Extending an Olive Branch

Emotions have been riding high in the past 7 days over the future of Supply Management here in Canada after Prime Minister Harper stated Canada’s desire to be included in the Trans Pacific Partnership.  This is the first time since NAFTA that there have been serious concerns surrounding the future of SM here in Canada and for the collective group of farmers that have billions of equity tied up in quota, any threat to the system is scary.

 

Beyond the economic impact, SM farmers are taking a beating in popular Canadian press as journalists have branded them greedy profit takers who are more interested in padding their pockets then the reality.  Canadian Dairy and Poultry farmers work hard every day to efficiently produce the highest quality food products for Canadian consumers.

 

As a farmer coming from a non-supply managed industry I have often identified with certain criticisms, especially when they relate to trade.  The future of my business depends on having vibrant export markets and bi-lateral deals such as this one are integral for opening up global market access.  That being said, cannibalizing SM will not make my business, or my industry as a whole, better.  It would have a demoralizing effect for agriculture in general and it would worsen the economic crisis that is already ravaging our rural communities.

 

So how do we find a common ground?  SM farmers must be willing to make some concessions to their system.  First and foremost, they need to address the policies that are having a negative impact and can be changed easily through policy reform.  Here in Ontario, the removal of the quota cap will immediately free up the quota exchange, allowing the farmers that want to milk more cows the ability to do so.  This will stem the speculative land purchases that are adding unneeded fuel to an already hot land market. Secondly, there must be a willingness to explore the possibility of reducing (not eliminating) import tariffs for products over a long period of time.  This will give Canadian exporters leverage in trade talks while not causing a massive collapse in milk price.

 

Non SM and SM farmers have managed to live cohesively since the inception of the system and we have a mutual co-dependence on each other that cannot be ignored.  Non SM farmers have more potential for economic growth; this encourages investment into new infrastructure (feed mills, grain elevators, input supply, etc.) that benefits both parties.  On the flip side, our suppliers enjoy the stability brought about by SM farmers because it can partially offset the periods of low prices that come with farming in the free market.

 

As a show of good faith for my SM farming friends, I will no longer speak out in opposition of SM.  These farmers are incredibly good at what they do and the media fails to acknowledge that the burden of servicing quota debt has actually made many SM farmers more efficient then their global competitors. Beyond being efficient, they deliver a product that is safer then any other option in the global market.

 

I have publically spoken out against SM in the past because of the harm I felt it was doing to my business.  After a period of reflection this week I have realized that we cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves at such a pivotal time in Canadian agriculture.  The two sides will not always see eye-to-eye but like any good marriage we have to recognize that our partner makes us better and be willing to compromise for the sake of the relationship.

Voting Season

“Do what young people are dying all over the world to do…Vote”

Rick Mercer had an awesome “Rick’s Rant” in his season finale last night about the upcoming election; encouraging young people to get out and vote.  Here is the clip:

Normally I blog about farm related things but tonight, agriculture needs a night off.  Politics has always fascinated me; I think I scared my parent a bit because what 8 year old in their right mind would rather talk politics then Tonka trucks.  I remember being excited the first time I got to vote, I went to Wallace Public School with my Mum and Dad and for the first time I gave my opinion on how Canada should be run.

I’m not sure why most young people don’t vote but I’m guessing that it is because they think that their one voice really doesn’t matter.  That’s why Rick’s closing phrase resonated with me so much; People all over the world have and are still giving their lives to give us the freedom it takes to go out and vote.  In the last few months we have seen people across the globe rise up and demand democracy yet we here are stuck in apathy.

Canadians owe it to our global neighbours to take advantage of where we were born.  The minute we were born we won the lottery.  We have a country that provides healthcare and education; a country that is rich in both culture and resources.  Our country gives us so much and we owe it to Canada to get off the couch May 2^nd and vote.

The Consumer Gets What They Want.

The following post was contributed by Jacob Pelissero

Most people don’t mind farmers. They view them as a hard working, ethical person that is always willing to lend a hand.  These people like to come for a Sunday drive on the weekends and wave as they drive by. Yet these same people tend to have negative views on our farming practices. They tend to make accusations against farmers that are outrageous and based on very little facts. They also tell me that eating 6 eggs for breakfast is unhealthy, because of the cholesterol levels.

As I sit here writing this I have a pamphlet that was handed to me by a vegan outreach group on campus. Flipping through the booklet I cannot help but laugh at what it is trying to inform me of. The photos within are taken from farms in who knows what continent. Yes there are some photos that do depict inhumane conditions, but I highly doubt that the photos were captured in North America. This information book apparently educates one of all farming know how in 15 pages. So basically I don’t need to finish my Ag Bus degree. It shares about how unsanitary the barn conditions are, and that it is horrible for the animals. Yet, I am willing to bet that my barns, or any barn in Ontario is cleaner then South Residence after the first year students move out.

