dry times become more common and more severe. “Drought is big on everybody’s minds these days,” said Harpinder Randhawa, a wheat breeder with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge research centre. “Especially in Western Canada, we rely heavily on the natural water availability of […] Read more
The quest for drought-tolerant wheat heats up
A hotter, drier future looms but breeding for drought tolerance is a complicated business
Farm climate innovation commitments at COP27 double to US$8 billion
Agriculture could outpace other industries to net zero: Vilsack
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt | Reuters — An initiative led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates to help agriculture adapt to climate change and reduce emissions through innovation has doubled investment commitments to US$8 billion and extended its reach, it said on Friday. The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) was […] Read more
Alberta gardener grows largest pumpkin in Canadian history
“You have to do 60 to 70 pounds a day for a fairly good length of time…”
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s a lot more to growing a 2,537-pound pumpkin than you might think. Like most other forms of farming, it’s just not a case of planting a seed, walking away and hoping for a good outcome. “I could talk about pumpkins for just about as long as there is time,” said Don Crews of Lloydminster, […] Read more
Schoepp: Climate-focused diet misses the mark in targeting meat
Advocates of ‘climatarian’ diet need to look at entire picture when it comes to livestock
Reading Time: 3 minutes The ‘climatarian’ diet promotes the elimination of beef and lamb. The original movement is based on the premise that elimination of these ruminants reduces carbon emissions. Beef and lamb, the founders claim, leave the largest carbon footprint. Being climate conscious involves more than choosing one main point, such as carbon, and one culprit, such as […] Read more
U.N.-backed investors set fresh targets in sustainable food shift
Reuters – A U.N.-backed group of global financial institutions including Dutch lender Rabobank on Thursday set out a series of company specific environmental and social targets aimed at helping drive a shift to a more sustainable food system. Set by a group of 11 firms in the Good Food Finance Network, including Nuveen Natural Capital […] Read more
Opinion: Food companies are looking over farmers’ shoulders
Cost used to be king when companies sourced ingredients, but they’re increasingly focused on how they’re grown
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Earlier this year, McCain Foods quietly purchased a little-known firm called Resson. Ten years ago, the news that a food company had bought a predictive crop technology company might have raised a few eyebrows. In McCain’s case, many may have wondered why a company known for its frozen french fries would want […] Read more
Crop merchant Bunge raises full-year profit outlook
Agricultural commodities trader Bunge Ltd BG.N on Wednesday raised its full-year earnings outlook after posting an adjusted third-quarter profit that topped expectations, sending its shares up about 2 per cent in premarket trading. The improved forecast was attributed to favorable market conditions as tight global crop supplies and strong demand have benefited supply chain middlemen […] Read more
China to step up investment in rural infrastructure
Beijing | Reuters – China will accelerate investment in rural infrastructure to improve its ability to ensure food supply while also stabilizing the economy, according to a plan published by the agriculture ministry on Tuesday. The plan, backed by eight ministries and government agencies, comes amid slowing growth in the world’s second-biggest economy, due to […] Read more
Competition Bureau to probe soaring food prices
Retail food prices seen outpacing inflation
Reuters — Canada’s competition watchdog said on Monday it would examine factors impacting soaring food prices and whether more competition in the grocery stores sector could help lower costs for Canadians. Price rises for store-bought food have been outpacing the broader annual inflation rate for 10 consecutive months, and grew 11.4 per cent in September, […] Read more
Alberta reorganizes ag portfolio for returning minister
Horner to handle agriculture and irrigation file
Both Alberta and Quebec have re-upped with their incumbent agriculture ministers in cabinet shuffles this week — but incoming Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s shuffle will also streamline that province’s ag portfolio. Chosen by Alberta’s governing United Conservatives (UCP) on Oct. 6 to replace outgoing premier Jason Kenney, Smith on Friday announced Kenney’s incumbent minister of […] Read more
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