A panel discussion exploring the business case for climate solutions was part of the 2023 Arrell Food Summit: Pathways to Change on November 14, 2023.
Speakers included:
- Mauricio Alanis, Director of Sustainability Strategy and Partnerships, Maple Leaf Foods
- Mohamed Yaghi, Climate and Agriculture Policy Lead, Climate Action Institute, RBC
- Julie Gartside, Global Head of Integration Management Climate Change Strategies Technical Director, SLR Consulting
- Ellery Burton, Principal Managing Partner, Alterra Innovation
- Sally Flis, Director, Sustainability Program Design & Outcome Management, Nutrien Ag Solutions
The discussion explores the “why” behind adopting climate solutions in food and agriculture.
While climate change can be seen only as a risk, many companies are seizing the opportunity to strengthen their resilience to climate impacts, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and adopt new technologies that will create a competitive business advantage and lead to economic growth. Many businesses also recognize that policy changes are already underway, and are moving to align their business practices with investor, stakeholder and consumer values.
Perspectives from farming, industry and policy will inform this panel discussion, which helps companies, industry and decision-makers explore their ‘why’ behind adopting climate solutions in food and agriculture and helps to strengthen the business case for sustainable decisions.
Thanks to the Arrell Food Institute for partnering to air this episode on Food Farm Talk. First aired in 2024.
More information:
https://arrellfoodinstitute.ca/
Ralph Martin’s book is an evocative mix of science, philosophy, memoir, reflection and manifesto for change. And food and farming tie it all together. Food security is certainly a focus, but the book ranges far beyond a narrow view of that phrase.
Ralph is a retired professor of plant agriculture at Guelph with an emphasis on organic agriculture and forage crops. The book promo says the following. “Canadians are failing to balance reasonable food consumption with sufficient and sustainable production. The modern agricultural system is producing more and more food. Too much food.
The cost is enormous: excess nutrients are contaminating the air and water; soil is being depleted; species loss is plunging us toward the sixth extinction; and farmers, racking up debt, are increasingly vulnerable to economic and climatic shifts. And then there is the waste — householders, food processors, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers collectively waste 40 percent of the food produced.
A radical rethink is required. We need to move from excess to enough.” Listen to his discussion with Paul Smith. (Originally aired in 2020).
More information is available at:
https://ralphmartin.ca/
https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459744028-food-security
https://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/rcmartin
Agriculture played an important role in colonialism and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples. Today it could help build prosperity and reconciliation. We hear from Chief Cadmus Delorme on the history of agriculture and colonialism as it is expressed on Cowessess First Nation, Treaty 4 in Saskatchewan.
In this episode, Chief Delorme traces the history of his First Nation from before European contact, through signing of Treaty 4, the failure to implement Treaty obligations, and the roadblocks to real First Nations engagement in agriculture from the start. Support for European-style agriculture was promised in the numbered treaties of western Canada like Treaty 4, only to be quickly subverted.
Chief Delorme talks about many of the issues regarding these treaties and the Indian Act. The Indian Agents’ power to control First Nations people, the pass system requiring the Indian Agents’ approval of sales of grain and cattle, and arbitrary reductions in the size of the Cowessess reserve land area.
This is a brutal irony as Indigenous people and agriculture have a long history in Canada and on Turtle Island going back thousands of years. The agricultural innovations from Indigenous peoples in the Americas transformed global agriculture after European contact.
This presentation was part of virtual conference in September 2021 on Indigenous Agricultural Innovation held by FHQ Developments and is used with their permission.
Chief Cadmus Delorme, Cree (Nehiyaw) and Saulteaux (Anishinabe), was Chief of the Cowessess First Nation. He came to national attention in 2021 when 751 unmarked graves were identified on Cowessess First Nation. He holds a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration from the First Nations University of Canada, and was also named in CBC Saskatchewan’s Future 40, a list of leaders, builders and change-makers under the age of 40.
This episode is part of a series on different aspects of Indigenous agriculture. In the next episodes, Cadmus Delorme explores the challenges and opportunities for First Nations’ pursuing prosperity through business development in agriculture and agri-business.
Thanks to Thomas Benjoe and Indigenous Agriculture Innovation for partnering to air this on Food Farm Talk.
