A growing body of evidence links prolonged sitting to health problems such as obesity, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, too much sitting also increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Sitting is the new smoking, as […] Read more
Tag Archives WP editorial
Producers capable of their own snake oil savvy
There is a fine line between protecting farmers and getting out of the way so they can help themselves. This is aptly illustrated in a 10-year-old decision by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to stop testing the efficacy of some agricultural inputs. In 2013, the agency said it would no longer conduct comprehensive testing and […] Read more
Commodity group tackles thorny research question
Where have all the crop scientists gone? The Manitoba Crop Alliance asked that question after looking for places to park some of its check-off money. The group wanted to fund research into specialty crops such as flax, corn and sunflowers but couldn’t find scientists to do the work. Agriculture Canada no longer employs a researcher […] Read more
‘Are you a farmer?’ The answer may surprise
A farmer posted a story on Twitter earlier this year about a salesperson who visited the farm and asked her if the “man of the farm” was available. Yet this particular farmer was more than qualified to conduct business. One would hope this type of story had gone the way of the dodo bird, but […] Read more
King Wheat regains crown from former Cinderella crop
The struggle by farmers to retain the right to save their own seed is long and tumultuous. There are past debates over UPOV-91, plant breeders’ rights, and most recently, variety use agreements. Ensuring farmers retained the ability to save their own seed was a major part of many of these discussions. The latest salvo was […] Read more
Hope and history are not a water shortage plan
In August we wrote in this space about the need for better water management. At that time, it was already dry in much of the Prairies, and getting drier by the day, but we didn’t pull the fire alarm. The editorial instead listed ways farmers were conserving water and additional ways they could do more. […] Read more
Canada’s agri-food sector needs a long-term vision
Many Canadians were shocked to learn during the pandemic that they couldn’t always get the food items they wanted at their grocery store. That was followed by the worst food price inflation in generations. A new report by the Canadian Agricultural Policy Institute shatters any illusion that those are isolated events. Rather, it highlights a […] Read more
Level playing field needed to harvest benefits for all
Public discussion can be noisy and rancorous but there are many things on which most people agree – the need for clean air and water, a healthy environment and the ability to get a reasonable return from a marketplace that offers a level playing field for all. Getting to that level playing field for international […] Read more
Connecting with Canadians is a more diverse task
The growing disconnect between farmers and non-farmers in Canada has been the topic of much discussion and no small amount of consternation in agricultural circles over the past decade or so. There’s been a plethora of initiatives launched to bridge that gap, including Ag in the Classroom, the Centre for Food Integrity, Farm & Food […] Read more
Support for livestock sector might need new approach
This year’s drought is hurting all producers in affected areas, but those in the livestock sector are taking the brunt of it. Grass is burning up in the heat while the price of feed continues to increase as drought reduces feedgrain supplies. In Alberta, the provincial government is urging producers to use available water-related programs, […] Read more