Farming is more then just an occupation. It’s a lifestyle that is passed on through generations.  Yet with active groups that are providing ill information to consumers, its easy for farmers to be painted as a ‘the bad guy.’  It is also difficult to fight back against these organizations because of their funding and size.  Its reality that even by pooling every agricultural board together we still don’t stand a chance against these groups. Collectively farmers need to put a face to what we provide consumers through various ways.

What the consumer wants is what the consumer will get. The consumer wants local food, farmers will provide local food. They want organic, we adapt our practice and provide organic. They want to know how their food is being treated, and we as farmers are lacking that information transfer. Almost every farmer has been called something just because of an opinion. Do these same people tell their mechanic that he overcharges after repairing their car? I enjoy having the conversation in the grocery store informing people about eggs, and how they differ, and how they are made. I like putting a face to eggs, so the consumer can forget the “factory farm” view and hopefully remember the story I tell of my family farm. Farmers cannot win in a fair fight against these opposition groups because, they like to fight dirty. Photos will always surface with no location attached, or the one bad apple in the bushel will be uncovered. I think as farmers we need to share our story when we are in the grocery store, or ordering a sub at Subway, and how you could be attached to the sandwich.  The consumer wants to know how their food is being produced, and as farmers we need to provide them with that information.

 

 

Consumers Don’t Care

The following piece is contributed by Jennifer Ritchie

I believe many consumers truly do not care where their food comes from. On average the times that I have been in a grocery store I see less than a dozen people really looking over food product labels. I would image if I were to go into a popular grocery store such as Metro Inc. and start asking people about certain products there were looking to buy less than fifty percent of the customers would know where that food product came from. Products such as eggs, milk, and meat should be something people should take an interest in to know where exactly these products are coming from. The results of this I think would be different in the summer months than in the winter months as a lot of local fruits and vegetables will be on the shelves when in season. Overall I do not think consumers care enough about where their food comes from.

 

Time to Kill In Nicaragua, Why Not Blog

This morning our bus ride up north has been derailed by a mission to get coffee so I had a bit of time to share some thoughts…

Our trip here has been incredibly rewarding, albeit has been an emotional rollercoaster.  It is difficult to see so many people in need with a limited supply of goods to share.  People who have been on trips like this before tell us that it is just something you need to get used to; you help who you can because you can’t do much more.

In terms of our work, we accomplished a fair amount.  We managed to build the structure for 2 classrooms.  The flooring and roof will now be done by local labour after our departure.  When I get home I can post some pictures of our work.

The thing that has hit home for me the most is the pure joy that you see on the faces of the local people.  When I’m at home, its not a stretch to say that I spend more time worrying then I do smiling and I have never missed a meal, I’ve never had to wonder where my parents are, in general I’ve lived an incredibly lucky life.  Though many people here live on no more then 3 or 4 dollars a day, it seems that Nicaraguans go through life with a smile on their face.

In terms of agriculture here, I’m not sure what to think.  We have driven by some very prosperous looking farms with new grain bins and chicken barns that have obviously been built in the past couple of years but the majority of the land as been lying fallow for quite some time judging by the scruff trees that are popping up.  I’ve yet to get an answer on why it isn’t being farmed.  The only conclusive information is that it was once used for sugarcane production but when the local processor was sold and closed that industry collapsed.  You can see that there is some potential in the soil judging by the farms described above and I hypothesize that with a little foreign investment Nicaragua could be returned to its former place of Central America’s breadbasket.

Anyways, the bus is here and I’ve got to run

Supply Management Sustains Family Farms

Contributed by Peter Spriut

I think some farmers will benefit from global trade but not all farmers will experience the same dividends. In the many free countries that have minimum or no barriers to trade, still have the majority of the food produced and consumed in the same country. This is a concern since the world price is paid to producers, often less than domestic price especially in European countries. What is the global price? I believe it is the lowest price farmers are able to dump milk on the market, in other words lowest price to get rid of the milk. Why should farmers get paid global price if it cannot sustain their operation.

With the latest global milk price crash many farmers in the EU, New Zealand and US are feeling the squeeze. Many dairy farmers in these countries are trying to cover losses, barely holding on. These same feelings are reflected in the Canadian beef and hog industries. Working all day (from 5am till 9pm), everyday and losing money doing it is exhausting, but most farmers have no choice. It is either call for bankruptcy and never be able to farm anymore or continue to sink in a drowning debt working 7 days a week, doing something we love.

