Will Canada do more to help with food crisis caused by Ukraine war?
By Lethbridge Herald on July 2, 2022.
Editor:
People in many countries, especially in Africa, are facing starvation because of Vladmir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Will the Canadian government do all it can to encourage food production here in Canada?
Can Canadian farmers respond to this crisis by growing as much grain, et cetera as possible?
Will the Canadian government arrange that food is delivered where it is heeded?
David Lynagh
Lethbridge
8-7
Don’t count on it. Canadian government is discouraging food production through high cost of fuel and other inputs . New “green” initiatives also constrict farmers and lead to producing less.
…not to forget the impact of the weather, i.e. droughts, floods, hail, insect damage, crop diseases, etc. As former farmers, we/our production, were greatly impacted by the weather any given year, particularly here in the Palliser Triangle where likely, the prairie wool grasslands should never have been broken up, in hindsight.
Too true. Loss of grasslands and wetlands. Not to mention climate change – heaven forbid farmers employ ‘green initiatives that not only lower inputs (climate impacting fertilizers and fuel) but protect fresh water, soil, and biodiversity.
I guess O.S. has never heard of win-win. But when you are against Everything …
We do and “did” employ green initiatives. Real ones.It’s an economic reality. Treadou government mindlessly dictates a blanket 30-40% reduction in fertilizer. Period.So, less production from same amount of land.Fuel use don’t change based on fertilizer amount .Herbacide use don’t change from using less fertilizer. Crop production is lower, end food supply is lower.Cost are higher,people pay more for end product. Reality is government is not interested in increased food production. So easy to know how others should do “something” that will save the planet from global warming, umm – – – now climate change.
Oh, I see. Good ‘real’ green initiative make people more money. Bad ‘real’ green initiatives only care about the future of human (and nonhuman) life.
Fuel use does change with smart technologies and targeted spraying.
And I guess what you are saying is that the Green Revolution is failing us, as we apply more and more chemicals just to stand still. Can’t fool with Mother Nature. So, how are we going to manage declining crop yields and higher costs as it relates to a dying environment, water pollution and declining flows (in late summer)? Much of the environmental stress will be (and already is) coming from climate heating.
And, as the letter writer asks, what is our responsibility for helping victims of deglobalization (and our emissions)?
If you feel it necessary to blame a politician (isn’t that getting a little old?), look to the last Prime Minister who failed Canadians and the world by sidestepping Canada’s environmental responsibilities and ignoring the established science of anthropocentric climate heating.
The idea is more food. Proper amount of inputs means more food. Less fertilizer – – less crop- – more weeds which don’t need nutrients – – more chemicals.
Green revolution ,applied, is very open to interpretation.
Established science of anthropocentric climate heating is at this time based on theories. That doesn’t make it a fact yet.
As to blaming politicians, the letter writer asked if the federal (Canadian). Government would or does encourage increased food production. The answer is still no. Their policies promote lower production.
‘Based on theories’, eh, No Skool. Like the Theory of Gravity, the Theory of Evolution, Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity? It becomes a problem when words are flung around like monkey poo. In science Law and Theory have specific meanings. When a scientist speaks of ‘uncertainty’, they don’t mean they don’t know – similarly, when a scientist speaks of ‘theory’ it doesn’t mean they are guessing.
You haven’t demostrated how government policies lower production. You might consider reading:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.8b03610
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/70658
The latter emphasizes the complexity if inputs and climate disruption.
Government policies lower production.
High priced fuel and fertilizer affect farming practices. There comes a point where it takes more fertilizer, more water ,which should lead to more crop. More crop is prone to disease which require fungicides which require fuel to apply- – -.Farmer can spend $50 to get $40 more product. That is not good business practice. More for less might feed more people for a while ,however that’s not sustainable.Not green either.About government policies lowering production? My point was government policies don’t encourage increased production.
Theory of gravity is an easy one to accept.Lifting, carrying, jumping are almost proof enough. Sticking to a round globe makes gravity an unexplained reality for most people. Evolution and relatively are not that easy to accept or understand, at least not for me. Direct proof seems to be lacking or non-existent. Global warming isn’t working for me today either.That being said last summer we had a little excess global warming ,here anyway.
Thank you. I understand what you are saying about the possibility of governments discouraging the business of production.
During my 32 years in the world of finance no-one had it harder that farmers and some were relatives of mine.
They are a special breed and I have nothing but respect for them. These reformers have shown them no respect either allowing the Orphan wells clean up mess to destroy their land, making it impossible to sell. Privatized their power system , deliberately tried to allow a coal company to destroy their water supply, tried to drive out their doctors so they can close down their health care system and are trying to kick out their RCMP and replace them with a cheap, poorly trained group. You name it these reformers are no friend of theirs.
I still haven’t forgotten how Ralph Klein helped the packing plants screw them out of millions of dollars by the way he handled the BSE crisis and several beef producers I have talked to agreed with me. .
The Letter asks a good question: are we preparing to help all the people who are vulnerable to this early shudder of deglobalization and the rise of right-nationalism?
The difference between these phony conservatives and the true ones is simple. These fake ones help their rich friends steal our oil and tax wealth, using it to try to buy votes, while the true conservatives collect proper royalties and taxes, run the province properly and treat all Albertans with dignity and respect like Lougheed did and Alaska and Norway are doing. That’s what the MLAs that I knew taught me. I agree with them and Rachael Notley who has been saying Don’t Ever Trust a Reformer. Too bad old school and some of these others haven’t learned it. Sadly they are the ones being hurt the most by these Reform Party Polices.
I had a man tell me about 20 years ago that I should stop bad mouth fellow seniors. You should start showing pity for them because they really are that stupid. I think he was talking about old school. A friend calls them the mindless ones. It’s amazing what these fools can dream up. These phony conservatives love how easy it is to fool them.