Put aside for a moment your opinion on the current federal government’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. (Though, if you’re curious, you can read about what is proposed, here) There are two timeframes to think about in regards to carbon emissions — there’s the 2030 line in the sand, by which… Read More
Category: Biotechnology
Health Canada has opened consultations on how Canada regulates plants with novel traits, including those produced through gene editing technology, such as CRISPR-Cas9. The 60-day consultation kicked off March 25th, and grain industry leaders are pushing for all those in the value chain to weigh in on the importance of the modernization of the regulations…. Read More
On Thursday, Ryan Jespersen featured an hour dedicated to agricultural issues. The panel consisted of Alberta based beef and dairy farmer Jeff Nonay, Brittany Hennig, a MSc Student at the University of Alberta & Research Administration at Alberta Canola, and me. With a primarily urban audience, addressing agricultural issues on a show like this is… Read More
Argentina’s ministry of agriculture has granted approval of a genetically modified trait for wheat. Bioceres announced on Thursday that its HB4 wheat “event” has been approved for growth and consumption, making Argentina the first country to approve HB4 drought tolerance technology for wheat. The regulatory clearance follows the approval of HB4 soybean, which has been… Read More
How will a short stature corn benefit not only farmers in the highest corn-yielding state in Mexico, but also across the world? A recent session of the Future of Farming Dialogue series, hosted by Bayer, focused on the VITALA short stature corn (SSC) system, bred with shorter stalks and a lower ear height, and is… Read More
Grain corn acres in Western Canada this year might be down, but there’s potential for some big yields, assuming the crop can avoid late season pitfalls. “For growers who held onto those acres, they’re going to be rewarded, no doubt. Grain corn crops here in southern Manitoba look especially strong,” says Alana Serhan, market development… Read More
When most people hear the term biotechnology they think GMOs. It’s important to know that biotechnology is much more than just GMOs because understanding this helps us to understand how scientists are helping to provide food for the seven billion people on the planet. In this episode of the Wheat School, Dr. Harpinder Randawa, research scientist with… Read More
We all like to believe we are independent thinkers, but the beliefs of most people often align with one team or another. Tamar Haspel does not have a team. She is a columnist for the Washington Post and, along with her husband, has an oyster farm on Cape Cod. If you follow her on Twitter… Read More
“Patience is a virtue” – William Langland It’s been six years in the making as the Canadian canola industry waits for the approval of three canola traits for export into the Chinese market — Bayer’s TruFlex (introduced under Monsanto), Optimum Gly, owned by Corteva, and BASF’s Rf3. Whether it’s the opportunity for expanded application windows… Read More
In order for Canada’s farmers and agriculture industry to adapt and welcome new technology, the rules and regulations governing the industry must be predictable, fair, and enabling. Pierre Petelle, president and CEO of CropLife Canada, says that a predictable and fair regulatory environment means that Canada remains an attractive market for new products, varieties, or… Read More
A ruling by the European Union’s (EU) top court states that food produced by a series of new biotechnology breeding techniques, such as CRISPR, should be considered genetically modified organisms (GMO). This ruling means the specific food or food ingredient resulting from these gene-editing techniques falls under the EU’s strict regulations and restrictions on GMO. Any… Read More
Why is ethanol important to agriculture, the environment, and consumers? On this episode of the Corn School, RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin travels to the Honda Indy in Toronto for a firsthand look at how Ontario grain farmers are reaching out to consumers to increase understanding of biofuels and the role farmers play in powering cars in the… Read More
Ontario will set a new corn yield record in 2017 with the crop expected to hit an average of 180 bu/ac or better. Where is all that yield coming from? Corn physiologist Dr. Thijs Tollenaar has poured over the data and identified three key factors driving corn yield improvement. A long-time University of Guelph professor… Read More
Opportunities to watch Food Evolution, the new documentary focusing on scientists’ views of GMOs, have been few and far between. But that all changes today with the release of the film on iTunes and Amazon. RealAgriculture attended a premiere of the film in Guelph, Ont., in June, but since that time the film has struggled… Read More
It’s easier to scare people than reassure them. That’s how environmental activist Mark Lynas frames the debate around the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs have their supporters and their detractors, all fighting for or against the technology, and in the middle is a very confused and distrusting public. That’s the narrative director Scott… Read More