I likely can’t count the number of times I have spoken or written the words science-based. It is a mantra of sorts. And for good reason. Technology is the most important competitive advantage for Canadian agriculture. This is how we are going to compete with emerging exporters and key international competitors. The alternative to science-based […] Read more
Author Archives
Hazard, risk study helps combat food fear
Should genetically modified products be labelled? Is organic healthier? Does glyphosate cause cancer? Do you put your kids at risk if you feed them meat or is the cave-man diet the way to go? All of these questions, and a few conspiracy theories, flood Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools. Celebrities are using “food […] Read more
Agriculture should be seen as positive
There are some organizations that don’t like modern agriculture. I really don’t understand why. My personal hero is Dr. Norman Borlaug, who led the green revolution, which lifted millions of people out of poverty and provided food for millions more who would have otherwise starved. The green revolution and the many innovations that have followed […] Read more
The new reality: Trump and anti-trade
There have been a lot of questions about trade since the U.S. election. Donald Trump, the new president, promised to take the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and he did just that with his first executive order. Recently, Trump has promised to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement, causing exporters in Canada […] Read more
Canadian ag missions provide value
The Canadian cereals industry is united in reaching out to international customers. The 2016 Canadian Wheat New Crop Missions ran for seven weeks from the beginning of November to mid-December. The sessions kicked off Nov. 10 with a seminar for Canadian millers, the largest buyer of Canadian wheat. The missions are expected to reach customers […] Read more
Keep customer in mind when combining
Warren Buffet once quipped, “it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” This is something worth thinking about as we start to prepare for harvest. Canada has a strong reputation for consistently delivering safe, high-quality grain to our customers both […] Read more
Getting our research priorities right
Saskatoon recently hosted a meeting of some of the most important minds in Canadian wheat research. A workshop was held that included public and private researchers from across Canada, farmers from coast to coast and Canadian exporters. Our goal was to move forward on the development of key priorities for Canadian wheat research. Why is […] Read more
Research, innovation key to future
One of the oldest clichés in agriculture might be that “research and innovation are the keys to our future.” However, just because it is a cliché does not mean it is not true. The federal election is over and Canada has a new government. Agriculture lobby groups from every region will be asking them to […] Read more
Branding wheat may expand markets
What do customers want when they buy Canadian wheat? Cereals Canada and the Canadian International Grains Institute recently commissioned market research firm LMC International to answer this question. Farmers should care about the answer because it will impact their future bottom line, and their check-off dollars may be going to go to support the industry’s […] Read more
Trans-Pacific Partnership: deal or no deal?
It is a bit hard to tell, but Canada is part of one of the largest trade negotiations that have ever taken place. Hard to tell because not many seem to want to talk about it. Canadian reaction to the negotiations seems a bit like a five-year-old putting his hands over his eyes and hoping […] Read more
