Comment/Columns , Latest & Featured

A worker checks the temperature of a passenger arriving into Hong Kong International Airport with an infrared thermometer on Feb. 7, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Hannah McKay)

Charlebois: In Food Safety, Wenliang’s Death Could Become Our Problem

The coronavirus will likely impact the Canadian economy and, no doubt, food prices. But Li Wenliang’s story has become the new, powerful symbol of Beijing’s disgraceful failure to disclose and be more transparent.

By Dr. Sylvain Charlebois February 10, 2020

[UPDATED: Feb. 11, 2020] When SARS hit back in 2003, China was nowhere near the economic powerhouse it is today. Now, if something happens to China, the entire world is affected, and the food sector is not immune to any shifts. Even though the outbreak is starting to slow, the economic damage will easily surpass […] Read more

Over 20 trespassing incidents across the country have been reported in the last 12 months, including some in British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick.

Comment/Columns

Charlebois: Why consumer trust is no longer enough

By Dr. Sylvain Charlebois February 6, 2020

With the rise of social media, the general public has used virtual forums available to them to express concerns about farming practices. We see it every day. Farmers are criticized for a variety of reasons. Our farmers’ environmental stewardship or ethical behaviour in how they treat livestock have been questioned countless times. And it’s only […] Read more

Food security is an issue in this election for 54 per cent of Canadians. (FatCamera/E+/Getty Images)

Comment/Columns

Buying Canadian, eh!

The Feds are looking at spending $25 million to get you to buy Canadian when visiting a grocery store or restaurant. This is a great idea, in theory, but could easily turn into a marketing disaster.

By Dr. Sylvain Charlebois January 21, 2020

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is going into marketing. It wants you to buy Canadian, as much as you can. The “Buy Canadian” campaign is about to start, sometime this summer, and the Federal government intends to spend $25 million over five years to promote Canadian food products and instill pride in Canadians for what our […] Read more

Comment/Columns, Free Market Reflections

Dittmer: Why the U.S. wants to reform the WTO

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By Steve Dittmer January 8, 2020

Being an export-oriented beef industry and veteran of the mCOOL fiasco, Canadian cattle producers know what the initials WTO stand for (World Trade Organization). The mCOOL deal boldly illustrated one of the major problems with the WTO — it takes forever to get anything resolved. Our joint experience with mCOOL was not the worst example. […] Read more

File Photo. Personal food choices are coming under more scrutiny. Meat eaters came under fire from environmentalists in 2019. People struggling with weight could be the next targets after a study suggesting that overeating and obesity produce 20 per cent more greenhouse gas emissions than other eating patterns.

Comment/Columns

Is weight shaming going to be a thing? Let’s hope not

By Dr. Sylvain Charlebois January 7, 2020

Move over flight shaming, we may see environmentalists target a new group of individuals: Overeaters. Yes, overeating could potentially become the next shaming target. For months now, many have taken to social media to spread their concerns about choices made when travelling. Some means to travel, especially the plane, have been targeted by environmentalists, using […] Read more

Comment/Columns, Livestock

Kenyon: Beware the metabolic welfare state

Be prepared to commit when moving from grass-fed toward grain-fed

By Steve Kenyon December 31, 2019

Grass-fed vs. grain-fed is a never-ending debate in the cattle industry and I have heard many different arguments on both sides. I will try to stay neutral in this article because I think that the natural biology of the rumen has a lot to say about the topic. As you know, I try to follow […] Read more

Comment/Columns, Free Market Reflections

Dittmer: China back on the plus side

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By Steve Dittmer December 16, 2019

In the last couple of columns I had referred to speculations that China lifting its ban on Canadian beef and pork might be tied to Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s preliminary hearings in September or extradition hearings in January. After all, the alleged discovery of ractopamine residues in a shipment of alleged Canadian pork accompanied by […] Read more

Lung pathology in Mycoplasma bovis-infected cattle at 10x magnification. (VIDO.org)

Comment/Columns, Livestock, Vet advice

Vet Advice: Eradicating Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand

By Dr. Ron Clarke December 9, 2019

All responsible organizations establish goals for themselves. Less than 10 per cent ever achieve them. Goal-setting tips offered by many management gurus and business planners include: Aim high, but start low, celebrate and keep going. Don’t let others set the goals for you. Be clear about what success looks like. Understand why this goal is […] Read more

“Beyond the politics of a back-to-work rule lies Canada’s reputation on logistics. It’s frankly awful. Our infrastructure is severely undercapitalized and labour disputes have only compounded the problem.” – Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.

Comment/Columns, News

Beyond the CN Rail strike, Canada has a real distribution problem

By Dr. Sylvain Charlebois November 21, 2019

After a harvest from hell across the country, farmers now have to deal with a new problem: the CN strike. Over 3,000 CN employees out of about 24,000 in Canada and the United States are now off the job. They are asking for better working conditions and safety. Perhaps not the most “retaillable” issue out […] Read more

Stagnant access to Chinese markets will put more incentive on Canada’s exporters to develop new markets available to them through the CPTPP.

Comment/Columns, Free Market Reflections

Dittmer: Exporting commodities is not always easy

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By Steve Dittmer November 20, 2019

The problems for Canada over Huawei’s Meng situation have grown more complex. The preliminary hearing, which was already scheduled for eight days, has morphed into a multi-week, perhaps multi-month, legal extravaganza. Arguments about possible co-ordination between the U.S. and Canada, possible violation of her legal rights and the possibility of her extradition even being dropped […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle markets up ahead of report

U.S. grains: Soybean futures fall after Trump-Xi call

Prairie Wheat Weekly: Western Canadian bids slightly decline

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle markets up ahead of report

U.S. grains: Soybean futures fall after Trump-Xi call

Prairie Wheat Weekly: Western Canadian bids slightly decline

Comment/Columns

Charlebois: In Food Safety, Wenliang’s Death Could Become Our Problem

Charlebois: Why consumer trust is no longer enough

Buying Canadian, eh!

Dittmer: Why the U.S. wants to reform the WTO

Is weight shaming going to be a thing? Let’s hope not

Kenyon: Beware the metabolic welfare state

Dittmer: China back on the plus side

Vet Advice: Eradicating Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand

Beyond the CN Rail strike, Canada has a real distribution problem

Dittmer: Exporting commodities is not always easy

Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field

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