Glacier FarmMedia – Federal Agriculture and Agri-food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says an agricultural labour strategy will be released in phases as Ottawa tackles issues around temporary foreign and domestic workers. Her new mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said developing a strategy should be her immediate priority. Bibeau said in an interview that work […] Read more
Tag Archives politics — page 12
PM asks federal ag minister to focus on labour
Mandate letter outlines prime minister’s goals for the sector, but critics wanted to see more
Multiple carbon markets bring opportunities
Farmers need to consider what the developing carbon market could do for their business
Putting a price on carbon doesn’t have to mean taxes and credit trading, but even if it does, a little pragmatism could help farmers save money. According to Graham Gilchrist, chief executive officer of Alberta-based non-profit Biological Carbon Canada, producers should consider what the continued development of a carbon market could do for their business. […] Read more
Opinion: Relief on drying costs needed to meet federal sustainability goals
In the past few years we’ve heard numerous times that the federal government wants agriculture to be an economic driver for Canada. It also wants agricultural production to be greener. Both can certainly be achieved. But changes to the federal carbon tax scheme, the Greenhouse Gas Polluting Act, need to be considered for this to […] Read more
Alarm grows over EU’s ‘farm to fork’ policy
Exporters worried the bloc will keep out food not produced under its regime
Glacier FarmMedia – Europe’s attempts to impose its approach to agriculture on the world are a threat to other leading agricultural powers, says a leading American trade expert. The “farm to fork” policy of the European Union could push restrictive EU regulations onto anybody hoping to export agricultural goods into the vast market. “I’m frustrated […] Read more
U.S. senator calls for probe of soaring poultry prices
Reuters – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on the Justice Department to open a broad investigation on the impact of price-fixing and consolidation in the poultry sector on U.S. consumers and farmers. The former Democratic presidential candidate also urged the department’s Antitrust Division to review “with suspicion” any large mergers in the industry, after […] Read more
Comment: Interprovincial trade barriers like ‘hidden GST’
Easing trade barriers domestically would be beneficial to industry
Glacier FarmMedia – We spend a lot of time complaining about foreign trade barriers and defending our own barriers to foreign imports. But maybe there’s a closer way to liberalize agriculture trade. “It almost feels like we’ve forgotten to take care of business here at home,” said Jared Carlberg, a University of Manitoba agricultural economist […] Read more
U.S. leadership needed to push freer agriculture trade
Trade negotiation insiders say bilateralism won’t go away, but rules enforcement needed
Glacier FarmMedia – Huge gains in freeing up global agricultural trade in the 1990s and early 2000s came about through American leadership — and it’s needed again. So says Mike Gifford, Canada’s former chief agricultural trade negotiator who retired from that role in 2000. Why it matters: Canadian farmers rely on exports for much of […] Read more
Producers need to be aware of UN Food Systems Summit outcomes
Conversations there will shape future regulations and national legislation
Glacier FarmMedia – The United Nations might seem distant from a Canadian farm but what happens there can foreshadow where the world is heading, said Robynne Anderson, president of Emerging Ag Inc. and a representative to the UN on farmers’ behalf. That’s why farmers should pay attention to what happened at the recent UN Food […] Read more
Chinese trade practices still a concern for U.S.
U.S. Trade Representative says former administration’s policies will remain in place but also vows to apply more pressure
Glacier FarmMedia – The United States plans to keep pressure on China to conform to world trading standards. However, in an Oct. 4 speech, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai offered few details on how she thinks China can be forced to change. “It is increasingly clear China’s plans do not include meaningful reforms to address […] Read more
Alberta ag minister resigns among allegations of heavy drinking
Admitting he has a problem with alcohol, Devin Dreeshen resigned as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and forestry this morning. He has been replaced by Drumheller-Stettler MLA Nate Horner. “This morning, I offered Premier Jason Kenney my resignation as minister of agriculture and forestry and he has accepted,” Dreeshen said on Twitter on Nov. 5. “I […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
