The federal minority Liberal government is promising job creation, better rural internet access and a commitment to combating climate change in its newly revealed legislative plans. In an ambitious throne speech delivered Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party committed itself to implementing universal child care and extending or enhancing many of the economic measures put […] Read more
Tag Archives climate change — page 14
Throne speech commits to rural broadband improvement
Rural health care, water management also on deck
Researchers say free trade can help climate change hunger
Science Notes: Climate change will impact regions in different ways
Researchers from KU Leuven, the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and RTI International investigated the effects of trade on hunger in the world as a result of climate change. They found that international trade can compensate for regional food shortages and reduce hunger, particularly when protectionist measures and other barriers to trade are […] Read more
Farmer ready to cut woodlots to pay carbon tax
Government needs to pay for carbon sinks like woodlots and crops, he says
A Lambton County farmer, a winner of environmental awards, says he is ready to rip out his woodlots to help pay for carbon taxes on his farm. Joe Kerr, his wife and their company own about 1,800 acres, about 365 of which is woodlot. He doesn’t expect to clear it all, because it wouldn’t make […] Read more
Wheat in Whitehorse: How climate change helps feed Canada’s remote regions
Newfoundland and Labrador also pushing to expand arable land base
Winnipeg/Ottawa | Reuters — After failing to grow wheat in the Yukon territory 15 years ago, farmer Steve Mackenzie-Grieve gave it another shot in 2017. Thanks to longer summers, he has reaped three straight harvests. This spring he plans to sow canola on his family’s 450-acre farm near Whitehorse, a city not much further from […] Read more
‘Doomsday’ seed vault welcomes millionth crop variety
The vault was built to safeguard the world’s food supplies
Reuters – A vault in the Arctic built to preserve seeds for rice, wheat and other food staples will contain one million varieties with the addition of specimens grown by Cherokee Indians and the estate of Britain’s Prince Charles. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, built on an Arctic mountainside in 2008, was designed as a […] Read more
New Brunswick postpones pesticide use hearings
Deadline extended for written submissions
The New Brunswick government’s planned public hearings on the use of glyphosate and other pesticides are postponed, and more time is being granted for the public to file written briefs. The provincial legislature’s all-party standing committee on climate change and environmental stewardship on Feb. 5 announced it would hold hearings in Fredericton March 24-27 “on […] Read more
Farmers pitched as climate solution providers
A new organization aims to bring attention to farmers’ role in climate change mitigation
A coalition of farm groups has launched a new national movement to promote the idea of farmers being a part of creating Canadian climate change solutions. The group, called, Farmers for Climate Solutions is currently made up of organic and environment-focused groups across the country, but aims to include more larger farm organizations, says Brent […] Read more
Currie appointed to climate change committee
The agriculture sector will have a voice on the premier’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change. Ontario Federation of Agriculture President Keith Currie was recently appointed to the new committee. “I’m pretty excited to have agriculture around the table,” said Currie in an interview. “I think agriculture is climate change’s best-kept secret.” Carbon sequestration by agriculture […] Read more
NFU paper lays out solutions for climate, farming challenges
MarketsFarm — The global climate crisis is interlinked with the financial crisis on Canadian farms, according to a new discussion paper from the National Farmers Union (NFU). The paper proposes changes to agriculture practices that could help the sector become part of the solution to both major issues. Compiled by Darrin Qualman in collaboration with […] Read more
Canadians to spend more on food in 2020, report predicts
MarketsFarm — Canadians will spend two to four per cent more on food in 2020, according to the latest Canada Food Price Report from researchers at Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab and the University of Guelph. The average family in the country will see its total food bill for groceries and restaurant meals rise by […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