Cowessess First Nation
https://www.cowessessfn.com/
A Brief History of Indigenous Agriculture
https://manitobamuseum.ca/a-brief-history-of-indigenous-agriculture/
Canada’s First Nations people were country’s first farmers
https://www.producer.com/crops/canadas-first-nations-people-were-countrys-first-farmers/
File Hills Qu’Appelle (FHQ) Developments
https://fhqdev.com/
File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council
https://fhqtc.com/
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations
https://www.fsin.ca/
Indigenous Peoples in Canadian agriculture - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/indigenous-peoples-canadian-agriculture
Water is Food - Emerging Knowledge is a panel discussion hosted by the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. This was held on World Food Day on October 16, 2023, as a panel discussion looking at emerging research and insights into best practices, barriers and opportunities at the intersection of water and agri-food.
Arrell Food Institute director Dr. Evan Fraser moderated a panel of University of Guelph experts at the intersection of water and agri-food to discuss the latest research and best practices in their fields.
The panel discussion features:
- Dr. Larry Goodridge, director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety and professor in the Ontario Agricultural College’s Department of Food Science, who will discuss research in detecting and treating waterborne pathogens that can impact the food system.
- Dr. Tongzhe Li, professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) and the inaugural Arrell Family Chair in Behavioural and Experimental Economics, who will share insights from research conducted on consumer preferences toward growing fresh foods using recycled irrigation water.
- Dr. Hugh Simpson, researcher at the Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute, who will discuss private water wells and their importance to local food. Simpson is currently working on a project with U of G researchers to examine the needs of the rural community for guidance about private water wells for agricultural, business and domestic purposes.
The event took place at the Anita Stewart Memorial Food Lab in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics.This World Food Day 2023 event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in partnership with: Food Tank, Driscoll’s, WholeChain, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University. and in collaboration with: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Arrell Food Institute, Compass Group Canada.
Thanks to the Arrell Food Institute for permission to air this recording. First aired in 2024.
https://arrellfoodinstitute.ca/
https://www.fao.org/world-food-day/en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8vAPL48kaI
Wrapping up our Stories of Regeneration tour, we land in Ottawa at Just Food Community Farm, a 150-acre farmstead located in Ottawa’s Greenbelt that is championing small-scale, viable agriculture businesses and initiatives like Chi Garden and Urban Fresh Produce.
Dedicated to cultivating a thriving local food economy and sustainable farming sector, Just Food integrates agroecology-based conservation with land stewardship. The farm is a testament to how community-led initiatives can redefine our food systems, offering food sovereignty for all, including newcomers to Canada. Its Start-up Farm Program addresses the critical barrier of land access, turning aspiring individuals into farmers and fostering community regeneration.
Highlighting this unique model, Chadwick Lewis (Urban Fresh Produce) and Sun Shan (Chi Garden), participants of the program, share their experiences in our series finale, underscoring the farm’s role in sustainable agriculture and community building.
Highlights:
Thanks to Regeneration Canada and Rural Routes to Climate Solutions for partnering to air this episode on Food Farm Talk and CFRU. Useful links:
If you want to learn more, we recommend you check out the following:
Our Farmers Blog shares stories about Alberta farmers who do an exceptional job of caring for the land, producing food, and building up their communities.
This podcast has been partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.
On this stop in the Stories of Regeneration tour, we returned to Alberta, making a stop at Peony Farms in Lacombe.
Facing his daughter’s health issues, rancher Craig Cameron and his family turned to regenerative farming to grow the healthiest food possible for her. Craig, alongside his father-in-law Peter DenOudsten, shifted their traditional beef farm to a regenerative model. They now grow over 10 types of grass and clover, use less fertilizer, and produce some of the healthiest, most nutritious beef you can find.
If you want to learn more, we recommend you check out the following:
Our Farmers Blog shares stories about Alberta farmers who do an exceptional job of caring for the land, producing food, and building up their communities.
This podcast has been partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
In this episode, we’ll be doing some exploration into the relationship between society and regenerative agriculture and how one can help advance the other. But the real meat and potatoes of the last three episodes, just like in all the other episodes in this series, will be about getting to know and understand the boots on the ground folks who are leading the way on this change that we are seeing in the agriculture sector.
Meet Rebecca Harbut and Mike Bomford from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in Richmond, BC—prime examples of such trailblazers. Now, you might wonder, how do university professors fit the description of being ‘on the ground’? Well, let me tell you, KPU isn’t just any university; it boasts a farm that lies at the heart of Rebecca and Mike’s endeavors.
