Drew Spoelstra has been re-elected to a second, one-year term as president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). The Binbrook, Ont., dairy and crop farmer was chosen to lead the provincial farm lobby at an executive meeting following the conclusion of the organization’s annual convention in Toronto this week. “I appreciate the trust and… Read More
Category: Regulatory
The implementation of a grocery sector code of conduct, improvements to AgriRecovery, capital gains tax changes, and food security in Canada’s north were among the topics discussed by agriculture ministers from across Canada in Whitehorse this week. Ministers representing the federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments traveled to the Yukon capital for their annual FPT… Read More
Long-awaited regulatory updates to modernize how feed is regulated in Canada were published in the Canada Gazette II last week, with some of them taking effect immediately Melissa Dumont, executive director of the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC), says that her organization welcomes the changes the new regulations will bring due in no small… Read More
MPs on the House of Commons’ agriculture committee have published a list of recommendations for the federal government to tackle the issue of food price volatility after studying the topic over the past six months. The committee heard from a long list of witnesses, including executives from Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys-owner Empire, Walmart Canada and Costco,… Read More
When it comes to agriculture and the environment, some people see agriculture as a solution, while others view it as a problem. And in politics, people with different perspectives and levels of awareness about farming often sit in the same caucus or cabinet, influencing where a party stands on environmental policies that affect agriculture. Canada’s… Read More
Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is several years into what’s been dubbed a “transformation.” The PMRA reform process started nearly three years ago, leading up to the 2021 federal election, and this initial “transformation” was to focus on four area: transparency, increase the use of real-world data and independent advice, strengthen human health… Read More
Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and his staff are looking for ways to reduce the federal agriculture budget by three per cent, in line with what’s been asked of other federal departments. That’s one of the pieces of information gleaned from a one-on-one interview with Minister MacAulay, recorded Thursday, Nov. 9. MacAulay says he never dreamed… Read More
It’s been a long process, but Canada is nearing a final decision on the use of gene editing in crop development. Krista Thomas, vice president of seed innovation and trade policy with the Canada Grains Council, explains the final assessment — that of feed for livestock — is nearing completion, as the consultation wraps up… Read More
It’s time for this week’s episode of RealAg Politics! On this show, host Shaun Haney is joined by: Steve Pratte, senior manager, transportation and biofuel policy with the Canadian Canola Growers Association, on Transport Canada’s upcoming railway policy review; Erin Gowriluk, president of Canada Grains Council, on the importance of science-based policy; and, Alanna Koch,… Read More
The federal government announced a series of changes to its policies around pesticide use on Tuesday, including the introduction of a ban on cosmetic uses of pesticides on federal land and the end of a nearly two-year pause on reviews of maximum residue limits (MRLs). CropLife Canada, which represents companies that make crop protection products,… Read More