U.S. special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry and Agriculture Sectretary Tom Vilsack applaud U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech at the COP27 climate summit at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 11, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Farm climate innovation commitments at COP27 double to US$8 billion

Agriculture could outpace other industries to net zero: Vilsack

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt | Reuters — An initiative led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates to help agriculture adapt to climate change and reduce emissions through innovation has doubled investment commitments to US$8 billion and extended its reach, it said on Friday. The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) was […] Read more

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media at the GLOBE Forum 2022 in Vancouver on March 29, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)

Canada lays out $9.1 billion roadmap to meet 2030 climate targets

About $1 billion earmarked for new or expanded ag programs

Reuters — Canada released its first real roadmap to meeting 2030 climate targets on Tuesday, laying out detailed plans and $9.1 billion in new spending to cut planet-warming carbon emissions after years failing to meet its goals. The Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) is the first time Canada has had a comprehensive plan, rather than just […] Read more


Les Henry: Mourning the loss of the International Plant Nutrition Institute

Les Henry: Mourning the loss of the International Plant Nutrition Institute

Information will be lost with the end of this valuable organization

To my great disappointment I recently learned of the impending demise of the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), an organization funded by primary producers of fertilizer products. IPNI was involved in a wide array of activities to further the efficient and effective use of fertilizers to keep farms profitable and to feed the people of […] Read more

Les Henry: Peanut scrambles or problem solving?

We need agricultural research, but we also need to fund the right agricultural research

The need for ongoing programs of agricultural research to keep our industry functioning and profitable is without question. But how it is organized, how the money is spent and on what basis the money is allocated needs some discussion. Recently I have spent some time perusing the websites of various agricultural research funding organizations — […] Read more


Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro announced provincial funding Dec. 8 for what will now operate as Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station. (LakeheadU.ca)

Lakehead University to operate Thunder Bay ag station

The not-for-profit Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station’s quest for a longer-term operating plan has ended with a new operator, and a new name. The Ontario government recently announced it will transfer the TBARS’s operating and research programming responsibilities to Thunder Bay-based Lakehead University, which will now operate the site as Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station […] Read more

Hand over wheat field in early summer evening

The direction of western Canadian agronomic research today

How agronomic research in Western Canada can be more effective and efficient

Prairie farmers have become very successful at growing very good yielding, high quality crops. Success is due in large part to many years of excellent agronomic research including advances in crop breeding, sustainable crop rotations, improved soil management, development of direct seeding technology, development of fertilizer and nutrient management practices and improved management to control weeds, […] Read more


Photo: Supplied

Wilf Keller elected new AIC board chair

Wilf Keller is the new head of the Agricultural Institute of Canada. Keller is a well-known agricultural researcher who has worked for nearly 40 years mainly in the field of biotechnology development and application for the genetic modification of crops. In this time he has led numerous major research efforts. Keller worked at the Research […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Report discusses disseminating agricultural research

The Agricultural Institute of Canada (AIC) says the next suite of Growing Forward programs should include funds dedicated to communicating about research to the general public. Its 2016 Conference Report (the Report), which summarizes the need for the agricultural sector to better disseminate research results to producers, farmers, industry, academia, consumers and among the research […] Read more


TBARS director Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota shows off a test plot of black barley in this 2014 file photo.

Thunder Bay ag research station gets stay

More time has been bought for a northern Ontario agricultural research station on the brink of closing to come up with a new operating plan. The Ontario government on Monday announced $350,000 in bridge funding for the not-for-profit Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Association, operator of the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station (TBARS), to “develop a […] Read more

Wheat seedling in measuring cylinder, close-up

Science can be a dirty word

The public doesn’t understand science, and reporters often don’t do a great job covering it. Not that there are good excuses, but here’s how it can happen


Science is a dirty word these days. Or perhaps just a word that more and more people don’t understand. And you should be concerned because that lack of basic scientific knowledge is driving distrust of modern agriculture. “It’s a big, big issue,” Al Scholz told me. Al is the executive director and registrar of the […] Read more