Reading Time: 3 minutes I was thrilled to attend a premier tourism conference in January and I certainly felt at home because tourism loves Canadian agriculture; so much so that the conference theme of regeneration was based on the agricultural model. Regenerative tourism digs deep into the concept of leaving a community better than before you visited – not […] Read more
Schoepp: Telling the farm story
The tourism sector can offer agriculture some lessons on connections
Bill C-282 is an awful idea
Bill risks holding other economic sectors hostage to safeguard the interests of a small, privileged group of farmers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bill C-282 sits in the Canadian Senate and stands on the precipice of becoming law in a matter of weeks. Essentially, this bill seeks to bestow immunity upon supply management from any potential future trade negotiations, without offering increased market access to potential trade partners. In simpler terms, it risks holding all other economic sectors […] Read more
How industry neglect fueled a US$2.2 billion verdict
The agriculture sector cannot afford to bobble the gene editing ball as it did with glyphosate
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bayer AG’s Monsanto has been ordered to pay a staggering US$2.2 billion to a former Roundup user who linked his cancer to the herbicide. This significant sum is the largest verdict in the ongoing five-year litigation involving the weed killer. However, the legal battles are far from over. There are still more than 50,000 cases […] Read more
Schoepp: Ruminants in the COP28 crosshairs
There’s been little meaningful engagement with agriculture on this issue
Reading Time: 4 minutes The United Nations Climate Conference, COP28, recently held in Rome, was for the first time focused on agriculture. The outcome seems to be a set of seriously flawed directives for farmers. In the 28-year history of the Conference of the Parties, agriculture has always taken a backseat. The 2023 meetings brought food production forward, not […] Read more
Opinion: Getting into the farming mindset
Your frame of mind can contribute greatly to your success
Reading Time: 3 minutes I had some eye-opening conversations on generational differences when I spoke to farmers last fall for Country Guide’s Best Advice podcast series. Early in our conversations, I could tell what type of mindset each farmer had. They quickly shared how different they were from their parents in how they chose to operate. Not only were […] Read more
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
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
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
AI can be an agricultural solution
The technology can help farmers tackle the challenges of modern farming
Reading Time: 3 minutes Iowa State University – For all the attention on flashy new artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, the challenges of regulating AI and doomsday scenarios involving super-intelligent machines, AI is a useful tool in many fields. In fact, it has enormous potential to benefit humanity. In agriculture, farmers are increasingly using AI-powered tools to tackle challenges […] Read more
Opinion: Water for our world
Is this dry year going to seem like a wet one in our parched future?
Reading Time: 3 minutes As I flew over Alberta, the brown earth contrasted sharply with the blue sky. It’s an ideal picture in fall or even spring, but this was late November and not a snowflake or raindrop had quenched the open fields. I recalled past seasons, with both bitter cold and massive snow, as well as balmy days, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
