Earlier this week, on World Milk Day, Saputo announced the implementation of its animal welfare policy, along with new programs offered to support the policy through the University of Guelph and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to the company's recent press release, the policy was created through collaborative efforts with customers, dairy producers, veterinarians, governmental... Read More
Category: Food
If you’re keeping tabs on Ontario’s beef industry this Local Food Week, you’ve seen how a company’s profile can grow when it markets its brand effectively, promotes itself tirelessly, and stands on values instead of gimmicks. A prime example is VG Meats, which seems to be popping up everywhere. VG stands for Van Gronigen, a... Read More
Next week, June 1 to 7, 2015, marks the second annual local food week here in Ontario. What's local food week? Announced as part of the "Local Food Act" passed in 2013, the first week of June is a time to shine the light on all things locally grown for Ontario. While this might bring... Read More
Proclaiming dairy, or any sector for that matter, “today’s greatest business opportunity,” is bold indeed. But that was the way dairy was positioned at a huge animal feed symposium that concluded last week at Alltech's world headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky. Using milk as an example, participants at various sessions at the symposium heard how dairy... Read More
North America's largest food retailer, Walmart, unveiled its positions on animal welfare and the use of antibiotics in farm animals on Friday. Strangely enough, farm groups and animal rights organizations alike applauded the company's animal care guidelines. While both sides are welcoming Walmart's positions, if you dig a bit deeper, there are conflicting views on... Read More
Research is supposed to give decision makers information from which they can make sound policy. Without research-based information, what evidence would decisions be based on? Hearsay? Emotions? Gut feel? Some intuition must be part of any decision, sure, but at the core, at least when it comes to public policy, there must be something more... Read More
In the last couple of weeks, there have been many impassioned pleas from producers asking consumers to avoid McDonald's for no reason other than an alleged change of source for their 100% Canadian beef patties. The pleas suggest the company will be moving to products sourced from South America, not now, but in the near... Read More
"It's what the consumer demands." Whether it be new products on store shelves, changes to government regulation, or new on-farm protocols, this has become the trumping selling point for whatever it is that needs selling. “The Consumer” is demanding oversight. “The Consumer” wants a more sustainable product. “The customer (read: consumer)” is always right. But... Read More
In the last few years, we have seen incredible innovations in food and agriculture, often inspired by environmental improvements, the push for more local food and increased global food security. Urban agriculture is cropping up in cities, insect farms are crawling out of the wood work, and cafes are repurposing would-be waste. In an effort... Read More
The announcement by U.S. restaurant chain Chipotle that it has eliminated all GMOs from its menu (with some exceptions, of course) is drawing major criticism from not only the agriculture and science communities, but the mainstream media. The Washington Post, Bloomberg and TIME were among the outlets that published articles last week denouncing the GMO-free... Read More