Dairy Farmers of Ontario has advised farmers that milk dumping, in rotation, will occur beginning this week, as the industry adjusts to the new demand curves during COVID-19 and the social distancing it requires. Several provinces, Ontario included, saw a large spike in demand at the onset of the virus-induced isolation period. However, the resulting… Read More
Canada’s domestic food and agriculture supply chains have been put to the test and (the hoarding of toilet paper, flour, and meat notwithstanding) held up exceptionally well under the sudden panic-buying ahead of the COVID-19 self-isolation directive. Al Mussell, research lead with Agri-Food Economic Systems, says that these supply chains have proven to have a… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it’s prioritizing critical services to preserve the integrity of Canada’s food safety system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with that, the agency says it has temporarily suspended “low-risk activities that do not immediately impact the production of safe food for Canadians.” The list of critical activities includes the following:… Read More
Update, as of 11pm EDT Friday, March 20: The Canadian government confirmed late Friday that it will be exempting seasonal agricultural workers from the travel restrictions put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. “The participation of temporary foreign workers on our farms and our food businesses is absolutely necessary,” says Minister of… Read More
While we are in the midst of a huge unknown as the world hunkers down to fight a common enemy in COVID-19, significant questions are being raised about food supply chains and economic resiliency. An event like this is known as a “black swan.” It’s an unpredictable, large-scale, huge impact event that fundamentally shifts how… Read More
If ever there was an example of how to alienate an entire portion of your customer base, A&W’s 2013 “Better Beef” campaign was it. Not only did the marketing ploy raise the ire of Canadian ranchers, but the claim of “no added hormones or steroids” also got the back up of just about every conventional… Read More
If the empty space on grocery store shelves that used to hold toilet paper and hand sanitizer are any indication, consumer panic has set in regarding the potential impact of coronavirus. While stocking up on essentials may be a predictable response, the effect this disease may have on domestic and international food supply chains is… Read More
Yield stability and income stability — that’s what farmers earn when they invest in regenerative agriculture. That message was heard often throughout the recent Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario (IFAO) annual conference in London, Ont. It’s a tune that more and more farmers are singing as they increase efforts to enhance soil health on their… Read More
It can be easy to think about Canadian grain, canola, soybeans, or meat as just commodities — a product bought and sold, traded, and shipped. And that’s true, of course, but those commodities are also eventual meals for Canadian customers, even if those customers live in places such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, or the Philippines…. Read More
Imagine representing the entirety of retailers that do business in Canada. That’s the role of the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), led by president and chief executive officer Diane Brisebois. RCC represents 45,000 retail businesses and online merchants, and food is no doubt a big part of that. “Food, on its own, represents more than… Read More
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is calling on the federal government to resolve the issues with railway blockades, as agriculture sits on a “tipping point” of lost revenue, lost trade, and potentially an animal welfare issue, as propane, once again, is not making its way east. In Quebec, 85 per cent of poultry barns are… Read More
You need only read the titles of his books to know Timothy Caulfield is no stranger to calling out misinformation. Caulfield is Canada’s Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, a professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, as well as research director of the Health Law Institute at the… Read More
Think about the food future you would like to curate. That’s the challenge Michiel Bakker, Google’s director of global programs for real estate and workplace services, gave to Canada’s Agriculture Day attendees at Ottawa, Ont., this year. “So think about 2050 — what is your dream of what your food future should be from a… Read More
For a company that proclaims its loyalty to Canadian ranchers on the back and sides of its transport trucks, navigating a foray into the plant-based market is going to be somewhat tricky. McDonald’s marketing director Jean-Guillaume Bertola fully understands that the company has to strike a balance between adapting menus based on changing consumer preferences,… Read More
Montreal-based dairy processing giant Saputo has announced plans to close facilities at Trenton, Ont., and Saint John, New Brunswick. The company says the closures are “aimed at improving its operational efficiency and right-sizing both its manufacturing footprint and sales force in Canada.” The Trenton plant is scheduled to be shut down in September of this… Read More