Food Markets

[styky]

Canada needs policy overhaul to keep up with global food markets
JESSICA LEEDER — Global Food Reporter
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 7:56PM EST
Last updated Tuesday, Feb. 08, 2011 8:43AM EST
Canada has lost its status as a food-producing superpower and needs a drastic overhaul of its agricultural policy if it hopes to compete in world markets and feed more of its own people.

The country, hobbled by out-of-date policies and an ongoing battle for scarce government dollars, has dropped from third-largest global exporter of food to number seven at a time when we can least afford it: Climate change and population growth are putting enormous pressure on the food system, while diet-related health-care costs are weighing on the national economy.

Those conclusions were laid out Monday by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, a non-partisan think tank. The institute issued a challenge to food-system stakeholders shaping future agriculture policy, demanding they create a new framework to enable Canada to double its agri-food exports to $75-billion and produce 75 per cent of its own food by 2025. <a href=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-needs-policy-overhaul-to-keep-up-with-global-food-markets/article1898130/>continued</a>

[styky]

Link to the thread titled <a href=http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=124743>Food Will Never Be So Cheap Again</a> It seems to be getting a little long in the tooth. We might just as well continue it here with a fresh start.

[B. Max]

As soon as they trot out the global warming nonsense, toss out the "S" word and start with the import export contradictions I smell a scam.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le1898130/

[RedDog]

I can walk to four markets stuffed to the rafters with magnificent food. Look out for #1, our neighbors and friends. After that the good grace escape from flooding, rapid melting, hail or tornadoes leave excess gravy for world sale.

What sort of crop management "policy" does Afghanistan or Mongolia or the Sudan or Haiti have in place? I didn't think so.

[Smaug]

The only thing Canada needs is less tax and less regulatory interference with markets. Local production will increase dramaticly.

[Garden-Gnome]

How about getting rid of the cheap food policy and people pay what it really costs instead of farmer's and food production specialists (which is a nifty way of saying farmer) subsidizing urban folk.

No offense meant.

[styky]

How about getting rid of the cheap food policy and people pay what it really costs instead of farmer's and food production specialists (which is a nifty way of saying farmer) subsidizing urban folk.

No offense meant.

Which is exactly why urban folk stopped planting gardens. Because to the marketing boards and their cheap food policy it's not worth the effort to grow your own. It's far cheaper just to buy it at the supermarket. The only one getting a raw deal here is the farmer.

[styky]

Peter Foster: The straight goods from Animal Farm

Read more: http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/0 ... z1DQwErNDZ

<snippet>
CAPI this week produced a steaming shovel-ready pile of policy titled Canada’s Agri-Food Destination, which amounts to a non-fiction rewrite of Animal Farm for the 21st century: a self-parody of bureaucratic pretension.

[styky]

<a href=http://news.isc.vn/en/worldwide/wheat-surges-to-highest-since-2008-on-china-drought-middle-eastern-buying.html>Wheat Surges to Highest Since 2008 on China Drought, Middle Eastern Buying</a>

<a href=http://www.zerohedge.com/article/corn-prices-soar-chinese-imports-increase-ninefold-compared-official-projections>Corn Prices To Soar As Chinese Imports Increase Ninefold Compared To Official Projections</a>

[styky]

Check out the map for the flood forcast. Most of where the grains grow will be flooded.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/s ... ng-con.asp

[Smaug]

How about getting rid of the cheap food policy and people pay what it really costs instead of farmer's and food production specialists (which is a nifty way of saying farmer) subsidizing urban folk.

No offense meant.

Which is exactly why urban folk stopped planting gardens. Because to the marketing boards and their cheap food policy it's not worth the effort to grow your own. It's far cheaper just to buy it at the supermarket. The only one getting a raw deal here is the farmer.

Cheap food policy Do you mean the regulatory regime which keeps food prices artificially high with most of the money going to large corporate farms that have government quotas (like Saputo's for example)?

You tell me how a Quebec farm organisation should be the biggest supplier of dairy products in Alberta while local producers are left out in the cold. It is not because of artificialy low prices, but because of artificial competion.

Same problem, different ways of looking at it. My solution is to ditch any government interference in agri-markets except for taxing the products of other countries that contain subsidies from foreign governments. I have every confidence that western producers in particular would be able to provide cheaper food while receiving greater profits (it is all about the ability to invest in their own product development rather than be forced to remain raw material producers).

[styky]

<a href=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1355055/Food-prices-fastest-rise-5-years-blow-families.html>Another Blow For UK Families: Fastest Rise In Prices Of Staple Foods In Five Years</a>

<a href=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41481344/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy/>Extreme Weather Pushes Food Prices Higher</a>

<a href=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/giant-locusts-threaten-nsw-crops/story-e6frf7jx-1226003591614>Giant Locusts Threaten NSW Crops</a>

[RedDog]

I was doing grocery ads 25 years ago with bread at .99/loaf. I still have the tear sheets to prove it. You can still get .99¢ bread today at Superstore. I bet the farmer would like to still get a new pickup for $9,500 instead of $55,000 as well. It's no wonder farmer families can't keep their children on the land. Chinese agri-business is going to own this country in no time buying up one financial mess after another.

[styky]

<a href=http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article26205.html>China Drought Global Food Crisis to Trigger Many More Egypts</a>


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<a href=http://www.smh.com.au/business/when-china-goes-hungry-the-world-shakes-20110211-1aqgl.html>When China Goes Hungry, the World Shakes</a>

<a href=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20927986.400-earth-economist-the-food-bubble-is-about-to-burst.html>Earth Economist: The Food Bubble Is about to Burst</a>

<a href=http://www.wwltv.com/news/Frigid-weather-blast-fills-shelters-threatens-crops-115883284.html>Frigid Weather Fills Louisiana Shelters, Threatens Crops</a>

<a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6oL77tUCn8>Mexico's Big Freeze, Crop Devastation Worst in 50 Years</a> - Video Youtube

<a href=http://www.allgov.com/US_and_the_World/ViewNews/Are_Food_Shortages_Around_the_World_being_Caused_by_Investors_Speculation_110208>Are Food Shortages Around the World being Caused by Investors’ Speculation?</a>

<a href=http://www.businessinsider.com/governments-food-price-inflation-2011-1#s>25 Countries Whose GovernmentCould Get Crushed by Food Inflation</a>

<a href=http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-4397-frankenfoods.html>Frankenfoods: Will Recent USDA Approvals of GMOs Spread</a>

<a href=http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Tories+team+with+federal+Liberals+kill+genetically+modified+food+legislation/4254378/story.html>Canada's Tories Team with Liberals to Kill GM Food Legislation</a>

<a href=http://www.activistpost.com/2011/02/4-best-methods-for-off-grid-food.html>4 Best Methods for Off-the-Grid Food Production</a>

<a href=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/montana-cowboy-airlifts-herd-to-russia/430834.html>Montana Cowboy Airlifts Herd to Meat-Hungry Russia</a>

[styky]

You think prices have gone up in your supermarket, well check out the prices they are paying in northern Canada

http://www.cbc.ca/photogallery/canada/4437/ Pictures 1 thru 9