Food Price Spike Shows Reform Urgent

The current spike in food prices is a repeat of the 2007-08 crisis and indicates urgent reforms are needed to a stressed global agricultural system, John Beddington, the U.K. government’s chief scientist said on Jan. 24. “In 2007-08 everyone said this was just a one-off because we have been looking at price declines for 30

New Association Advances Composting Practices

Composting is about to get a boost in Manitoba with the emergence of a new group focused on advancing both the science and the art of managing organic waste. The Manitoba Composting Association was formed after a meeting last September of representatives from Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Ini t i a t i v


In Brief… – for Dec. 16, 2010

Ukraine extends export quotas:Ukraine’s government on Dec. 8 extended grain export quotas, set to expire on Dec. 31, until March 31, 2011, Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted Farm Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk as saying. “The question is resolved. The quotas are extended by the decision of the government,” Prysyazhnyuk said. Ukraine’s Economy Ministry said earlier it

New Book Takes Aim At Global Food Issues

The continuing exodus of rural peasants to urban centres is the result of “capitalist agriculture” and hampers the planet’s ability to feed itself, according to a new book published by the National Farmers Union. Rural depopulation is the legacy of Britain’s 18th century pursuit of mercantilist dominance of global trade which promoted urbanization as progress


Food Safety Committee Will “Get The Job Done” Says Cattlemen’s Rep

Farm groups are participating in an industry-government food safety committee because they expect results, says Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “A common thread to the committee is our efforts on food safety and pursuing a solution-based approach between the food industry and government,” said Laycraft. “What we have is a partnership

“Everything” Is Not On The Table

Hunger that emerged as a side-effect of war left a lasting mark on European culture – one that we would do well to remember in the context of the much-heralded negotiations towards a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union. Canadian and European negotiators have been working towards a bilateral


NFU Campaigns To Block “Comprehensive” EU Trade Deal

Ayear ago Steve Verheul, Canada’s chief negotiator on the Canada – European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), lamented such an important deal should be attracting more public interest. The talks now have the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) full attention; based on a secret draft text obtained in July, the organization says an

Farmers’ Gain Seen In Federal Food-Labelling Decision

While Health Canada took only a cautious first step, its recent decision to allow health claims on foods that contain plant sterols intended to lower blood cholesterol levels could create a new market for farmers. Its refusal until recently to accept health claims worked to the disadvantage of growers and food companies, said Derek Nighbor,


Course Seeks Peaceful Solution To Food Wars

Try to have a discussion on food production these days and you invariably end up in a fight. It usually goes something like this. Monsanto: bad. Organic: good. Or vice versa. Either way, it’s a confrontation. A special Canadian Mennonite University course next month aims at taking the conflict out of the food system debate.

The Best Farm Support Program

Scholarly types come up with different numbers when they set about quantifying the returns on public investment in agricultural research, but they are all, without fail, extraordinarily positive. University of Guelph agricultural economist George Brinkman summed it well in a 2004 paper by saying agricultural research is one of the highest payback uses for public