Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Humaita, Amazonas State, Brazil on Aug. 14, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino)

Market value alone is selling nature short, governments told

Economic valuations needed but 'not sufficient,' co-chair says

Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — What is the value of a river? Is it for the nutritional content of the fish it sustains? The economic benefit of the local livelihoods it supports? Or does the river have its own value which humans cannot measure? Such questions may seem removed from the issues the world faces, from deepening climate […] Read more

A Savoye X-PTS shuttle. Scott Technology has had a joint venture agreement in place with Savoye since 2020 to use Savoye automated carton storage and retrieval systems in Scott material handling systems. Scott said it also plans to use the Savoye system in its project for JBS at Brooks. (ScottAutomation.com)

JBS to automate beef warehousing at Brooks

Packer to replace current fully manual system

Reading Time: 2 minutes International meat packer JBS has enlisted a major robotics and automation company to overhaul the warehousing system at one of Canada’s biggest beef plants. JBS Foods Canada on Friday announced a $71 million project in partnership with New Zealand-based Scott Technology, to design and build a system that can handle and store up to 85,000 […] Read more


(GFM Staff photo)

National cattle producer group rebrands

Former Canadian Cattlemen's Association renamed

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s national beef cattle producer body is rebranding under a slightly shorter new name that serves in part to clear away any potential whiff of a guys-only club. The organization formerly known as the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association on Thursday launched what it describes as a “a new brand identity, highlighting the strong and diverse group […] Read more

(Artisteer/iStock/Getty Images)

New CEO named for Canadian Dairy Commission

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Dairy Commission has hired from within for its new chief executive. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday announced Benoit Basillais, the CDC’s director of policy and economics, became the Crown corporation’s new CEO effective Monday. Basillais replaces Serge Riendeau, the dairy producer and former Agropur Co-operative president who’s been the CDC’s chief […] Read more


File photo of a cornfield in the northern region of Luzon in the Philippines. (Nate Hovee/iStock/Getty Images)

Marcos vows to boost Philippines’ grains output

New president/ag min aims to avert food crisis

Reading Time: < 1 minute Manila | Reuters — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed Monday to do what it takes to boost his country’s rice and corn production, seeking to reduce reliance on imports and avoid being hit hard by a food crisis now looming across the world. Marcos, who was sworn in as president last week and has […] Read more

A Mexican port-of-entry sign on Highway 92 near Naco, Arizona. (Rex_Wholster/iStock/Getty Images)

CUSMA leaders to discuss agreement during Mexico visit

Reading Time: < 1 minute Mexico City | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will discuss terms of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) agreement, which was ratified in 2018, during a visit to Mexico, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday. “We’ll have a summit to discuss terms of the trade agreement treaty… in Mexico,” […] Read more


Meeting the growing need for food banks

Meeting the growing need for food banks

Canada’s food banks are finding innovative ways to cope with escalating demand

Reading Time: 5 minutes Food bank usage increased more than 20 per cent nationally during the pandemic, with children now making up about a third of food bank users. That’s according to 2021 HungerCount, a report by Food Banks Canada which says a volatile combination of higher food prices, rising housing costs and low incomes has created a “perfect […] Read more

An original proposal by Health Canada to label ground beef as high in saturated fat has been shelved.  Photo: Jeff Haynes/Reuters

Health Canada to slap warning labels on sugary, salty and fatty foods

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters – Foods high in sugars, sodium and saturated fat will come with clear warning labels in Canada starting in 2026, the federal government said on Thursday, in an effort to promote healthier eating choices and reduce chronic health risks. “We know that it’s not always easy to make healthy choices,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told […] Read more


Photo: McCain Foods Ltd.

McCain acquires predictive crop technology

Reading Time: < 1 minute McCain Foods Ltd. has purchased predictive crop intelligence technology from Resson, a ‘vision intelligence technology’ firm headquartered in Fredericton, N.B. McCain has been a long-time partner with Resson, working together for nine years to develop algorithms that forecast farm yields using remote sensing technology. The technology will enable producers to make more appropriate decisions through […] Read more

John Cote is co-owner and head distiller at Black Fox Farms and Distillery.

What it takes to make gin on the Prairies

Reading Time: 3 minutes On June 11, gin enthusiasts and distilleries — the latter including Saskatoon’s own Black Fox Farm and Distillery — celebrated World Gin Day. After spending an afternoon out at Black Fox, Liam O’Connor, for Glacier FarmMedia, spoke to its co-owner and head distiller John Cote about what the secret is to making a good Prairie […] Read more