Reading Time: 3 minutes It was my grandfather who said to me, “Once in your life you need a doctor, lawyer, policeman or preacher, but every day three times a day — you need a farmer.” The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations uses this in a poster promoting the importance of farming and agriculture globally. […] Read more
We know how to make agriculture more resilient
Encouraging use of proven techniques and improving infrastructure are key to sustainable food production
Comment: A world without Canadian beef would not be good for the planet
The ‘beef is bad’ narrative ignores environmental gains by the sector and its critical role in preserving grasslands
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a world that is quick to malign businesses impacting climate change, the beef industry has been tagged as a major contributor. The notion that ‘beef is bad’ has infiltrated popular opinions of the commodity, making it difficult for alternate perspectives to break through the fog of negative rhetoric. So here I clearly state: Beef […] Read more
NFU paper lays out solutions for climate, farming challenges
MarketsFarm — The global climate crisis is interlinked with the financial crisis on Canadian farms, according to a new discussion paper from the National Farmers Union (NFU). The paper proposes changes to agriculture practices that could help the sector become part of the solution to both major issues. Compiled by Darrin Qualman in collaboration with […] Read more
Canadians to spend more on food in 2020, report predicts
MarketsFarm — Canadians will spend two to four per cent more on food in 2020, according to the latest Canada Food Price Report from researchers at Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab and the University of Guelph. The average family in the country will see its total food bill for groceries and restaurant meals rise by […] Read more
University’s ‘Beefier Barley’ billboard binned
A billboard about Alberta barley’s prospects under climate change in the University of Alberta’s ‘Truth Matters’ promotion — a series of ads meant to spark discussion about its researchers’ work — has been winnowed out of the campaign. Jacqui Tam, the Edmonton-based U of A’s vice-president for university relations, announced Sunday it would withdraw the […] Read more
Heat waves will worsen under climate change, says report
Reading Time: < 1 minute Climate change means there will be more heat waves and they will be more extreme, says the Prairie Climate Centre. Places which almost never see a heat wave, such as Yellowknife and Victoria, will see at least one period yearly when temperatures top 30 C for three or more days, said the University of Winnipeg […] Read more
UN report on livestock and climate change gets lost in translation
Panel of climate change experts say meat production must be sustainable — but few noted that distinction
Reading Time: 3 minutes “Eat less meat” was the phrase of choice for describing a new report from the United Nations’ climate change panel. Those three words appeared in headlines in publications such as Time magazine, the National Post, and the Times of London. But the report itself said something different, said the science director of the Beef Cattle […] Read more
UN flags need to reduce meat consumption to curb land use impact on global warming
London/Geneva | Reuters — Global meat consumption must fall to curb global warming, reduce growing strains on land and water and improve food security, health and biodiversity, a United Nations report on the effects of climate change concluded. Although the report stopped short of explicitly advocating going meat-free, it called for big changes to farming […] Read more
Many sources of greenhouse gases are being ignored
Agriculture is singled out while major contributors receive little or no attention in climate change debate
Reading Time: 3 minutes As the discussion on climate change heats up, I find myself defaulting to facts that may surprise you. Climate change is not a new phenomenon. The definition is basically changes in wind patterns, temperature and precipitation that stretches over several decades. With that definition in mind, climate change has been an ongoing challenge for farmers […] Read more
4R nutrient stewardship key to climate change fight
Reading Time: < 1 minute Politicians need to recognize proper fertilizer use can cut greenhouse gases and should make 4R Nutrient Stewardship part of their climate change strategy, says Fertilizer Canada. The 4R program encourages using the right type of fertilizer at the right rate in the right place at the right time. It “not only increases economic performance for […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
