food security

COVID-19 has had unexpected beneficiaries: B.C.’s small-scale seed growers. The B.C. Eco-Seed Co-op, a co-operative of roughly a dozen seed farmers in the province, saw its sales skyrocket.

James Lawson catches fish. Fish that rarely feed the B.C. coast. He’s not alone: Roughly 85 per cent of seafood caught in the province is exported, yet B.C. fish harvesters can’t get their catch to local markets — and the provincial government is doing little to change that in plans to increase food security post-pandemic.

Eventually, most B.C. livestock is slaughtered into meat. But where? It’s a question that’s plagued farmers, ranchers, abattoir owners, and B.C. politicians for almost 20 years. A question the pandemic has dramatically thrown into focus.

In North America, bumblebees — a vital native pollinator — are estimated to have seen their relative abundance crash by 97 per cent, with the sharpest decline occurring in the past 30 years.

On Thursday, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced details of the $50-million Surplus Food Rescue Program, created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canadians struggling to get enough to eat will soon have better access to food that otherwise would be composted. On Thursday, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced details of the $50-million Surplus Food Rescue Program, created to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gardening is a powerful and symbolic medicine for what ails us during the pandemic, mental health experts say.

Cannabis — not food — was the most profitable use of B.C.’s arable land last year.

In the early stages of the pandemic, isolated islanders were fearful about potential food shortages from being at the end of a very long supply chain. But as the weather improved and dramatic food shortages due to COVID-19 didn’t materialize, the mood has shifted. People are more excited about the opportunity to increase food production locally.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is raising concern about temporary foreign workers arriving in Canada to work on farms, saying he believes the quarantine rules for these workers are inadequate.

Quadra Island farmers want goats into people's backyards as a way to improve food security in the face of COVID-19.

A fight over of a parcel of federally-controlled land on the outskirts of Canada's largest city pits food-security advocates against an influx of right-leaning, development-friendly politicians.

Emergency room doctor Edward Xie writes about the 'Nourish initiative' to engage a national network of food service directors and innovators who are passionate about taking local action to bring nutritious, sustainable meals into health institutions.

Alberta — home to one-third of Canada’s agricultural land — could put a big dent in its carbon footprint by transitioning to organic agriculture, writes Tracy Misiewicz.

Global agriculture is being faced with a double challenge: feeding a growing population while adopting more environmentally-friendly practices.