Farmers often lament that as each generation becomes further removed from the farm, the ability of urbanites to understand and appreciate what it takes to grow food has declined. Even though agriculture is fundamental to the health, wealth and security of any nation, Canadian producers now make up less than two per cent of the […] Read more
Tag Archives Food politics
Comment: How well are farmers handling their pandemic fame?
Some efforts to reach out to consumers are proving controversial
Comment: Should agriculture advocacy become activism?
The term ‘agvocate’ has made the agriculture sector feel good but probably doesn’t resonate with consumers
“Activist — A person who campaigns to bring about political or social change.” “Activism — Consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct, or intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society.” The word “activist” appears to be a word that has gone mainstream. There are human rights […] Read more
Swine fever in China among risks to food markets
World monitors of food say global demand will continue to increase
Reuters – The spread of a deadly pig disease in China that has disrupted the world’s biggest pork market is one of the major risks to a well-supplied global agricultural sector, the FAO and OECD said during a recent report. African swine fever was highlighted in the annual agricultural outlook for 2019-2028 from the Food […] Read more
Crop prices poised to stagnate: FAO
A new report says world oilseed demand isn’t expected to keep up with supply, which could result in lower prices
Glacier FarmMedia – For the last five years, or longer, plant-based protein has been the shining star of global agriculture. Global demand for plant-based protein has exploded, thanks to massive Chinese imports of soybeans and booming public consumption of veggie burgers and other forms of plant protein. However, protein’s star could fade over the next […] Read more
Why won’t consumers listen?
Farmers have been trying to engage consumers for years — yet the work has had little impact
It happens at farm meetings across Canada. Speakers use words like “engagement” and then talk about how farmers can use Twitter and Facebook to influence people. This has been happening for years at agricultural conferences across Canada. Because of all those presentations, thousands of producers now use social media to connect with consumers and explain […] Read more
Public trust in agriculture declines
A yearly study found that trust declined for the first time in several years
Consumers are taking a dimmer view of the Canadian food system, according to an organization set up to improve the perceptions of Canada’s food industry. The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity found in a large-scale study of adult Canadians, that 36 per cent of consumers felt the food system was headed in the right direction, […] Read more
Sorting through science and food messaging
The challenges agriculture has in the acceptance of new technology by the public is a function of resistance to change
In many ways this is the best time in history for the production and safety of food. There are fewer greenhouse gases produced per bushel of corn, with significantly less erosion and half the water of 30 years ago, says Jack Bobo, vice-president of global policy and government affairs for Intrexon, the company that owns […] Read more
Opinion: Creating a base for trust isn’t easy
Capital Letters with Kelsey Johnson of iPolitics
Last week agriculture leaders, experts, government officials, farmers and academics gathered in Gatineau, Que., for a two-day conference to talk about public trust. It’s a hot topic, a reality quickly confirmed by the full house it attracted. But what does public trust actually mean? In broad terms, public trust is the idea that a person […] Read more