These crops are distributed to farmers in India, who then must be convinced to switch from the crops they are familiar with to the ones the government hopes they will grow. While the move promises to be a game changer, it comes with a hefty price tag. India is allocating US$32 billion to the agriculture … Read more
Extreme weather events like fires, floods, heat waves and droughts pose an increasing risk to Canada’s food supply chain, putting pressure on prices all the way to the grocery store shelf, say experts. “Anytime you have major weather-related events, it tends to increase costs,” said Frank Scali, vice-president of industry affairs at Food, Health & … Read more
Every year, invasive insects gnaw away at Canadian farms, gardens and wild plants, spreading disease and disturbing ecosystems. But tiny wasps that lay body-bursting eggs in invasive insects may be able to help B.C. berry growers protect their crops. “It’s like a free service nature is providing us to help control crop pests,” said Paul Abram, an … Read more
In the spring of 2023, a Parks Canada team strung electric fence along a section of the Trans Canada Highway from Lake Louise to the boundary between B.C. and Alberta. It was part of an attempt to help keep animals including a beloved white grizzly bear named Nakoda away from the dangers of the road. … Read more
An unusual infestation of cutworms is wreaking havoc in fields in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Témiscamingue, in northwestern Quebec, has been especially affected by the damage caused by cutworms — caterpillars that can destroy canola, potato and grain crops in a matter of days. Cutworms are found every year in small quantities in market gardens. But producers are … Read more
A diet promoting plant-based protein to help the environment now has a more human argument: It may lower your risk of dying from several major diseases. “It wasn’t just one cause of death. It was right across the board,” said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public … Read more
Plant biologist Marcus Samuel has been working for more than a decade to improve the climate resilience of crops. At his research greenhouse at the University of Calgary, he uses cutting-edge gene editing techniques to produce hardier varieties of plants able to withstand temperature fluctuations, floods and frosts. But while he has worked on canola, … Read more
Quirks and Quarks8:37This little piggy escaped and wreaked havoc on crops and the environment Invasive wild pigs in Canada are on the move and could soon spread southward to several northern United States, according to a new study. Wild pigs are already a widespread issue in the southern U.S., with an estimated six million pigs in at least 35 … Read more
The House of Representatives has urged the federal government to suspend the commercialisation of Genetically Modified (GMO) crops in Nigeria amid concerns over food and environmental safety. The decision of the House was made known Thursday following the adoption of a motion on the need to investigate the introduction of GMO crops in Nigeria. The … Read more
As It Happens108:20:00Honeybees invaded a reporter’s home, and upended everything she thought she knew about them It started with a single bee. Sarah Kliff, a New York Times reporter, was working from home in Washington, D.C., a few weeks back, when she found a bee buzzing in her window. “I thought it had just gotten … Read more