Moreover, as we’ve touched upon throughout this podcast series, with Canada’s population nearing the 40 million mark, farm and ranch operators, along with farm laborers, represent a mere fraction—around 1%—of the populace. The takeaway here? It’s going to require a collective effort, involving many of us outside the traditional farming community, to partner with that crucial 1%. This collaboration is key to expanding regenerative agriculture from a niche practice to a widespread one.
If you want to learn more, we recommend you check out the following:
Our Farmers Blog shares stories about Alberta farmers who do an exceptional job of caring for the land, producing food, and building up their communities.
This podcast has been partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
During the growing season of 2023 as summer turned into fall, the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast and Regeneration Canada were on the final leg of the Stories of Regeneration tour. After covering most of the Prairies and most of central and eastern Canada in the summer, our months-long journey came to an end in Canada’s two most western provinces around harvest time.
This next phase of our journey brought us to Cawston, British Columbia, acclaimed as the Organic Farming Capital of Canada. At Snowy Mountain Farms, managed by Aaron Goddard and his family, you will find a 12-acre farm that boasts over 70 varieties of fruits such as cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, pears, apples, and quince. Aaron employs regenerative agriculture practices to cultivate and sustain living soils, which are essential for producing fruit that is not only delicious but also rich in nutrients.
Highlights:
3:20 – Aaron talks about his farm.
5:55 – Aaron shares the story of how he got into agriculture.
8:34 – Aaron talks about his family and farmhands.
13:56 – When was the first time Aaron heard about regenerative agriculture?
21:02 – Aaron describes the landscape of Snowy Mountain Farms.
28:27 – Why is diversity important?
42:50 – What is Aaron doing to help stimulate fungal growth in the soil?
51:08 – Aaron talks about how, and why, he’s integrated livestock on his farm.
52:43 – What are some challenges Aaron faces as an agriculture producer?
56:04 – Why is regenerative agriculture important to Aaron?
Useful links:
This podcast has been partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.
2023 was a challenging year for Canadian farmers and ranchers and for humanity in general. We had droughts, wildfires, floods, an affordability crisis and a number of armed conflicts. According to scientists working with the European Union, 2023 smashed temperature records globally.
And yet, someone like Nova Scotia organic and biodynamic wine producer, Rachel Lightfoot still finds ways of being optimistic even after her farm got hit by a polar vortex, a dry spring and a very rainy summer all in the same year.
Welcome to Stories of Regeneration, a podcast series brought to you by Rural Routes to Climate Solutions and Regeneration Canada. Join me, your host Derek Leahy, as we delve into the importance of supporting an agricultural system that not only prioritizes the health of our land and ecosystems but also ensures the sustainability of our farmers and ranchers. Get ready to explore the transformative power of regenerative agriculture.
If you want to learn more, we recommend you check out the following:
Our Farmers Blog shares stories about Alberta farmers who do an exceptional job of caring for the land, producing food, and building up their communities.
This podcast has been partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
Fifth generation farmer, Rébeka Frazer-Chiasson believes strongly in the practices of regenerative agriculture. Located in Rogersville, New Brunswick, her farm Ferme Terre Partagee currently operates as a coop based on common values and objectives including peasant agroecology and food sovereignty.
Welcome to Stories of Regeneration, a podcast series brought to you by Rural Routes to Climate Solutions and Regeneration Canada. Join me, your host Derek Leahy, as we delve into the importance of supporting an agricultural system that not only prioritizes the health of our land and ecosystems but also ensures the sustainability of our farmers and ranchers. Get ready to explore the transformative power of regenerative agriculture.
If you want to learn more, we recommend downloading and listening to:
Our Farmers Blog shares stories about Alberta farmers who do an exceptional job of caring for the land, producing food, and building up their communities.
This podcast has been partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.
A panel discussion exploring the business case for climate solutions was part of the 2023 Arrell Food Summit: Pathways to Change on November 14, 2023.
Speakers included:
- Mauricio Alanis, Director of Sustainability Strategy and Partnerships, Maple Leaf Foods
- Mohamed Yaghi, Climate and Agriculture Policy Lead, Climate Action Institute, RBC
- Julie Gartside, Global Head of Integration Management Climate Change Strategies Technical Director, SLR Consulting
- Ellery Burton, Principal Managing Partner, Alterra Innovation
- Sally Flis, Director, Sustainability Program Design & Outcome Management, Nutrien Ag Solutions
The discussion explores the “why” behind adopting climate solutions in food and agriculture.
