Building material made of corn cobs, chips made of duckweed and grain, and a non-alcoholic oat fibre beverage, were each named top innovations at this year’s Project SOY (Sustainable Opportunities for You) Plus finale event at the University of Guelph on March 25. The interdisciplinary program, now in its 26th year, gives students the opportunity […] Read more
Tag Archives food — page 11

Plant-based product development competition highlights student innovations
2022 Project SOY Plus winners announced at University of Guelph

Opinion: Is greed driving the beef industry to a legal showdown?
When it comes to price-fixing, the U.S. acts. Canada, not so much
A Quebec-based group is leading a class-action lawsuit aimed at major federally licensed beef packers. Cargill, JBS Foods, Tyson Foods and National Beef Packing are all accused of colluding and inflating beef prices since 2015. Consumers in Quebec who have been buying beef since 2015 can be part of the claim. The authorization application was […] Read more

Farming behind the lines: Ukraine’s farmers sow amidst wreckage
Despite their best efforts, however, famine looms as war rages
In early April, Ukrainian soldiers expelled the Russian invaders from the northern regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions. The wounded enemy left, leaving behind burned-out war machines and the unburied corpses of his soldiers. However, the invaders managed to do a lot of damage. Many of you are probably aware of the atrocities […] Read more

Food waste put to use in formula to boost root growth, sugar content
Nurture Growth uses microbes from waste to let plants fix their own nitrogen
The power of rescued food waste is being harnessed to lessen farmers’ dependence on synthetic fertilizers. A bio-organic formula using food waste developed by Mississauga-based Nurture Growth that contains more than 20 microbes lets plants fix their own nitrogen and has been shown to boost yield and make plants more resilient. Why it matters: Under […] Read more

Changes to TFW program to expand worker availability
Workplace LMIAs now valid for 18 months
The federal government is boosting the availability of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to ag and other understaffed sectors under a list of policy changes announced Monday. Employment and Workforce Development Minister Carla Qualtrough announced what’s called the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Workforce Solutions Road Map, which the government said “marks the next step in […] Read more

Food, farming, forestry must be transformed to curb global warming, UN says
Earlier draft of panel report called for reduced intake of meat
Reuters — Protecting forests, changing diets, and altering farming methods could contribute around a quarter of the greenhouse gas cuts needed to avert the worst impacts of climate change, according to the United Nations’ climate panel. But the changes are unlikely to happen unless governments act to spur them along, the report from the Intergovernmental […] Read more

Ukraine war already impacting food security, U.N. agency warns
London | Reuters — The war in Ukraine is already resulting in rising food prices and a shortage of staple crops in parts of central Asia, the Middle East and north Africa, the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said on Thursday. The Russian invasion of Ukraine last month has severely curtailed shipments […] Read more

G7 ag ministers urge end to food export curbs as prices surge
Nations warn against 'speculative behaviour'
Hamburg | Reuters — Global food exporting countries should not restrict food exports after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cut world supplies, agriculture ministers of the G7 group of nations said on Friday. The impact on markets escalated this week as a growing list of food producing countries restricted exports, keeping vital supplies within their borders. […] Read more

New accelerator helps agri-food start-ups THRIVE
Silicon Valley-based investor platform announces its first cohort in Canada
The new THRIVE Canada Accelerator has unveiled the participants in its first cohort for Canadian agri-food innovation start-ups. It’s led by SVG Ventures | THRIVE, a leading global investment platform headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley that has been helping start-up founders and entrepreneurs around the world since 2010. Why it matters: Producing more with less […] Read more

Loblaw beats estimates for quarterly revenue
Reuters — Canadian retailer Loblaw Cos. beat market estimates for quarterly revenue on Thursday, as demand for groceries and other essential items stayed strong. The pandemic-led trend of cooking at home has sustained even as COVID curbs have eased, continuing to help sales at grocery stores that benefited during last year’s lockdowns. Companies such as […] Read more