There is no shortage of environmental regulations in this province. Indeed, some people are concerned that regulatory burdens unnecessarily infringe on how farmers, other business owners and regional authorities conduct day-to-day business. From my perspective in southwestern Ontario, all the regulation in the world has failed to stop a range of serious, long-running pollution problems. […] Read more
Tag Archives Environmental Issues
Opinion: Environmental regulation enforcement lacking in farm country
A lack of will or capacity allows polluters to go uninvestigated in rural areas
Europe’s manure mathematics frustrate farmers
Strict rules limit nitrogen application depending on the form it takes when applied
Trucking manure is part of the strange nitrogen mathematics used in Europe as it attempts to balance nutrient use and penalizes manure based only on its nitrogen effect, without considering other nutrients, soil organic matter and biological benefits.
Wool producers rebel over clothing sustainability claims
International wool organizations fight to ensure consumers aren’t fleeced by false sustainability claims
Canadian wool organizations support an international campaign that challenges the European Council’s methods of calculating Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). “Europe has a lot of the big fashion labels; they’re the ones that set the trend,” said Jane Underhill from Campaign for Wool. “I think that their investment in Europe is significant and that influences decision-making […] Read more
Water stress can constrain late-season photosynthesis
Science Notes: Remote sensing technology employed
Photosynthesis is regulated by plant phenology — how plant life cycles interact with the climate — and environmental conditions, both of which changed substantially in recent decades. Unlike early season photosynthesis, which is mostly driven by warming temperatures or the onset of the wet season, late-season photosynthesis can be limited by several factors, such as […] Read more
Farmland versus nuclear waste
Farmland is often taken over for industrial uses, but the debate goes a bit deeper in southern Bruce County
A proposal to use Bruce County farmland to build a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel bundles has some area farmers worried. The southern part of the county is one of two sites left on the list developed by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), the national agency created to manage Canada’s nuclear waste. The […] Read more
Yara executive touts fertilizer as greenhouse gas solution
Company believes more efficient production will avoid destroying forests for extra cropland, but other groups disagree
Fertilizer companies can do more good than bad when it comes to combatting greenhouse gases, according to Yara’s chief executive officer. Svein Tore Holsether said agriculture is responsible for one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. “On the one hand, that is a big challenge, but it is also a very big opportunity,” he told analysts […] Read more
Maple Leaf hits carbon neutral
The company has been working throughout its operations to reduce environmental impact
Maple Leaf Foods says its operations are carbon neutral, a status achieved through improvements in its own operations and investments in offsets elsewhere. The company claims to be the first major food company to be able to say that it is carbon neutral. Why it matters: Major operations decisions by large companies almost always have […] Read more
Consumer concerns driving livestock production discussion
Working towards trouble-free animals are often areas farmers are already working to improve
Areas of consumer concern like climate change and animal welfare are driving the livestock discussion, but farmers are already regularly improving both areas while they make their farms more efficient. That was the message from recent interviews conducted by Farmtario with a member of the leadership team behind Lactanet’s annual ranking of herd management scores […] Read more
Crop pests more widespread than previously known
Finding where pests exist in the early stages of movement into an area are key to control
Insects and diseases that damage crops are probably present in many places thought to be free of them, new research shows. Pests that have not been reported in a certain area are usually assumed to be absent, but analysis by the University of Exeter, United Kingdom, shows many pests are “currently unobserved, but probably present” […] Read more
Mini-biodigester offers big output for Ontario dairy farm
Ontario’s only mini-biodigester has been operating for more than a year and has changed how Harcolm Farms manages manure
After about 18 months of operation, Ontario’s one and only mini-digester is going strong. It’s situated at Harcolm Farms near Beachville, Ont., and owned by dairy farmers Rob and Rachel McKinlay. Minis are a fraction of the cost of a full-sized digester (there are more than 40 here in Ontario) and require much simpler permitting. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
