Health Canada is in the process of revamping the Canada Food Guide, with an emphasis on encouraging Canadians to eat more vegetables and plant-based protein, potentially at the expense of dairy and meat consumption. The government has come under criticism for not seeking input from the agriculture and agri-food sector, as no witnesses from the agriculture sector… Read More
Category: Food
If you’ve been attending agricultural and food conferences over the last decade you’ve likely heard countless references to “feed the 9 billion” or to double production by 2050 to meet the appetite of a growing global population. Is it time we revisited this oft-cited food prediction? Penn State University’s Mitch Hunter thinks so. Hunter and… Read More
Nominations are closing this week for two unique global food innovation awards — and there’s every reason to believe Canadian agriculture could produce a winner. The awards are the first Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards, from the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. The institute was created from a $20-million donation from the… Read More
The Canadian organic production industry received confirmation today that the federal government will provide financial support for updating organic standards. Today in Guelph federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay annouced the Government of Canada’s commitment to provide the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) the “necessary funds to cover costs associated with the 2020 Canadian Organic Standards… Read More
Interested in growing camelina for Three Farmers? Get ready to intercrop. Three Farmers, a Saskatchewan-based snack food company, is offering, for the first time, production contracts for camelina, an oilseed crop. A stipulation of the contract is that camelina be grown in tandem with either pea or lentil. Likely the first-of-its-kind stipulation in a crop… Read More
The Liberal government’s minimum wage hike will cost Ontario fruit and vegetable growers $297 million over the next two years. The impact on the industry was calculated by professional consultants and presented to all levels of the provincial government, but Premier Kathleen Wynne, Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and senior bureaucrats chose not to listen, says… Read More
In an era where “offensive” seems to have an ever-widening set of definitions, a group of police officers found themselves under the defensive wing of journalist and television personality Piers Morgan. How it all started Members of the North Wales Rural Crime Team wanted to support local farmers after the country’s National Farmers Union hosted… Read More
According to the dictionary, a sin tax is “a tax on items considered undesirable or harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco.” There is mounting pressure from activist groups to add animal proteins to that list of so-called “sinful” items. They argue meat creates added healthcare costs and negative impacts on the environment. It might sound… Read More
With all of the hype around synthetic meat and plant based burgers, it appears consumers still have a taste and desire for regular old meat. In the 2017 wrap-up show on RealAg Radio, Kelvin Heppner described “plant-based meat” as one of the most overused terms of 2017 and consumers are not buying the Silicon Valley… Read More