Cases and deaths from COVID-19 among workers at the leading U.S. meatpacking plants were three times as high as previously estimated, according to a report by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis seen by Reuters. The subcommittee surveyed major meatpackers Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill, National Beef , and Smithfield Foods, which together control over 80 percent […] Read more
Tag Archives politics — page 13
Coronavirus infections at U.S. meat plants far higher than previous estimates, House subcommittee hears
Carbon border adjustments pending
Policy was first mentioned in the 2020 climate plan, and it now it seems it will be a reality
Carbon border adjustments are coming to Canada. It is just a matter of when. Ten days before calling the election, the Liberal government announced consultations would officially begin on border carbon adjustments (BCAs). A policy paper detailing the policy was included. BCAs aim to reduce the so-called “carbon leakage” that occurs when a company leaves […] Read more
Bibeau keeps role as federal ag-minister, Canada gets a new environment minister
Canada’s 44th Parliament was sworn in today in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled a number of his ministers from their previous roles, and today’s cabinet shuffle is a result of the federal election held on Sept. 20. Marie Claude-Bibeau maintains her role as federal Minister of Agriculture, a […] Read more
Comment: Canada can get back to business, carefully, with China
China has gone from a gigantic opportunity for Canada on multiple fronts to being an almost perfect balance of opportunity and risk
Glacier FarmMedia – Now that the Meng-Michaels swap has taken place, is everything back to normal with China? That’s going to occupy the minds of an awful lot of Canadian farmers, agriculture industry people and food folk as we walk past the epic three-year diplomatic crisis with China. Figuring that out will take a long […] Read more
Italy vetoes sale of seed producer to Chinese-owned Syngenta
Rome | Reuters – Italy has prevented Chinese-owned group Syngenta from buying vegetable seed producer Verisem, government officials said, underscoring Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s commitment to shield key assets from unwanted foreign bids. The decision, made at a cabinet meeting on Oct. 19 but not yet made public, marks the first time Italy has vetoed […] Read more
Canada’s “right to repair” bill explained
Bryan May, MP for Cambridge, answers questions – what the bill seeks to address, and why he believes it’s important
A private member’s bill to allow Canadians more right to repair devices, including farm equipment, will be resurrected after it died when Parliament was prorogued for the recent election. Bill C-272 proposed to update Canada’s Copyright Act to allow Canadians more freedom to repair digital devices, including smartphones and farm equipment. Bryan May, Member of […] Read more
Opinion: Conference shows opportunities available to participate in reconciliation
The combined enthusiasm of First Nations for agriculture, mixed with added interest from government and industry, is creating exciting opportunities despite the barriers. That enthusiasm was on display during FHQ Development’s two-day, Indigenous Agricultural Innovation Conference held virtually in September. Attendees heard from a diverse set of speakers, including Melissa Arcand, an associate professor in […] Read more
Opinion: New Parliament can achieve big things by thinking small
Many issues can be addressed if they are prioritized
Glacier FarmMedia – As soon-to-be vodka bubbled and steamed and dripped in front of me, I thought: “This is a problem that can be solved.” Regardless of the nature of the federal government that was recently elected, there are piles of farm, agriculture and food issues that it can deal with if it cares enough […] Read more
Opinion: Extra attention to food doesn’t make it an election issue
Agriculture has received little mention in the general election campaign
As COVID-19 emerged, Canadians paid more attention to where their food was coming from. For some city dwellers, it was the first time they experienced a grocery store lacking supplies. But while food security may have received attention during the early days of the pandemic, any momentum to translate those sentiments into wins for agriculture […] Read more
Agriculture unlikely to get much election focus
Conservatives to continue dominance of rural ridings
Agriculture is not expected to feature heavily in political debates held in advance of Canada’s Sept. 20 federal vote. Since taking office in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate to farmers that his version of the Liberal party can work for them. He has failed to convince farmers, however, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
