Category: Ag Policy Connection

Farmers and ranchers face many pressures to farm and raise animals in certain ways to meet sustainability-related goals of others, including food companies, lenders, and government.Clauses in crop contracts, carbon credits, government payments for rotational grazing or using nitrogen loss inhibitors, the federal fertilizer emissions reduction target, clean fuel standards, codes of practice, and Scope… Read More

Methane emissions from cattle have received plenty of mainstream attention over the past decade, with calls to eat less beef often not accounting for the carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits of producing highly-nutritious food on grasslands.The panel in this episode of the Ag Policy Connection ruminates on how environmental policies can help or hinder more… Read More

The term “agricultural extension” generally refers to the process of applying new research and knowledge to help farmers improve farming methods and techniques.While this concept has existed for thousands of years, the word “extension” itself dates back to the 1860s in England when universities made an attempt to extend practical information through lectures outside of… Read More

Governments in many countries are enacting policies aimed at mitigating climate change — massive subsidies, carbon levies, and strict regulations — that also have consequences on trade flows.Billions of dollars of incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S., the Canadian government’s carbon taxes, and the EU’s biofuel feedstock requirements and carbon border adjustments… Read More

There are many priorities that influence how land is used — the need for housing and economic development often drives the conversion of farmland and natural habitat into urban or suburban landscapes, but food security, productivity, biodiversity, crop or livestock prices, renewable energy policy, and of course, NIMBYism are among the many factors that can… 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 current… Read More

Canada is in the extremely fortunate position of having an abundance of one of the world’s most critical resources — one that is often taken for granted, until there’s not enough, or too much.Whether talking about multi-year droughts, algal blooms on Lake Erie, or economic potential through irrigation, there are massive opportunities and challenges on… Read More

What’s it going to take to maintain and grow Canadian agriculture in the future? After all, that’s ultimately the definition of that word “sustainable” that we hear so often these days. Whether you consider yourself a full-fledged ag policy nerd or just dabble every now and then, we’re excited to let you know that the… Read More

It was 2004, less than a year after BSE hit the Canadian cattle industry, when Canada’s first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) devastated poultry production in B.C. Without any playbook on how to manage the virus, a decision was made to cull all the birds on commercial farms in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. While… Read More

After decades of debate among farmers and politicians, it took less than 15 months for the machinery of the federal government to dismantle — some might describe it as steamroll — the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk following the Conservative majority in the 2011 federal election. The behind-the-scenes of how former federal Agriculture Minister Gerry… Read More