Pulse Industry Releases Vision Document

Finding growth areas in the health sector and capitalizing on increasing concern for the environment are among the five key elements contained in a new vision and strategy document recently released by the Canadian pulse industry. Other elements include building on core strengths such as breeding and agronomy, reducing access barriers and serving existing markets.

Farming Must Change To Feed The World

The world’s farmers must quickly switch to more sustainable and productive farming systems to grow the food needed by a swelling world population and respond to climate change, FAO’s top crops expert told an international farm congress Feb. 4. In a keynote speech to 1,000 participants at the IVth World Congress on Conservation Agriculture (CA)


U. K. funds non-food biofuels

The British government and 15 businesses including Royal Dutch Shell and SABMiller have directed 27 million pounds (US$38.10 million) for research on new biofuels that do not use up food. It is Britain’s biggest ever public investment in bioenergy. The money will fund research at six centres around Britain with the goal of replacing petrol

Burned plants may store more carbon in soil

An ancient technique of plowing charred plants into the ground to revive soil may also trap greenhouse gases for thousands of years and forestall global warming, scientists said Dec. 5. Heating plants such as farm waste or wood in airtight conditions produces a high-carbon substance called biochar, which can store the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide


EU plan may increase global food problem

The challenge of meeting soaring global food demand may be made more difficult by European Union proposals which could ban some fungicides, Britain’s chief scientist said Nov. 12. The European Union may change to a hazard rather than risk-based approach, which effectively means crop chemicals could be banned if they are dangerous at any dosage.

Cattle producers embrace science

“It’s not what the celebrities say that’s important, it really should be what the science says.” – KARIN WITTENBERG Brian Sterling wants Al Gore to love cows. But the cattleman and chair of the environmental committee for the Manitoba Cattle Producers’ Association also looked inward for some of the blame for the vilification of cattle.


Manitoba marshes go to rehab

“A marsh needs to have droughts and flooding to maintain a balance.” – GORD GOLDSBOROUGH They’re trying to make Delta Marsh and Netley-Libau Marsh go to rehab and Gord Goldsborough is saying, yes, yes, yes. The director of Delta Marsh was thrilled to hear the latest throne speech which listed marsh rehabilitation as a priority.

MCPA proposes its own environmental program

“ALUS is a great idea but it does not help us as cattle producers.” – MARTIN UNRAU, MCPA Manitoba cattle producers are proposing a new program to reward them financially for environmentally friendly farming practices. The program, called Envi ronmental and Rural Stewardship Program (ERSP), would pay producers up to nearly $127 million annually for


Sustainability on NDP’s farm agenda

Panned by critics as a stand-pat plan, and short on plans to improve farm income, the Manitoba government’s throne speech Nov. 20 did draw some credit for plans to encourage farm and rural development. The NDP government’s speech, delivered by Lt.Gov. John Harvard, did note plans for a new Sustainable Agricultural Program as well as

Funds increased for habitat preservation

A program that helps preserve the Prairie landscape that is home to Manitoba wildlife will be provided a 20 per cent increase in provincial support, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers has announced. “New support for the Critical Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP) will help conserve grassland habitat that is home to threatened and endangered Prairie wildlife,” Struthers