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Articles on Farms

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In the last two decades alone, Canada has lost nearly 150,000 farmers with the current population standing at just 260,000. Barriers to farming need to be addressed to mitigate this loss. (Shutterstock)

Canada’s agricultural policies need to better serve local farmers and communities

The impact of agricultural issues extends far beyond the farming community. Current social crises, including biodiversity loss and food inaccessibility, affect everyone.
Second-generation dairy farmer David Janssens walks through a pasture of dairy cows at a farm in Surrey, B.C., in August 2018. Canadians and policymakers should support systems that allow for valuable food industries to flourish, rather than dismantle them. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

In defence of Bill C-282: Canada’s supply management supports farmers while safeguarding consumers

If Canada wishes to preserve domestic farms and enhance food security, officials must have limits on what they can concede to American and other foreign interests.
In Canada and around the world, biosolids are widely used to improve agricultural farmland soil. Biosolids being sprayed on an agricultural field. (Branaavan Sivarajah)

How microplastics are making their way into our farmland

We need to pay close attention to the potential impacts that high levels of microplastics might have on environments and find ways to reduce microplastic levels in Canada’s wastewater stream.
Mexican migrant workers harvest parsley on a farm in Wellington, Colo. John Moore/Getty Images

Sexual violence is a pervasive threat for female farm workers – here’s how the US could reduce their risk

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in the US, with workers exposed to vehicles, chemicals and heavy equipment. Women working on farms face another risk: sexual assault.
Vaccines help protect farm animals from various diseases. dusanpetkovic/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Vaccines using mRNA can protect farm animals against diseases traditional ones may not – and there are safeguards to ensure they won’t end up in your food

While mRNA vaccines are designed to last longer in the body than mRNA molecules typically would, they are also tested to ensure they are eliminated from livestock long before milking or slaughter.
Raising kids on a farm, as Kerissa Payne is doing, isn’t simple. Photo courtesy of Kerissa and Charlie Payne

Lack of affordable child care is hurting young farm families’ ability to grow their businesses – the US farm bill may finally offer some help

Access to affordable child care affects farm productivity, safety and ultimately the nation’s food supply. Farm families across the U.S. are struggling without it.
Seedlings growing in a greenhouse in the Outaouais region of Québec. It’s time to think deeply about the future of our food system. Photo by Bryan Dale

Local food is not enough — we need a sustainable transition in the food system

In light of the changes caused by the pandemic, it is clear that food autonomy as a frame of reference for reorganizing the Québec food system is not enough.
Spiders can be effective pest control agents. (Shutterstock)

Studying the stomach contents of spiders shows how they help control crop pests

Spiders liquefy their prey in order to consume it, and this makes it challenging to determine what spiders eat. A new approach that uses DNA barcoding is helping researchers figure out spider diets.
Research found that investor ownership of farmland in Saskatchewan was negligible in 2002, but by 2018 had climbed to nearly one million acres — almost 18 times the size of Saskatoon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Growing farmland inequality in the Prairies poses problems for all Canadians

Farm consolidation, increasing land concentration and expanding investor ownership of farmland is leading to growing land inequality in the Canadian Prairies.

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