Alberta has set noble goals for cattle production: reduce winter feeding costs by 50 percent, reduce a cow herd’s environmental footprint by 15 percent and improve cow efficiency by 15 percent. Alberta Beef Producers recently outlined these and other relevant goals pertaining to the long-term sustainability of cattle production in Canada. The effort and clarity […] Read more
Stories by Ross MacDonald
Farmers shouldn’t be hostage of investor groups
Everything is bigger in Texas, or so the saying goes. Holding true to the slogan is the influence of the Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of Boerne, Texas, on the board of McDonald’s Corp. The influence of the Congregation appears to be big enough to influence direction. A recent Drover’s article links a shareholder group that […] Read more
Science must provide answers to consumer fears
It’s been speculated that consumers are losing faith in science, but maybe they are just seeking information that science doesn’t provide. Maybe we need to use science to ask better questions, which consumers help us define. To better connect with those who may be viewed as divergent, we need to encourage discussion and let the […] Read more
Food security about more than production
Feeding the world is a noble goal, especially when one in eight people go hungry every day. Food Banks of Canada reports a lower level of hunger in this country, but the numbers are rising. Nationally and worldwide, levels of hunger are a growing concern. In the face of these numbers, an easily conceived remedy […] Read more
Member accountability key to group’s success
The world is run by those who show up. This phrase has been attributed to many individuals over the years and has become a rallying call for members of organizations to become engaged in the direction of that organization. Implicit is the assumption that individual engagement is the key to affecting the decisions made by […] Read more
Pastures play major role in carbon capture
Jose Graziano Da Silva, United Nations’ director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization, is a big believer in the importance of soil. “We need healthy soils to achieve our food security and nutrition goals, to fight climate change and to ensure overall sustainable development,” he said. “You can count on FAO’s commitment and active […] Read more
New generation presents opportunity
The children now attending our high schools and elementary schools are referred to as Generation Z. According to an article in Supermarket News, these young people are more likely to be dedicated to a meat free diet over their lifetime. This prediction was made by Culinary Tides, which tracks and predicts U.S. food trends. President […] Read more
Beef strategy may need new check-off plan
A dynamic and profitable cattle industry is the vision that was identified in the recently released National Beef Cattle Industry Strategy. The industry-authored document is a broad based, ambitious strategy with great timing, now that increased profits in the beef and cattle industry have put a spring in the step of everyone involved. The national […] Read more
Policy focus should be species at risk coexistence
Coexistence on the Canadian landscape is not new. Soil, plant, animal and human populations have come and gone long before Canada was a country. However, as a country we have created a system of boundaries, laws and corresponding policy to settle, develop, profit, conserve and protect various aspects of the soil, plants, animals and humans […] Read more
Good ag policy helps make communities great
Agricultural policy is often labelled as bad if it reduces producers’ ability to carry out their chosen path of production and marketing. If bad agricultural policy can be easily identified, should it follow that good agricultural policy is the absence of bad policy? The answer might not be that clear. Good agricultural policy may be […] Read more
