Canada’s federal Health Minister stepping directly into an agriculture forum—and signalling openness to regulatory change—marks a notable shift in tone between government and the ag sector. At CropLife Canada’s Spring Dialogue Days in Ottawa this week, RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith spoke with Health Minister Marjorie Michel following her remarks and a 45-minute fireside chat with CropLife... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
The Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP) has published a 2nd Edition of the Saskatchewan Rangeland Health Assessment for Native Grasslands. This updated assessment tool was a collaborative grassroots effort among several prairie stakeholders and builds on the initial 2008 edition, the group says. A range health assessment is a point-in-time evaluation of a... Read More
Canada's flax sector is bidding adieu to a long-standing administrative and financial hurdle on export sales into the high-value European market. The European Union has agreed to end its sampling and testing protocol for flax from Canada as of May 1, 2026, marking the end of a non-tariff trade barrier that has been in place... Read More
The Carney government says it plans to update federal laws around food production and pest control products so that future decisions by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada take food affordability and availability into account. The Spring Economic Update from Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne on April 28 included an announcement that the government... Read More
The risks facing Canadian producers have been changing and are getting worse. The January 2026 Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index highlighted that 75% of respondents expect more risk in 2026, continuing a trend in which farmers see more risk on the horizon. And over 75% of Canada’s farmers report overwhelming stress and anxiety caused by the... Read More
The Carney government wasted no time on Monday reconfiguring committees with its newly-secured majority in the House of Commons. Shortly after the three Liberals who won byelections took their seats for the first time, MPs approved a motion adding two Liberals to all current committees. The Standing Committee for Agriculture and Agri-Food now consists of... Read More
For decades, the world of agriculture has operated with a simple assumption and narrative when it comes to growth: more people equals more mouths to feed, which equals more demand. But a massive demographic shift is cresting on the horizon, according to a pork industry veteran who works with clients around the world. Todd Thurman... Read More
The Canadian government has reversed its plan to shut down a Canadian Food Inspection Agency laboratory in Quebec, according to the union that represents most of the workers at the lab. The Agriculture Union says the CFIA food testing facility in Longueuil was slated to cease operations at the end of April as part of... Read More
Bridging the gap between research and real-world impact remains one of Canadian agriculture’s most persistent challenges. Now, this crossover episode of Ag Policy Connection and The Final Mile tackles that issue head on. In this episode, hosted by Tyler McCann and Elise Bigley of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), the conversation brings together Dr.... Read More
As interest in drone spraying grows, so too does the need to stay grounded in the fundamentals, especially when it comes to pesticide labels and personal safety. While drone application of pesticides is still an emerging area, the requirement to read and follow pesticide labels applies regardless of the equipment being used. Lisa Rybchuk, president... Read More