Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, seen here at Agribition, is retiring from politics. PHOTO: FILE

New initiative to promote farmer mental health launched

Collaborative solutions wanted

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian government is looking for new ways to help the mental health of farmers across the country — and has launched the Producer Mental Wellbeing Initiative (PMWI) to find "collaborative solutions that employ novel strategies" to do just that.






Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Parliamentary Ag Secretary Jean-Claude Poissant, at right, visited the Carrefour Alimentaire Centre-Sud in Montreal on June 17, 2019 to formally launch the federal Food Policy for Canada. in 2019 (Photo courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Feds disburse funds on community food security projects

Since 2019 the Local Food Infrastructure Fund has committed $64.8 million to such projects

Reading Time: < 1 minute Wednesday, federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay announced up to $9.98 million in funding for community food projects through the fifth phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, an outworking of the Food Policy for Canada.



Lawrence Macaulay, seen here in a 2018 photo, is taking the ag minister post for the second time. Photo: supplied/minister’s office.

Ag leaders welcome MacAulay’s appointment as AAFC Minister   

The minister’s new role was part of the Liberal government’s recent cabinet shuffle 

Reading Time: 3 minutes Industry leaders and organizations are welcoming the July 26 announcement that veteran MP Lawrence McAulay will be taking over the post of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food–and wasting no time calling him to action. It is the P.E.I. MP’s second time in the role, having previously held it between 2015 and 2019. MacAulay took over […] Read more

Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow speaks Nov. 24, 2021 in the House of Commons. (Screengrab from supplied video)

End date sought for P.E.I. potato export ban

A ban from Washington would be harder to reverse, Liberals say

Reading Time: 4 minutes The federal Conservatives want to see a clearly defined end zone for the Canadian government’s suspension of Prince Edward Island potato exports to the U.S. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday announced the suspension of certification for P.E.I. potato exports to the U.S., — a move which, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, […] Read more


Marie-Claude Bibeau (centre), shown here Feb. 11 announcing federal funding for a Smucker’s Foods dairy plant at Sherbrooke, Que., is Canada’s new agriculture minister. (MCBibeau.Liberal.ca)

Mini-shuffle includes new federal agriculture minister

Reading Time: 2 minutes Vancouver MP Jody Wilson-Raybould’s exit from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet has led to a mini-shuffle and a new federal minister for agriculture and agri-food. Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for the Quebec riding of Compton-Stanstead since 2015, replaced Lawrence MacAulay as agriculture minister on Friday, becoming the first woman to handle the ag portfolio. MacAulay, the […] Read more

Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announcing the $8.3-million investment in the Organic Federation of Canada.  Photo: Supplied

Federal government to invest $8.3-million in organics

Reading Time: 2 minutes Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay today announced a federal investment of up to $8.3 million to the Organic Federation of Canada, under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, AgriScience Clusters. The research investment, which includes an additional $4.4 million in contributions from industry, will help the organic sector enhance productivity through better soil health and […] Read more