Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

National Agriculture Leaders Debate: It Can Be Watched online. What Should They Discuss? What Did You Think of the Debate?

Agricultural issues such as trade, business risk management, environmental sustainability, food safety, and a National Food Strategy will be key topics of discussion for the Minister of Agriculture and opposition party critics during the Canadian Federation of Agriculture's national debate, scheduled for Mon. April 11, 2011. 
 
WHAT: 
CFA National Agriculture Leaders Debate
 
WHO: 
  • Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Gerry Ritz
  • André Bellavance, Bloq Québécois agriculture critic
  • Wayne Easter, Liberal agriculture critic 
  • Pat Martin, NDP representative
  • Kate Storey, Green Party agriculture representative
WHEN: 
Monday, April 11, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
 
Here is the link to the CFA website where it will be streamed.

Views: 88

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

It took a couple of hours to watch the Agriculture Leaders debate.

I did find it to be entertaining but with out much substance.

The party ag leaders did make some points and presented some their party's agri platforms.

 

The NDP Ag Policy can be found in “Food for Thought.” Report.

Here is the link:   http://xfer.ndp.ca/FoodForThought/EN.pdf

 

The Green Party was particularly interesting - No to GMOs...they want small farms, local processing and more organic production.  I don't think their ag platform is very modern farm friendly.

 

All the parties were supportive of Supply Management.

 

Joe

Here is the link to the online taped video of the Ag Leaders Debate.

 

http://www.cfa-fca.ca/national-agriculture-leaders-debate-live

So how do you think the multinational processors would view the Green's position? As a bit of a threat to their dominance perhaps?

 

What might we learn from that?

 

Whatever one's view of the Green Party might be, if they propose something that would actually contribute to fair returns for work and goods produced rather than being paid subsistence value for generic, bulk commodities that enrich the remote multinationals, then they have at least that redemptive feature to their credit.

 

How well has the mainstream served the interests of  even the modern farm? And a fair answer would include the views of hog and cattle farmers.

 

Ritz was less than honest.

 

Reply to Discussion

RSS

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

Canadian Feedstocks Eligible Under 45Z Credit

Eligible feedstocks will include those grown in Canada under newly proposed rules for the U.S. clean fuel production credit, a development that could have significant implications for North American biofuel markets and Canadian oilseed producers. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday released proposed regulations outlining how domestic producers can qualify for and calculate the clean fuel production credit, commonly known as the 45Z credit. The guidance reflects changes made under last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill and is intended to provide greater clarity and certainty for fuel producers navigating the program. The clean fuel production credit applies to clean transportation fuels produced in the U.S. after Dec. 31, 2024, and sold by Dec. 31, 2029. To claim the credit, producers must be registered with the IRS and comply with detailed certification, emissions accounting, and reporting requirements set out in the proposal. Among the mos

Beef Industry Groups Warn on Research Cutbacks

Canada’s beef industry is warning federal research cuts could undermine competitiveness, food safety, and export growth for years to come. The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) said in a joint statement Tuesday that announced reductions at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the planned closures of research facilities in Nappan, N.S., Quebec City, and Lacombe, Alta., will have far-reaching consequences for cattle producers, consumers, and Canada’s broader agri-food economy. While acknowledging federal fiscal pressures, the groups argue the loss of specialized public research capacity is shortsighted and difficult to reverse. The groups are urging AAFC to transfer key programs and researchers to other institutions if closures proceed, and to refund industry investments where projects are cancelled mid-stream. Over the past decade, beef producers have increased their own research funding by more than 600%, viewing innovation as essential

How the County of Newell Took Over CDC South and Protected Alberta’s Irrigated Research Hub

Once at risk of being lost, the Crop Diversification Centre South is being rebuilt through a county-led cost-recovery model, new leases, and growing interest from Alberta researchers. When the Government of Alberta exited direct agricultural research in 2019, few places felt the impact more sharply than the historic Crop Diversification Centre (CDC) South near Brooks. Long regarded as a cornerstone of irrigated crop and horticulture research, the facility suddenly found itself with only seven researchers to manage hundreds of acres, a complex of aging buildings — and no roadmap for the future. “We started getting complaints about weeds four feet tall,” recalls Candace Woods, project coordinator for the CDC South revitalization project. Woods had worked at the centre from 2015 until being laid off during the government transition. When she returned years later, she found a facility at real risk of being lost. “There wasn’t a long-term plan,” she says. “The County saw that if nobody

Empire shutters e-commerce facilities in Alberta

Empire Company Limited and its subsidiary Sobeys Inc have announced the immediate closure of its Alberta e-commerce facilities due to financial underperformance of its e-commerce network. The facilities comprise a customer fulfillment centre (CFC) in the Calgary area and a smaller support facility in Edmonton. In addition, the company is pausing development of a CFC in the Vancouver area. Empire will continue to support customers in Western Canada who prefer to shop online through its third-party partnerships. "We remain highly committed to grocery e-commerce in Canada and on continuing to make online shopping more convenient for our customers, while delivering immediate bottom-line improvements to our e-commerce business," said Pierre St-Laurent, president & CEO, Empire who assumed the role in November, 2025.  Empire will continue to serve customers in Ontario and Québec through its Voilà banner, supported by its existing CFCs in the Greater Toronto and Montreal areas. Those operat

Canadian farmers wanted for mental health survey

It will ask participants questions like how often they’ve felt sad, down or depressed in the last two weeks.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service