Organic Archives - Page 2 of 13 - Manitoba Co-operator

EU seeks revised GMO rules to loosen curbs on gene-edited crops

Countries including Canada have put gene-edited plants at a lower regulatory level than GMOs, but the conversation has been ongoing in the EU

By Ludwig Burger, Philip Blenkinsop July 20, 2023

The European Commission proposed a revision of its rules on genetically modified organisms July 5 to loosen restrictions for plants resulting from newer gene-editing technology. The EU executive said the move would allow farmers to secure access to climate or pest-resistant crops with less fertilizers or pesticides and consumers would be able to buy food with better nutritional value

Crops, News

European organics ponder gene-editing coexistence

Unlike their Canadian counterparts, organic farmers across the pond haven’t contended with GMO crops at scale

By Geralyn Wichers June 3, 2023

United Kingdom and European Union organic groups are pushing for coexistence strategies as their governments debate how to regulate gene-edited crops. The problem is that the very idea of gene-edited crops is anathema to their sector. “The credibility of organically certified produce is built on the confidence of the shopper that they are choosing to

File photo of a CFIA vehicle. (Dave Bedard photo)

Crops, Weather

Gene-edited crops clear CFIA’s regulatory bar

Agency guidance puts gene editing on level of conventional breeding

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News May 4, 2023

Plants gene-edited for efficient use of water or nutrients or to better withstand pests or drought now won’t have to clear the same regulatory hurdles in Canada as any crops that are modified for herbicide tolerance or include foreign genes. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday announced updated guidance from the Canadian Food Inspection

Colin and Cheryl Bialkoski farm with his family near Rossburn, Man.

Faces of ag, News

A match made in heaven

Faces of Ag: Conservation and organic farming go hand in hand for Rossburn couple

By Geralyn Wichers April 11, 2023

A Rossburn-area couple says a decision to conserve 50 acres of land flows naturally from their organic farming mindset. “You should be trying to align yourself with nature rather than working against it,” Colin Bialkoski said. He and his wife, Cheryl, farm organic grains with his parents and their family. In fall 2022, they signed

News

Organic price discovery tool funded

The Manitoba Organic Development Fund marks 'historic' first dispersal of organic checkoff dollars

By Geralyn Wichers March 20, 2023

A digital marketing tool to help organic farmers find buyers and discover prices for their crops is one of five projects funded in the first dispersal from the Manitoba Organic Development Fund. Five grants, totaling nearly $51,000, were announced Feb. 23. This marks the first time funds were designated since organic farmers voted for a mandatory organic checkoff

The ultimate objective of agri-environmental groups is to turn the entire world organic, which is neither sustainable nor desirable.

Comment, Op/Ed

Comment: The politics of diet

There are groups that don’t even want the industry to be able to speak

By Sylvain Charlebois January 4, 2023

The COP15 meeting on biodiversity brought thousands of delegates to Montreal to address critical issues our planet is facing. Related to food systems, delegates discussed agroecology, food systems intensification, and consideration of fisheries in food security. One issue catching some people’s attention is diet and overconsumption. That’s right, food was discussed in Montreal. Many believe

Joel Williams says there’s a middle ground emerging around soil health.

News

Bridging the sustainability gap

The ESR framework is a good starting point to nibble away at regenerative agriculture

By Don Norman December 30, 2022

With the rising costs of inputs and more scrutiny of nitrogen emissions, farmers could find the ESR framework a useful tool to transition to a less intensive, less input-dependent model. ESR stands for efficiency, substitution and redesign. The framework was developed in Australia in the 1990s as a method to move from input-intensive conventional agriculture to a more ecologically based form

Farmer and sustainable agriculture devotee Tony McQuail.

Farmit Manitoba, News

Better energy balance key to future of agriculture

Ten calories in for one calorie out isn’t a balanced approach, says advocate Tony McQuail

By Don Norman December 14, 2022

In Grade 10 science, Tony McQuail’s class conducted an experiment. They were given a jar of banana pulp and a male and female fruit fly. Every day, he and his classmates would examine the jar. By day 26, there were more than 100 fruit flies. By day 28, there were more than 200. By day

“It’s a total crapshoot. It’s almost impossible to write business plans.”

Markets, News

Lack of data hampers organic sector

Not much data is collected, and what is collected is often unavailable, experts say

By Geralyn Wichers December 13, 2022

A lack of good data makes it hard to prove the value of Canadian organic food to business leaders and government officials, say sector leaders. “I don’t think there’s a bigger [issue in the sector],” said Laura Telford, organic sector development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. The data dearth encompasses imports and exports, sales, prices, crop

Crops

VIDEO: When cover crops and cattle meet

Partnership with local cattle producer helps improve soil health

By Greg Berg August 23, 2022

In July, the Manitoba Organic Alliance (MOA) held a cover crop farm tour at Faspa Farm near Manitou, Man. Here, Karen Klassen, farmer and executive director of the MOA, talks about the cover crops that were planted at Faspa Farm, how the cover crops planted in 2021 fared during drought, her partnership with a local

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle extend gains on improving cash prices, packer demand

U.S. grains: Soy futures slide on China demand doubts

Spain probes whether swine fever outbreak was caused by lab leak

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