Category: Regulatory

The proposed rules for the federal government’s new Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) are set to be published this week, and will include changes aimed at addressing some of the concerns farmers and farm groups raised regarding an earlier proposal, according to a government document and government sources familiar with the file. Several farm and commodity… Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has harmonized diquat maximum residue limits (MRL) with Canada for group 6c (pulse crops), according to Pulse Canada. The regulation, in effect as of today, establishes tolerance of Group 22 active ingredient diquat in peas, dry beans, and shelled beans, but excludes soybeans. The MRL is set at 0.9… Read More

Bayer has announced that the European Commission has authorized XtendFlex soybean technology for food, feed, import and processing in the European Union. The XtendFlex trait infers resistance to glyphosate, glufosinate, and dicamba. The EU approval for XtendFlex soybeans was the remaining hold up to the full launch of the trait in the United States and… Read More

Later this week, it will be an offence under Ontario law to “stop, obstruct, hinder or otherwise interfere with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals.” Ontario’s government has proclaimed Section 6(1) and three other related sections of Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020. These proclamations will ensure the safety… Read More

The Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA) — the last of five seed organizations to vote on the amalgamated industry group Seeds Canada — has voted against joining in a vote of 337 in favour, 414 against. A two-thirds majority vote was necessary for the amalgamation to go forward. Seeds Canada is a proposed merger of… Read More

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released an update on reported mystery seed packages. Over 750 individuals from across all 10 provinces have received mystery packages of seeds. Information that the CFIA has collected, to date, includes: packages postmarked from several countries and are declared as toys or jewelry; seeds are from a range… Read More

In the food business, there is likely no more ruthless arena than the grocery store. A recent move by Walmart to impose new costs on suppliers has prompted a group of food and beverage organizations to call on the federal government to step in and regulate the grocery industry. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Dairy… Read More

An unidentified individual has asked the Ontario government to supply a full list of farmers and farm businesses by name and Farm Business Registration (FBR) number. The formal request, filed under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, asks the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) to provide the following information:… Read More

For perhaps the first time in several generations, Canadians have been faced with real uncertainty in their food system. The fallout of the COVID-19 economic shutdown and panic buying led to shuttered processors, dumped milk, and empty grocery store shelves. Most consumers wouldn’t normally think about or talk about food security or agriculture on a… Read More

While the U.S. and Canada are neighbours and trading partners, and share a similar agriculture industry, there are key differences between the two countries. While integrated, Canadian agriculture and U.S. agriculture food safety, product registration, support programs and more are each unique and a reflection of the societies as a whole. As such, Pierre Petelle,… Read More