France to seek September grain talks if crisis looms

paris / reuters France will convene in the first half of September a rapid reaction forum of G20 countries if upcoming data on grain markets points to serious tensions following drought in the United States and Russia, a Farm Ministry official said July 30. The French government announced July 28 it was ready to call

Heat waves emphasize need for retooled climate research

A major heat wave and drought has sent world grain prices skyrocketing for a second of three summers suggesting it is time to address supply through repurposed climate research. Tackling high food prices among the leading G20 nations has so far bent on fixing demand issues, including grain trading, export bans and the role of


Natural gas, natural solution: Devine

It’s good for the environment, economy and food security, according to a former Saskatchewan premier

The move is on to switch heavy vehicles to natural gas, and that will benefit farmers and enhance global food security, says former Saskatchewan premier Grant Devine. There’s an abundance of cheap natural gas across the country, and new extraction technology is adding to the surplus here and abroad, he said. “We have no end

BASF sees strong growth tied to GMO crop traits

Reuters / Global conglomerate BASF is rolling out a series of new plant science and plant protection products for farmers in the United States as it aims to increase its share of fast-growing markets, executives of the German chemical giant said. South America is also a target as BASF shifts its agricultural emphasis — and


Agricultural research funds escape austerity cuts

Reuters / Public spending on agricultural research is on the rise, despite austerity drives in many countries, as price spikes and problems linked with climate change propel food security towards the top of government agendas, the head of a leading research body said. “People have realized that feeding the world without destroying the environment is

Dry spell spooks wheat market

Adamaging global dry spell is wilting wheat crops in Kansas, threatening exports from Russia and slowing sowing in Australia, serving a timely reminder to hedge funds that a new era of surplus grain is far from assured. In their biggest surge since 1996, Chicago wheat prices jumped by more than 17 per cent in mid-May


Food security not a supply issue

There has been a lot of debate in the news lately about the Canadian food system. UN Right to Food Rapporteur Olivier De Schutter recently visited Canada and indicated there are currently 800,000 Canadian households that are food insecure. He concluded that Canada has a lot of work to do in making sure more people

UN envoy says Canada needs a “right to food strategy”

The special rapporteur on the right to food's visit marks the first time the UN has 
dispatched an official to investigate food insecurity in a developed country

If everyone using a food bank in Manitoba lived in one place, it would be the province’s second-largest city. There are approximately 56,000 Manitobans who lack access to food because they either can’t afford it, or have nowhere to produce any themselves — or both. They are the Manitobans that Winnipeg Harvest has been trying


Global food prices on the rise again

reuters / Global food prices are rising again, pushed higher by costlier oil, strong demand from Asia and bad weather in parts of Europe, South America and the United States, the World Bank said April 25. The latest World Bank food price index showed the cost of food rose eight per cent between December and

Some federal budget cuts don’t add up for farmers: CFA

Some program cuts at Agriculture Canada resulting from the 2012 budget aren’t in the best interest of farmers and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is going to press for changes. “Some of the cuts do make sense because they get rid of duplication,” president Ron Bonnett said in an interview. But terminating regional adaptation councils