While climate change can be seen only as a risk, many companies are seizing the opportunity to strengthen their resilience to climate impacts, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and adopt new technologies that will create a competitive business advantage and lead to economic growth. Many businesses also recognize that policy changes are already underway, and are moving to align their business practices with investor, stakeholder and consumer values.
Perspectives from farming, industry and policy will inform this panel discussion, which helps companies, industry and decision-makers explore their ‘why’ behind adopting climate solutions in food and agriculture and helps to strengthen the business case for sustainable decisions.
More information:
https://arrellfoodinstitute.ca/
During the growing season of 2023, Rural Routes to Climate Solutions teamed up with Regeneration Canada to connect with agricultural producers across Canada who are tackling the pressing social and environmental crises through the adoption of regenerative agriculture.
One such farm is Axten Farms, situated in Minton, Saskatchewan. With a steadfast commitment to growing healthy grains, Axten Farms takes a regenerative approach focused on enhancing their land’s soil biodiversity, creating a thriving environment for food production. Their unwavering dedication is captured in their motto, “Loyal to the Soil.”
Welcome to Stories of Regeneration, a podcast series brought to you by Rural Routes to Climate Solutions and Regeneration Canada. Join me, your host Derek Leahy, as we delve into the importance of supporting an agricultural system that not only prioritizes the health of our land and ecosystems but also ensures the sustainability of our farmers and ranchers. Get ready to explore the transformative power of regenerative agriculture.
If you want to learn more, we recommend downloading and listening to:
Our Farmers Blog shares stories about Alberta farmers who do an exceptional job of caring for the land, producing food, and building up their communities.
This podcast has been partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
Water is Food - Emerging Knowledge is a panel discussion hosted by the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. This was held on World Food Day on October 16, 2023, as a panel discussion looking at emerging research and insights into best practices, barriers and opportunities at the intersection of water and agri-food.
Arrell Food Institute director Dr. Evan Fraser moderated a panel of University of Guelph experts at the intersection of water and agri-food to discuss the latest research and best practices in their fields.
The panel discussion features:
- Dr. Larry Goodridge, director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety and professor in the Ontario Agricultural College’s Department of Food Science, who will discuss research in detecting and treating waterborne pathogens that can impact the food system.
- Dr. Tongzhe Li, professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) and the inaugural Arrell Family Chair in Behavioural and Experimental Economics, who will share insights from research conducted on consumer preferences toward growing fresh foods using recycled irrigation water.
- Dr. Hugh Simpson, researcher at the Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute, who will discuss private water wells and their importance to local food. Simpson is currently working on a project with U of G researchers to examine the needs of the rural community for guidance about private water wells for agricultural, business and domestic purposes.
The event took place at the Anita Stewart Memorial Food Lab in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics. This World Food Day 2023 event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in partnership with: Food Tank, Driscoll’s, WholeChain, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University. and in collaboration with: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Arrell Food Institute, Compass Group Canada.
Thanks to the Arrell Food Institute for permission to air this recording.
https://arrellfoodinstitute.ca/
https://www.fao.org/world-food-day/en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8vAPL48kaI
Climate change challenges Canadian agriculture in so many ways. How can Canada help farmers adapt? The report, “A New Ag Deal: A 9-Point Plan for Climate-Smart Agriculture”, lays out ideas to help farmers adapt and reduce the impacts of climate change on their farms while growing food production to feed the world. Mohamad Yaghi, Agriculture & Climate Policy Lead at the Royal Bank’s (RBC) Climate Action Institute tells us about their plan in this episode.
The Royal Bank has been active reporting about agriculture and climate as part of its Thought Leadership initiative, working with the Arrell Food Institute here at the University of Guelph on several of these. Mohamad and his team spoke with more than 500 farmers and food producers, to gain a better understanding of what practical policies could make a difference helping farmers adapt. We talked about a number of these ideas.
The world’s top food producing countries are making sustainable agriculture a strategic priority, building formidable climate-smart food supply chains backed by sizeable funding and bold policy measures. The sector risks falling behind if Canadian governments don’t match their competitors in supporting producers with the funding and policy tools to grow more food with fewer emissions. The agriculture sectors in the U.S., EU, Australia, and China get roughly three times the climate funding that Canada provides to its industry.
We talk about carbon markets and how to build markets that are fair and that farmers can benefit from, for soil carbon, methane, and other emissions. Encouraging innovative farmers who drive the initial charge to new farming practices is another important focus that farmers often say is neglected. Canada’s dwindling knowledge sharing network or extension system for getting new research knowledge into the hand of farmers needs a major boost.