For these reasons/fears I believe supply management has been the best system out there, although there are many negative critics. I come from a dairy farm located in Woodstock. We had moved 10 years ago from the Netherlands where we had a dairy and hog operation. The biggest advantage of supply management is quality of lifestyle. Lifestyle of dairy and chicken producers in Canada is easily ten times higher than those found in others countries. Look at all the fancy barns being built, cars being driven, and vacations taken. High quality of lifestyle is something to cherish. Do a google search and  you will find many stories of farmers in the US struggling to make ends meet in the dairy industry. I believe the same fate awaits many of us if we open our borders to free trade for two reasons. The first reason is that the cost of production is much higher in Canada than other countries such as of the extra money that goes into insulating the buildings from our climate. The second reason is that we are a price taker industry to the small amount of processors.

In conclusion, holding on to my lifestyle and fear that the global price is much lower than cost of production (as seen in the last three years). I do not believe that the Canadian dairy farmers will benefit from increasing trade. However on that note some trade like specialty cheeses is an attractive niche market. Supply management may have its downfalls but overall sustaining the farmers quality of life and keeping family farms alive far outweighs those disadvantages.

 

Global Markets Holds More Opportunity then Local for Canadian Farmers

Contributed by Justin Gerber

I believe that increasing global food trade will have more positive effects for farmers than the local food movement will because the local market is somewhat limited in the number of different products that can be sold and the supply chains for a global market are far better established than the local supply chains. The beef industry demonstrates both of these points. With cattle most people know of the grades AAA, AA and A, the former two the most known in restaurants. These grades have to do with the level of marbling in the meat, but there is a higher level that is lesser known, Canada Prime. Meat getting this grade has a high fat content and is not eaten here; it is shipped to the Asian markets where it is a delicacy. Without the global market this product would take more processing to be used or would be ground into hamburger, reducing its value.

 

The lack of an established supply chain for a labeled local product, or in this case Ontario Corn Fed Beef marketed by Loblaw’s, was also shown. A few years ago Loblaw’s took on the label at their stores, sales rose dramatically and Loblaw’s wanted to expand to more stores, but the supply was not there, cattle prices were down and many yards were empty. The extra cost associated with a provincial program and the down turn in the economy was the reason for the label being kicked out in spring 2009. Loblaw’s had stated the program was working well to increase sales but in the end it was dropped. It should be said that a local supply chain could work but it will require time and effort that I think most companies are not willing to exert. It will come down to already established and easily maintained national and global supply chains that open up farmers to new and different markets with hopefully better prices.

 

 

Canadian Farmers Will Benefit from Increased Global Food Trade

Contributed by Lutz Foerster

 

Personally I believe Canadian farmers will benefit from increased global trade. Why? Well the reasons are quite simple, yet in my eyes they are valid. Canada is a a highly developed country. In these countries the demographic statistics tend to indicate only very little population growth. This is important for Canadian farmers as the domestic population might lose its significance as a market, because we will not have enough consumers. Therefore our produce is sold abroad. Other countries are economically growing, and so is there population. Demand in our in country, unless the production of crop based biomass becomes more popular, will not necessarily rise. In other countries although, demand will rise, opening new markets for us. This new demand, which we are already noticing in the markets this year, must be captured by us. The global market gives us an opportunity, if we market our produce correctly, to capture positive market swings which would likely not even exist without access to global markets. This year and the last part of last year showed us how beneficial global markets are to us. Although yields for the traditional commodities were high in Ontario this year, we were, or still are, able to sell our grain for good prices, as supply from the other producing countries was lower than usual. Although it must be said that prior to this recent market rally, commodity prices were lower than we would have liked them to be. Of course this shows how global markets may work against us. To protect ourselves against a market with low prices, the best thing we can do is market our produce correctly. So a farmer can successfully market his crops, he must be on the verge of the market and world news all the time. Markets will have to be followed closer, and it must be learned what influences them. We also need to learn how to control our greed. Set the price where we can make a profit and start selling new crop at that point to secure income. This way we can sell our crops at an average price catching most of the high, but not dropping to far in the low. It is also important to look at the market when purchasing inputs. High market prices will result in rising input costs. If prices are predicted to rise, the early purchase of inputs is an important thing to consider. It might mean that you have to take up credit, but in the long run, the possibility of saving a lot of money is there.

As the world keeps turning, global commodity markets become more complex with more influencing factors. To keep up with this we will need to constantly keep educating ourselves and not be ignorant to our surroundings. I believe if we use the tools the market gives us, we will be able to benefit from global trade.

