The Conversation
A stag stands in a neck-high field of canola in Alberta in 2011. The federal government is in the midst of formulating a national food policy aimed at putting more high-quality food on Canadian tables from the country’s ranchers and farmers. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

The promise of a national food policy for Canada

Charles Z.Levkoe, Lakehead University and Amanda Wilson, Lakehead University

Fed Chair Janet Yellen heads one of the most powerful financial institutions in the world. Reuters/Carlos Barria

Trump’s Fed nominee could turn central banking on its head

Jay L. Zagorsky, The Ohio State University

Randal Quarles, the president's first nominee to the Federal Reserve's board of governors, has argued the bank should use rules to make decisions. But could such a shift prove disastrous in a crisis?
High government taxes on legalized marijuana could push people back to the black market. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Governments should keep weed taxes down

Arthur Cockfield, Queen's University, Ontario

The Liberal government is on the way to legalizing marijuana. They should keep taxes low to discourage the black market.
A technician checks a smart meter data in this file photo. Research suggests the technology fails to affect consumer behaviour. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Are smart meters delivering on their promise?

Catherine Rosenberg, University of Waterloo and Lukasz Golab, University of Waterloo

Data suggests a smart-meter plan to shift electricity use to off-peak hours has had almost no impact.
United States Sen. Elizabeth Warren questions Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf, foreground, during congressional hearings into allegations that bank employees opened millions of unauthorized accounts to meet aggressive sales targets. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Memo to Gordon Gekko: Ethics, not greed, boost profits

Michael J. Armstrong, Brock University and Fayez A. Elayan, Brock University

Unethical corporate behaviour isn't just embarrassing from a PR standpoint, it can also be unprofitable for firms and their investors.
Will AI and robotics erode or enhance the labour market for humans? (Shutterstock)

Canada +150

Future jobs: How we’ll earn a living 150 years from now

Sunil Johal, University of Toronto

What will Canadians do to earn their keep in 150 years? We won't manufacture goods, but jobs with the "human" touch, like nursing, will still be important.
Protesters gather outside the White House in Washington D.C. after President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the Unites States from the Paris climate change accord. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

China in climate driver’s seat after Trump rejects Paris

James Miller, Queen's University, Ontario

Action on climate change is now increasingly in China's hands, and the decisions the country's leaders make in the next decade will have a profound global impact.
Did the TPP die - or is it now a zombie? (Visual Hunt/Killaee)

Zombie Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement lurches on

Ronald Labonte, University of Ottawa

NAFTA renegotiations may see provisions from the Trans-Pacific Partnership revive like zombies. We must remember their failures - on income inequality, labour and environmental protection.
Canada spends more per capita on prescription drugs than most other OECD countries. (Shutterstock)

Why Canada should introduce universal drugs coverage

Katherine Boothe, McMaster University

Canada is the only nation with a broad public health system lacking universal coverage for pharmaceuticals. Despite fears that pharmacare would be too costly, it could end up saving Canadians money.

Editor's Picks

Despite his presidential victory, Donald Trump’s business brand is suffering, as is that of his daughter, Ivanka. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Trumps show damaged personal brands harm the business

Fang Wan, University of Manitoba

The Trump brand has taken a hit since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. The mistake? Failing to separate the businesses from the personalities.
William Shatner as Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk is depicted on a commemorative stamp issued by Canada Post in 2016. Handout/Canada Post

Canada +150

Energy fuels Star Trek economy

Joshua Gans, University of Toronto

Canada's economy faces a radical shift as abundant energy and resources could propel the country toward a Star Trek future.
Future food will shift to alternative proteins such as insects, like this 3D-printed biscuit made of insect flour by designer Penelope Kupfer. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Canada +150

Bugging out: How we’ll feed ourselves in 2167

Evan Fraser, University of Guelph

Climate change, insects and urban farm towers are a few things that will change how and what we eat in the future.

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  5. Bugging out: How we’ll feed ourselves in 2167

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