We also discuss the newly launched Canadian Alliance for Net Zero Agrifood (CANZA) and what the Alliance plans to do in coming years. RBC is a partner in this new Alliance, along with the Arrell Food Institute.
More information:
A New Ag Deal: A 9-Point Plan for Climate-Smart Agriculture
https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/a-new-ag-deal-a-9-point-plan-for-climate-smart-agriculture/
The Next Green Revolution: How Canada can produce more food and fewer emissions
The Canadian Alliance for Net Zero Agrifood
Arrell Food Institute
https://arrellfoodinstitute.ca/
Sustainable farming is about the people and organizations working daily to that end. Stuart Wright is a dairy and cash crop farmer from Kenilworth, Wellington County, and a past President of Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Both Stuart and the Soil and Crop organization work hard on farm sustainability. Stuart describes his family’s work building soil health and sustainability using crop rotation, no till, strip till, cover crops, and the 4Rs of nutrient management. Since 1939, Soil and Crop has been innovating new ways of growing crops to improve both production and conservation. Stuart’s discussion with Paul Smith illustrates the complexity of juggling crops, livestock and changing practices. He also reflects about how farmers learn from other farmers, advisors and researchers, and then try new things on their farms—illustrating the importance of the network of organizations collaborating on sustainable agriculture. (Originally aired in 2020).
More information is available at: https://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/ https://wellingtonsoilcrop.org/ https://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/association/the-soil-fixers/ https://www.farms.com/videos/rural-lifestyle/stuart-wright-138455.aspx
The Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming at the University of Guelph is a fascinating project combining the university’s strength in food and agriculture, local food supply chains, student learning and research, student activism, and community engagement. Mike Smith, the centre’s farm coordinator, talks with us about the activities of the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming.
University of Guelph is known as Canada’s Food University and it began its existence as the Ontario Agricultural College. Students can also get a certificate in organic agriculture through the university. So, it is fitting to have the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming here to help in learning and research. The centre is run through the Department of Plant Agriculture within the Ontario Agricultural College and is located within the University of Guelph Arboretum. The centre also connects to Hospitality Services at the university, to the SEED, to the student food bank, and other local partners.
Students voted in a 2019 referendum to provide $1 per student per term for 10 years to support the activities of the centre, through the Central Students Association. That funding plus support from the Department of Plant Agriculture, Ontario Agricultural College, finances the current activities of the centre. Mike Smith, the farm coordinator, summer student employees, and volunteers deliver farm activities.
Student and community volunteers are an important part of centre activities and are welcome to help with seasonal activities including planting, weeding, and harvest.
More Information:
https://www.uoguelph.ca/oac/gcuof
https://csaonline.ca/elections/archive/W19-general
https://www.uoguelph.ca/oac/guelph-centre-urban-organic-farming/volunteers
"Recruiting Soil to Tackle Climate Change: A Roadmap for Canada" is a 2022 report by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and the Compost Council of Canada aimed at helping more people put carbon into soil and keep it there.
The world’s soils have lost an estimated 133 billion tons of carbon since the beginning of agriculture 12,000 years ago. This loss represents a substantial opportunity for climate-change mitigation via carbon sequestration in soils. The challenges to building soil carbon, however, include socio-economic, political, and cultural barriers. Healthy soil microbial communities build carbon, while also generating societal benefits like clean water, but managing for soil health means adopting best-management practices (BMPs) that often run counter to perceived economic advantage and long-established cultural norms.
Soil-carbon sequestration is a “no regrets” approach, applying landscape-based solutions to climate change. It can be implemented at a relatively low cost per tonne of CO2e, and it has numerous co-benefits, such as increased fertility, cleaner water, and greater farm profitability. Moreover, the science behind these statements is not disputed. While there is some disagreement between scientists around the details, even the most conservative among researchers and academics recognize that the potential for building soil carbon levels is real and worth the investment. In fact, soil health is a topic that has been receiving a growing amount of attention worldwide over the past few years
The Soil Conservation Council of Canada and the Compost Council of Canada released the final report in April 2022. The Roadmap is a call to action and a plan for Canada to create a partnership with soil and with soil managers. And that will deliver significant benefits – for generations to come.
More information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0orPeMZVB8
https://soilcc.ca/programs/recruiting-soil-to-tackle-climate-change/
http://www.compost.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Press-Release-Recruit-Soil-to-Tackle-Climate-Change.pdf
