(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Chicken, dairy farmers rip TPP concessions

Updated, Jan. 25, 2018 — Canada’s supply-managed producer groups warn that the new Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade deal stands to chip away unnecessarily at their markets. Chicken Farmers of Canada on Wednesday said the CPTPP deal, on which Canada pledged Tuesday it will sign in March, still includes concessions on market access […] Read more

The Port of Vancouver may get a lot busier with a new Trans-Pacific trade agreement.

Trans-Pacific agreement draws praise from ag groups

Farm and agri-food groups say deal will open new markets but CFA issues warning on supply management

Reading Time: 2 minutes Here’s what farm and agri-food groups were saying after an agreement was struck on a new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal (also called TPP-11 or CPTPP): Cereals Canada The TPP-11 agreement raises the bar with respect to modern and progressive trading rules in Asia-Pacific and beyond. Canada’s participation demonstrates much needed […] Read more



Dr. Duane Landals receives the 2017 Carl Block Award.

Duane Landals named 2017 Carl Block Award recipient

Reading Time: < 1 minute An Alberta veterinarian has been named the recipient of a national award for outstanding contributions to animal health. Dr. Duane Landals of Onoway has been given the 2017 Carl Block Award by the Canadian Animal Health Coalition. For more than 37 years Landals has “contributed significantly” to veterinary medicine, both in Canada and internationally. He […] Read more


CBC News was one of a host of media outlets that picked up on a report from a group opposed to conventional livestock production that predicted meat will one day be taxed like cigarettes.

Meat tax unlikely but alternatives gaining ground

Consumers are being offered more plant-based proteins and adding more of them to their diets, says expert

Reading Time: 3 minutes A tax on meat was the story d’jour at the start of the new year, and although the prospects of such a tax seem slim, the livestock industry risks losing market share to plant-based products, says an expert. The call for a tax came from Jeremy Coller, founder of one of the world’s largest private […] Read more

Nominate an exceptional livestock welfare leader

Nominate an exceptional livestock welfare leader

Deadline for nominations is Feb. 15

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Farm Animal Care initiated its awards of distinction in 2001 to recognize individuals or groups who have made exceptional contributions in the field of livestock welfare. These individuals or organizations work hard to advance the mandate of AFAC and the welfare of livestock in Alberta. They apply new, innovative ideas and management practices to […] Read more


A giant Mexican flag at Cozumel’s Puerta Maya. (CIA.gov)

Mexico will leave NAFTA talks if Trump triggers process to withdraw

Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico will leave the NAFTA negotiating table if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to trigger a six-month process to withdraw from the trade pact, three Mexican sources with knowledge of the talks told Reuters on Wednesday. Reuters reported earlier in the day that Canada was increasingly convinced that Trump would […] Read more

National food policy council needed

Reading Time: < 1 minute A coalition of more than 50 farm groups and food companies want Ottawa to create a national food policy council. The council “would bring together key stakeholders from across the food system to work collaboratively with the government,” said the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Among other things, it would address food insecurity; high levels of […] Read more


The Egg Processing Innovations Cooperative in Lethbridge has 140 
farmer-owners and processes smaller eggs that used to be sent to Manitoba or B.C.

Lethbridge egg processor gets cracking with safety certification

The five-year-old co-operative expects its new HACCP status to open the door to new markets

Reading Time: 2 minutes When you think of Alberta eggs going to market, you might think of consumers in the grocery store putting a dozen or two in their cart and heading home. But most of the eggs at the grocery store are the large or extra-large grades, which leaves a significant surplus of lower-demand eggs in the small- […] Read more

[VIDEO] Chicken poo power as an alternative to coal?

Israeli researchers have developed a way to mimic coal formation by heating wet chicken waste, potentially providing an alternative energy source to that fossil fuel and find a use for growing amounts of waste from poultry. – Amy Pollock reports for Reuters.