Members of the National Farmers Union (NFU) gathered on Parliament Hill Wednesday to demand a ban on investor ownership of farmland. The demonstration was organized by the NFU Youth Caucus and Farm Workers’ Working Group. The goal was to demand protection of food sovereignty and help farmers, especially young ones, gain more access to farmland. […] Read more
NFU takes demand for ban on investor ownership to Parliament Hill
Organization's youth caucus concerned amid ‘transition crisis’
Second agronomy cluster to receive funds
The Integrated Crop Agronomy Cluster will be publicly backed for another five years
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Integrated Crop Agronomy Cluster will receive more than $7.6 million for its second phase. Funding, which comes from sources including the Western Grains Research Foundation, the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership and industry partners, will cover a five-year period between April 2023 and March 2028. Projects will tackle everyday agronomic problems faced by farmers, as […] Read more
U.S. COOL proposal unlikely to affect Canadian beef
Reading Time: 2 minutes Proposed American legislation could see distributors fined for meat that is improperly labelled as “Made in the USA,” but industry experts north of the border say it is unlikely to pass muster. The bill would set out processor fines of $5,000 per pound of beef that doesn’t meet label standards. COOL, or country-of-origin labelling, surged […] Read more
Initiative aims to address labour shortages, safe work practices
Pilot aims to foster safer working environment for TFWs
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government has announced a pilot program designed to reduce administrative burden for employers seeking to hire Temporary Foreign Workers. The Recognized Employer Pilot is a response to the labour shortage in Canada, the government said, and aims to give qualified employers a faster path to hiring TFWs through the existing federal program. A […] Read more
Ag leaders welcome MacAulay’s appointment as AAFC Minister
The minister’s new role was part of the Liberal government’s recent cabinet shuffle
Industry leaders and organizations are welcoming the July 26 announcement that veteran MP Lawrence McAulay will be taking over the post of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food–and wasting no time calling him to action. It is the P.E.I. MP’s second time in the role, having previously held it between 2015 and 2019. MacAulay took over […] Read more
Bibeau out, MacAulay in as AAFC Minister
Veteran P.E.I minister to take over Canada’s top ag role as Trudeau shuffles cabinet
Lawrence MacAulay will be replacing Marie-Claude Bibeau as Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. It will be his second turn in the role, having previously served between 2015 and 2019. The announcement came at a Wednesday swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall, where Prime Minister Trudeau’s anticipated cabinet re-shuffle was unveiled. MacAulay, who represents the […] Read more
Pork sector calls for essential service status amid B.C. port strike
Council says pork should receive same consideration as grains
Leaders in Canada’s pork sector are calling on the federal government to give perishable agriculture products the same consideration and protection as grain. The call comes as a longshore workers’ strike at British Columbia’s West Coast ports nears its second week, blocking the shipment of Canadian meat and most other exports. Canadian Pork Council (CPC) […] Read more
Intergovernmental collaboration key to Canada’s agricultural sustainability
Differing regional priorities often complicate collaborative climate efforts in agriculture sector
Reading Time: 4 minutes Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) government collaboration is vital to the future of Canada’s agriculture sector, said panelists at a May 31 webinar. Organized by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, the webinar focused on a report by University of Toronto professor Grace Skogstad entitled Towards a Collaborative Sustainable Agriculture Strategy for Canada. Skogstad opened the […] Read more
Ford to keep AM radio, CEO says
Amid rising concerns, Canada's premier automaker will not drop AM
Ford Motor Co. has gone back on its plan to phase AM radio out of its vehicles. Ford CEO Jim Farley made the announcement Tuesday via Twitter, after company officials said last month that AM would be dropped from new non-commercial vehicles. “After speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as […] Read more
Pre-election reports analyze Alberta’s ag issues
Three reports focus on party histories, ag sector concerns, current platforms
Alberta farmers’ concerns with provincial policy, and the two major parties’ stances on those concerns, are the subjects of a three-part analysis leading up to a provincial election on Monday. The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy, a think tank operating out of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, says its three […] Read more
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