Opinion

Saskatchewan can achieve net-zero electricity by 2035

The world is beginning to recognize the benefits of decarbonizing. We must stop burning fossil fuels to prevent dangerous climate change, but there are also many benefits from the necessary

To the editor—Enough is enough. It’s time to ditch fossil fuels in order to save ourselves

To the editor, Twenty-five years ago, when I started writing for the National Farmers Union about the harmful effects of putting more CO2 into the air, I didn’t think global

Bunge-Viterra merger has drastic implications for Canadian farmers

Just five companies known as the “ABCD group” control 90% of the world grain trade – and the B in this group is about to get much bigger. B is

Science takes a back seat with federal gene editing decision

Even though they have no history of safe use in Canada or elsewhere, Agriculture Minister Bibeau announced on May 3, 2023 that Canada will exempt gene-edited plants from regulation and

Canada needs climate change agency

We are in a climate emergency. To slow warming and stabilize the climate, Canada has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and reaching net zero

Why farmers are not celebrating CETA’s five-year anniversary

September 21 marked the five-year anniversary of the provisional application of the Canada–EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). It is no surprise to the National Farmers Union (NFU) that farmers are not happy with the results. Negotiations on the agricultural chapter were strained to the point that it was one of the last areas to be agreed upon. In the media, the issues were presented as a trade-off between allowing the EU more access to our supply-managed dairy market in return for gaining more access to the EU’s market for Canadian beef. Some political commentators looked for cheap points by framing this purported stalemate as a conflict between western ranchers and dairy producers in Ontario and Quebec. The NFU had a more sophisticated analysis, which time has proven to be accurate.

Op Ed – Testing the Waters

Despite persistent efforts to enclose and privatize it, water is still something that we try to govern by balancing private rights and the public interest. It is part of what is sometimes called “the commons,” the shared cultural and natural resources on which all members of society, and all economic activities, ultimately depend. If we are to retain even a modicum of respect for our common heritage, Saskatchewan will need effective water governance, and wetlands policy that will keep our farmland and waterways healthy and diverse, and the federal government will need to continue carrying out its responsibilities to protect water quality across the country.

Op Ed – Health Minister must ensure new gene edited foods are properly and democratically regulated

 On May 18, Health Canada announced how it will regulate foods from gene-edited plants. The new “regulatory guidance” turns its back on science and transparency by actually exempting many new gene-edited foods from regulation. Our health minister, Jean-Yves Duclos, has decided to allow Health Canada to open the door for product developers to sell gene-edited organisms without any government oversight. He has abandoned his responsibility to Canadians who rely on the government to ensure our food system is safe. Without proper regulation, there is no assurance for Canadians or our export customers, that our products are safe.

Flexible Support— Consistent Income Needed for Farmers to Continue Their Essential Work

The interconnectedness of Canadian farmers’ income security and the climate crisis cannot be denied; yet, neither issue is being addressed with the urgency it warrants. As two young people in

Scapegoating Not the Answer to Potato Wart Problem

Blaming someone or something for the wrongdoing, mistakes or faults of others for convenience, is an ancient tactic. Scapegoating is used to deflect people away from seeing true agendas of