Reginald Conyers, a traveling busker, plays the trumpet outside a Safeway while people observing social distancing wait in line to enter the store  in Oakland on March 20, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Kate Munsch)

Panic buying, lockdowns may drive world food inflation

World has ample grain and oilseed supplies, FAO and analysts say

Singapore | Reuters — Lockdowns and panic food buying due to the coronavirus pandemic could ignite world food inflation even though there are ample supplies of staple grains and oilseeds in key exporting nations, a senior economist at FAO and agricultural analysts said. The world’s richest nations poured unprecedented aid into the global economy as […] Read more

(Video screengrab from CBSA-asfc.gc.ca)

U.S.-Canada border to temporarily close to nonessential travel

Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — The U.S.-Canada border will close to nonessential traffic, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday, saying details on the move would be announced later but that it would not affect trade between the two countries. “We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. […] Read more


(CdnAgDay.ca)

Ottawa’s Agriculture Day gathering a sector-wide affair

Agriculture Day celebrations across Canada on Tuesday included a conference in Ottawa with roughly 500 attendees from across the ag sector. Hosted by Agriculture More than Ever, the event aimed to bring together people involved in agriculture, food and agribusiness. “We’re having a gathering to celebrate Canadian agriculture and food and the contributions that we […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: FCC sees opportunities for exports

MarketsFarm — Farm Credit Canada (FCC) on Tuesday released a report titled Diversifying Canada’s agriculture exports, which included pulses and also looked at some of the pros and cons to diversifying Canada’s wheat, canola and soybeans. “Canada has done extremely well in establishing strong trade relations in a number of key markets thanks to a […] Read more

By making the right choices, Canada is readily positioned to be the breadbasket of the world.

There is a Canadian advantage when it comes to producing food

Clean air and water and productive soils give us an edge — but they must be used wisely

Reading Time: 3 minutes I was visiting my friends who are new to Canada on a rainy autumn afternoon. As often happens when we get together, the discussion weaves its way toward food and in particular the nutrient richness in Canadian food. “It is the soil, the air and the water that make such a difference,” my friend said. […] Read more


A man makes mud seed balls in Bhopal, India.

Food culture runs deep and has many different facets

A food system isn’t just something that comes from seed, sun, water and soil — it’s also very personal

Reading Time: 3 minutes Learning the different perspectives of people is interesting. In the arguments over food security in the future, there often is an element of truth in even the most unusual idea. I felt challenged, however, during a public forum when the concept of ‘seed bombing’ a city was put forward in an attempt to return it […] Read more

Genetically modified cotton plants with an edible cottonseed trait are seen growing near Belvidere in northeastern North Carolina. (Texas A+M University handout via Reuters)

U.S. regulators allow GM cotton as human food source

Washington | Reuters — U.S. regulators on Friday gave the green light for genetically modified cotton to be used for human consumption, paving the way for a protein-packed new food source — edible cottonseed that tastes a bit like chickpeas — that its developers said could help tackle global malnutrition. The Food and Drug Administration’s […] Read more


Maynard Kolskog has made some remarkable tasting oat-based cheeses. Pictured here are a smoky cheese and a blue cheese.

Reporter plays foodie and samples oat-based cheeses

“The more I work with Alberta crops, the more I get excited about them,” says local culinary arts instructor

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s not every day that I go into a laboratory to try food. But today, I walk into a room with steel containers and refrigerators, where researchers are wearing lab coats. I’m about to taste some new oat ‘cheese,’ and I’m excited. Before I get to taste the oat cheese, research chef, Maynard Kolskog has […] Read more