Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AgVisionTV.com The High Cost of Cheap Food. Do you agree with Dr. Charlebois? Comments

The High Cost of Cheap Food
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois talks about why consumers paying less for food, doesn't help anyone.

Check out this video…
http://agvisiontv.farms.com/default.aspx?vid=vid_11162009135816843

Views: 467

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I found Dr. Charlebois' comments confusing and distorted. On one hand he associates increased fertilizer outputs to increased global agricultural production and then speaks of domestic consumer trust of food integrity. Dr. Charlebois' discussion flows between global production and the need to invest domestically in nutrition and the food chain. There was little discussion about primary domestic agricultural production. It's as if primary domestic agricultural production was of little to no consequence in Canada's food debate.

I fail to see how Dr. Charlebois' suggestion to increase food costs would automatically equate in a secure food supply with a highly expected level of integrity.

While I find that suggest noble, I would suggest Mother Nature and global partners might not be on the same page when it comes down to his suggested business model.

As with every product the consumer buys there are 3 important elements. Production, transportation and communication. If any link in that chain breaks or weakens, it would have an effect to the end user, the consumer.


Does Dr. Charlebois have a comphresive understanding and knowledge of primary agriculture in Canada? Can he produce the last unmitigated audit on agriculture?

Could Dr. Charlebois answer one question that is of prime importance to the domestic consumer before he suggests moving to the next level? If the borders were to close, could Canada supply their domestic needs?

Most people (ask OMAFRA, they will tell you) would answer very quickly....YES... as we are a net exporting country.

But with every product, there are inputs and agriculture is no exception. Where do our agricultural inputs come from? Our seed? Fertilizer? Energy? Pharmaceuticals of animal welfare? Labour? Parts? Tractors? Machinery? Pesticides? Chemicals? etc..

If the borders were to close will Canadian production sustain the population? 25 years ago, we produced 80% of our domestic needs. Today we are importing 80% and only supplying 20% of our domestic needs. Do we have enough farmers with their unique knowledge to sustain our population if borders were to close? Are we self sufficient in primary agricultural production?

The other notable aspect absent was mention of our Sovereign Food Policy. Without that information, in my private opinion, his suggestions do not resonate with confidence. Without an absolute and irrefutable audit of agriculture in Canada, I fail to see true merit in his remarks.
I thought this was an excellent piece. I agree that we don't pay enough for our food in Canada or even in North America as a whole and that has to change.

Any ideas as to how this can be achieved across the whole agri-food chain?
And so that consumers mostly understand and at least partially accept the change?

Sara
A good old fashioned pandemic with the requisite border closures might change attitudes in a hurry....
I don't think we have enough current processor capacity or infrastructure to feed Ontarians a balanced diet in that unfortunate event.
Our infrastructure is going downhill, we rely to much on our so called friends south of the border.
Look at COOL etc. etc., who sets the rules?

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Gophers gotcha going gaga?

With escalating gopher populations causing increasing concern for landowners across Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF), with the support of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), is stepping up to offer practical assistance. Gophers are a significant cause of crop loss and land degradation, impacting the livelihood of Saskatchewan producers and landowners, according to the SEF. In response, the SWF is connecting landowners with trusted SWF members who are ready to assist in controlling gopher numbers in a responsible and ethical manner. Landowners experiencing challenges with gophers are encouraged to contact the SWF office at 306-692-8812. The SWF will then work to identify available SWF members in that area to co-ordinate arrangements directly with the landowner. All SWF members participating in this initiative carry an additional $5 million in liability coverage, and are expected to uphold the highest standards of safety, conduct and la

Attention Researchers: The BCRC Opens Call for Letters of Intent

The Beef Cattle Research Council invites letters of intent (LOIs) for research projects. The application deadline for this call is September 2, 2025,?at 11:59?PM MT. The purpose of this call is to achieve specific priorities listed in the 2025 Call for Letters of Intent – Research document (selected through consultation with industry stakeholders from the Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy).  Approved projects will be required to?use the industry funding to leverage additional funds from government or other funding organizations to fulfill project budgets.  Preference will be given to projects that are one to three years in duration; if the need for a longer timeframe can be clearly demonstrated, four or five-year projects may be considered. Projects will commence no earlier than May 1, 2026. Refer to the documents below for more information. All call-related information can also be found on the BCRC’s Call for Proposals webpage. Sharing or reprinting BCRC posts

Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth

A young man from Milverton auctioned a prize calf, raising over $31,000 for Autism Ontario, inclusive sports, and milk programs, with huge support from the local community.

BFO Cow-Calf Financing Survey

BFO is soliciting feedback from Ontario cow-calf producers on the use of various financial assistance and herd financing programs through the completion of a short survey.

Moving More Lentils: Progress & Priorities in Europe

Work is underway to expand opportunities for Canadian pulses in the European Union and United Kingdom, particularly for lentils, while addressing regulatory and policy barriers that continue to impede market access.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service