Commentary

DON and Insurance Coverage in Ontario

November 9, 2018 | By Marie Versteeg

Ontario farmers are concerned about this year’s corn harvest. Thanks to consistently wet conditions and a delayed harvest, many farmers are seeing record-high levels of the mould known as Deoxynivalenol (DON), a type of vomitoxin.

A Warming World

November 1, 2018 | By Josh Kraemer

The recent Special Report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Various analyses indicate climate change is linked to declining farm productivity.

Ontario Water Innovation Week

October 26, 2018 | By Paul Bootsma

The Everglades Foundation hosted a water tech workshop featuring the George Barley Water Prize (GBWP) in downtown Toronto. This included roundtable discussions on the benefits and challenges of implementing phosphorus removal and recovery technologies in the agricultural sector.

CFFO Agri-Day at the Elora Research Farms

October 19, 2018 | By Josh Kraemer

This week, the CFFO hosted many of our members and partners on a stimulating day-long tour of several sites at the University of Guelph Research Stations in Elora. As one of the largest agricultural research farms in Canada, the Elora Research Station has over 2,300 acres dedicated to supporting intensive research in agriculture.

The Glyphosate Challenge

October 12, 2018 | The Glyphosate Challenge

The roller coaster ride for the use of glyphosate continues due to recent rulings in California and Brazil. These decisions have been closely watched by both those who see the need to use this product and by those who are concerned about its effects on human health.

Agriculture and the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement: The devil’s in the detail

October 5, 2018 | By Brenda Dyack

Negotiating international agreements of any sort creates winners and losers in a new world order. While the ultimate impact on losers under this Agreement will take some time to evaluate, supply managed agricultural industries in Canada are clearly losers and initial reactions indicate that they will be seriously hit by the changes.

Ontario Agriculture Week: It’s not Just about the Food

September 28, 2018 | By Marie Versteeg

The week, which begins October 1st this year, is a noteworthy celebration of the blessings we receive in our exceptional corner of the world. In many ways, Ontario is synonymous with abundance. Over 70,000 farmers are producing hundreds of varieties of food here, reaching diverse markets, both locally and abroad.

Agriculture Bill Introduces “Green Brexit”

September 20, 2018 | By Josh Kraemer

Of interest in the press most recently is discussion about the Agriculture Bill’s Environmental Land Management System that will pay farmers and land managers for environmental benefits, or public goods, that they create or preserve on their land.

The People’s Perspective on a National Food Policy

September 14, 2018 | By Marie Versteeg

Last week, the federal government released the What We Heard Report, outlining the results of its nation-wide consultation on a Food Policy for Canada. In 2017, Canadians offered an overwhelming amount of feedback through regional meetings, a national summit, written submissions, and an online survey (completed by 45,000 people).

High Stakes Environmental Policy in Australia

September 7, 2018 | By Brenda Dyack

Only a few weeks ago the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) in Australia had been looking to Prime Minister Turnbull’s proposed National Energy Guarantee (NEG) to provide farmers with a reliable, affordable, “towards lower-emissions” energy source.