Reuters — Billions of people are overweight, millions are hungry, one third of food is wasted and the way the world produces, processes and consumes food generates one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said on Thursday at the first global summit on the future of food. The aim of the summit is […] Read more
Tag Archives food — page 14

U.N. looks for recipe to tackle global food dysfunction

Canadian food security doesn’t look like it does in other countries
Accessibility to food is one thing — but resilience in production and processing is another
As some countries stockpile agricultural products, Canada continues to ship them out despite feed affordability concerns in parts of the country. Would investments in a stockpiled grain supply have helped what appears to be a developing food production crisis? As a leading exporter, however, the question for Canada should be different. A true food security […] Read more

Afghanistan ‘marching towards starvation,’ UN food chief says
Doha | Reuters — Millions of Afghans could soon face starvation due to a combination of conflict, drought and the coronavirus pandemic, the executive director of the World Food Programme said on Tuesday, calling on political leaders to act fast. “There’s a perfect storm coming because of several years of drought, conflict, economic deterioration, compounded […] Read more

Haitians grow impatient for quake aid as hungry crowd gathers
Victims say they still lack food, shelter, clean water; some major hospitals damaged
Les Cayes, Haiti | Reuters — A hungry crowd gathered outside an airport in southern Haiti on Wednesday as people left homeless by an earthquake that killed some 2,000 people voiced anger that government aid was slow to arrive five days after the disaster, leaving many without food and water. Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who […] Read more

U.S. confirms will boost food stamps by record amount
Washington | Reuters –– The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) on Monday will announce revised nutrition standards dramatically boosting average food stamp benefits, the agency confirmed Sunday. The New York Times first reported the plan to unveil the largest permanent benefits increase in the history of the government’s primary anti-hunger program, saying the change would result […] Read more

Industry-led Code of Conduct for retailers on horizon
Provincial agriculture ministers encourage industry collaboration to find solution
A report from the federal-provincial working group says the retail sector has levied an increasing number of fees on suppliers, and is proposing the formation of a code of conduct as a potential solution. Canada’s agriculture ministers are now calling on industry to lead the process. They formed the working group to study the issue […] Read more

Hemp industry looking forward despite hurdles
Industry 'on the edge of turning'
MarketsFarm — The number of hemp acres grown in Canada, of which more than 80 per cent are on the Prairies, have ebbed and flowed over the past few years. In 2018, 41,200 acres were planted, according to Statistics Canada, but the total more than doubled the next year to 91,100. In 2020, that number […] Read more

World Food Programme starts distributing food in Venezuela
Reuters — The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) said Wednesday it had begun distributing school meals to children in Venezuela, where some seven million people require humanitarian assistance after years of economic collapse in the once-prosperous OPEC nation. The WFP’s first take-home rations were distributed for children under six years old at some 277 schools […] Read more

Opinion: Big solutions recommended for Canada’s food system
The Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute (CAPI) recently hosted the Big Solutions Forum, an event where private industry, producers and government officials discuss Canada’s food system. A theme throughout the dialogue was that a systemic approach will be necessary to achieve any meaningful impact. This prompted me to try to further understand the purpose of a […] Read more

Food literacy bill to get roundtable ag support
The bill aims to make food literacy part of the curriculum throughout elementary and secondary school
A private member’s bill advocating for experiential food literacy education in the provincial school curriculum is gaining traction. Why it matters: Increasing food literacy among youth will help them understand the impact of their food choices on their health, the local economy, and the environment. Bill 216, ‘The Food Literacy for Students Act,’ seeks to […] Read more