In Defense of Industrial Agriculture

An open letter contributed by Dylan Harding

 

Hi Everyone

The Guelph Organic Conference has been a very thought provoking experience for me, and maybe I shocked some people over the course of this weekend with views that I expressed. I will no longer be specifically involved with the organic farming movement. This has been a long considered decision. Don’t get me wrong, organic production has a place. I believe that place is in local vegetable production and rightfully this is where much of the focus in the organic world lies. However, there are greater issues than the vegetable supply in the world today, and we should not kid ourselves in to thinking that current organic practices will reform the global food production system. Organic and local vegetable production is a piece of the puzzle, but in my mind it is a small piece. The worldwide demand for calories is met by industrial farming, and that demand is not going to go away. This is the issue towards which I will now be addressing my energy in terms of learning, consideration, and action. I am not saying that anyone is wrong for their interest or involvement in organic farming, but it is not for me. Many people may consider this decision a moral sacrifice. I feel that this is far from the case and I encourage you to read this letter if you will have the patience to consider my reasoning.

 

Please keep in mind: While I will stress the importance of sound methods for maintaining today’s yields, I do not mean to imply that we should be attempting to increase these yields. We should certainly be taking pains to address population growth. This discussion is however beyond the scope of my argument, which I base solely on the very real fact that there are currently some 6 billion people alive on earth who we consider to have rights.

 

Industrial agriculture has undeniably changed the world. The global population boom following world war two was driven in a very real way by humanity’s newfound ability to produce anhydrous ammonia, a very basic fertilizing agent (as well as a component of many explosives) on a massive scale. This process, known as the Haber-Bosch process, is why we are all here. The population boom that we are a part of has been possible because of farming techniques based on synthetic fertilizer production and mechanization.

 

Although industrial farming as it is currently practiced is certainly unsustainable, we must first give it credit for bringing us here, because we wouldn’t be without it. Pandora’s Box is open and we are now reliant on this system. Yes, this system needs reform, but applying organic farming methods on the scale required to feed the current global population would be just as unsustainable as our current conventional methods and considerably less practical. Take the notion of “peak phosphorus” that is considered an especially great threat to organic farms. An obvious source of phosphorus is available in biosolids (the solid byproduct of waste-water treatment) but safely processing biosolids is impractical on the small scale that organic farming principals generally demand. Beyond this, biosolids are forbidden under organic regulations. Industrial farming is not currently sustainable, but organic agriculture is not a viable alternative.

 

There are certainly commonly practiced organic principals that should be incorporated into industrial farming such as polyculture planting and a focus on replenishing the soil’s organic matter content. In the conventional farming world however these principals can be readily considered if they are indeed more practical. In organic farming, many conventionally accepted practices with potential for extreme benefit are ignored simply because they do not adhere to an outdated and romanticized notion of what food production once was. Rather than argue with the definition of a luxury item I have chosen to farm in a less restricted environment because this is the environment in which the vast majority of food production will occur. Although neither side of the organic/ conventional divide is currently sustainable, only one side allows unhampered consideration of how a sustainable food system can be designed.

 

It is my belief that ecologically and morally sound methods of food production are possible on an industrial scale. We need to figure out how this can be made a reality, because industrial agriculture will continue for as long as it can whether it is sustainable or not. We’re all here because of industrial agriculture, and industrial agriculture is not going to go away until people are willing to stop eating. Thus, we must accept it and reform it. For this reason I will no longer be dedicating any of my energy to the organic farming movement, but rather to reforming industrial agriculture.

 

I’m still open to debate, and again, I’m not suggesting that anybody is wrong for their interest or involvement with organic agriculture. It’s no longer for me however, and I hope that you can now appreciate why.

In peace

Dylan Harding

January 31, 2011

 

Local Food Means Farmers Will Get Paid More

Contributed by Lisa Hanlon

Right now “local” is kitsch.  But what does local really mean?  Who do we want to support or how close do we want our food to come from? There are many factors to consider, whether they be environmental, economical, or just plain trendy so you can brag to your friends.

When it comes down to it, who wouldn’t want to support their local economy before giving their money to a greedy corporation?  I truly believe that most of the Canadian public want to support local, yet don’t completely understand how to do that, or don’t want to inconvenience themselves into having to actually cook a meal themselves, or figure out what to do with weird vegetables like kale or rutabagas.  Canadians are lazy eaters.

If the local food movement is really going to overcome the conventional agricultural system now in place, then consumers are going to have to take an active role in developing a food culture, appreciating what we have when it’s in season, and sharing the risks farmers take for us all.

Supporting local farmers by means of CSA shares or pre-ordering a quarter beef shows that we really care how our food is being produced and want the farmer to actually make a living doing what they love instead of having to work off-farm.  If we really value the effort farmers are making to produce and market healthy and sustainable alternatives, then we need to make a little more effort to find local products, pay a little more and relearn those old family recipes