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

Panic buying, lockdowns may drive world food inflation
World has ample grain and oilseed supplies, FAO and analysts say

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

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

Improving global ag trade may not favour Canada
MarketsFarm — When it comes to improving global trade relations, a rising tide may not lift all boats. In the recently-signed Phase One trade deal between the U.S. and China, Beijing pledged to significantly increase Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans and other agriculture goods. “Where does that leave room for Canada, given the demand side […] Read more

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

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

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

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

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

FAO, OECD see swine fever in China among risks to food markets
Paris | Reuters — The spread of a deadly pig disease in China that has disrupted the world’s biggest pork market is one of the major risks to a well-supplied global agricultural sector, the FAO and OECD said on Monday. African swine fever was highlighted in the annual agricultural outlook for 2019-2028 from the Food […] Read more