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Report highlights optimism, resignation in agriculture sector

Belief industry and government can remedy policy, extreme weather, and trade issues varies considerably

A troublesome policy and regulatory environment, extreme weather, and trade barriers are the issues keeping Canadian agriculture professionals awake at night. That’s according to a joint report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) and the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Food Security on risk in Canada’s agrifood system.


Failing to protect biodiversity, prevent deterioration in water quality and such will likely come back to bite us politically.

Comment: Time to farm with nature

Don’t wait for the trend towards greater regulation, mold it by getting involved

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – I’m increasingly convinced that legislation to protect nature on farmland from ourselves is a necessity. Aside from the environment, there are practical political and economic reasons to support hypothetical restrictions on the removal of woodlots, fencerows, tallgrass prairie and the like. And if we are proactive, there is opportunity to lobby for […] Read more

“The biggest challenge is there is less funding year over year. There has been no real increase over the last couple decades, as budgets are held constant while inflation happens. There’s less to go around.”

Where are public sector gene editing projects?

Regulatory differences and lack of funding constrain gene editing in academic research

Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – In 2022, Health Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced that crop varieties developed with gene editing technology will not be subject to the same regulatory requirements as genetically modified organisms. Though many within the agriculture industry praised the decision as a win for crop breeders, and Canadians more generally, some academic […] Read more


Most of the current concern Canadians have about food involves cost.

Is the foundation cracking on public trust?

Canadians trust farmers, but lack of farm knowledge can open chinks in that armour

Reading Time: 6 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Rising food prices have been drawing the ire of the Canadian public, but the bulk of that frustration and anger is not directed at farmers. Not yet, at least. While food retailers are viewed unfavourably, according to the latest consumer trust survey results from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, farmers remain […] Read more

It has been heartening for Putintseva to see so much support for Ukrainians in Canada.

From Ukraine to Calgary

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Daryna Putintseva is a Ukrainian digital marketing specialist working for Canadian communications agency WS. Now living in Calgary, she develops media, news content and marketing strategies for a range of clients in both primary agriculture and the food and beverage industry, such as FCL and Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program. Putintseva came […] Read more


When town and country meet, farmland is often on the losing end, according to a new national report.

Pressure increases on farmland

CAPI report highlights what’s needed to save farmland while increasing production and protecting the environment

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ensuring Canada remains an agricultural powerhouse requires concerted efforts to preserve the country’s natural capital and resources, particularly farmland, according to a recent Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) report. With long-term planning, the pressures affecting agricultural productivity and farmland loss in Canada can be navigated, bringing greater prosperity and environmental improvement at home, as well […] Read more

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Activists target Ontario hog farm with ransomware

'We are dealing with adversaries whose motivation is not money'

A ransomware on a small Ontario hog business is something a cybersecurity expert says needs more attention from the agriculture industry. Instead of cash, the attackers demanded the hog business owners publicly admit to what they alleged to be livestock mistreatment. The occurrence was unique and alarming, says Ali Dehghantanha, Canada research chair in cybersecurity […] Read more


Artillerymen of Ukraine’s armed forces set up a field gun in a winter wheat field Oct. 27, 2022, in southeastern Ukraine.

What happens when the grain deal fails?

Economic and political unrest abroad will affect Canadians

Reading Time: 3 minutes Russia is using food as a weapon of war, one designed to compel Ukraine and its allies to cave to Russian demands for the open export of its own grain and fertilizer, and subsequently, the import of great quantities of cash for the Russian war chest. While there is a UN-brokered deal for the continued […] Read more

Without constant vigilance, social media use can turn into a habit that clouds the mind and skews perceptions of reality.

Opinion: It’s time to shine a light on the dark side of social media

Farmers should know better than most how quickly misinformation spreads in online echo chambers

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Social media is undermining our shared reality, and those of us in the agriculture sector need to take better note of the trend. Why? Because not doing so could result in a continued separation between rural and urban Canada, as well as one another. Social media is a drug of sorts, in […] Read more