Our September Issue

TAX PRODUCERS FACING THE IMPACTS OF EXTREME WEATHER

The Canadian government has announced an initial list of designated regions in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba where Livestock Tax Deferral has been authorized for 2022 due to extreme weather conditions.

Many Canadian farmers continue to be directly impacted by climate change and its effects can be detrimental to sustaining operations. The Livestock Tax Deferral provision allows livestock producers who are forced to sell a significant amount of their breeding herd due to drought or flooding to defer a portion of their income from sales until the following tax year. The income may be at least partially offset by the cost of reacquiring breeding animals, thereby reducing the potential tax burden associated with the original sale.

Eligible regions have been identified based on weather, climate and production data, in consultation with industry and provinces. The criteria for identifying regions for Livestock Tax Deferral includes forage shortfalls of 50% or more caused by drought or excess moisture. The Government will continue to monitor conditions across the country to determine whether the addition of other regions throughout the year are required.

In addition to the Livestock Tax Deferral provision, producers have access to a comprehensive suite of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs to help them manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farm and are beyond their capacity to manage. BRM programs are often the first line of support for producers facing disasters and farmers are encouraged to make use of these programs to protect their farming operations.

To help farm families succeed in a changing climate, the Government of Canada will continue to support farmers with the tools they need to get through the challenges of today, while working to build a sustainable future for the agriculture sector in Canada.

THE LATEST STUDY ON RED MEAT AND HEART DISEASE: A RED HERRING

By Nina Teicholz, Science Journalist and Founder of The Nutrition Coalition

A new study out of Tufts University led to a multitude of fresh headlines that meat increases the risk of heart disease. It would seem that the danger of meat is now a foregone conclusion, but this paper, like so many others, is marred by significant scientific missteps and financial conflicts of interest, including a drugdevelopment program at the Cleveland Clinic, funded in part by Procter & Gamble.

On scientific grounds alone, the paper is less-than convincing: Its findings are based on a low-quality type of data that, on the whole, can only show associations, not cause-and-effect relationships. What’s more, the associations reported are tiny: 1.15 for unprocessed red meat, 1.22 for total meat, and 1.18 for all animal foods. These numbers are close to 1 (= zero risk), and they’re all well below the threshold for ruling out other possible explanations for the observed results.

Further, the study blames a metabolite called TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) for red meat’s apparent harms, but the food that most boosts TMAO is not red meat, but fish!

Published in Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB), the study looks at data on 3,931 adults aged 65 and older from the Cardiovascular Health Study, who were followed from 1989-90 onwards, for a median of 12.5 years. Twice during the study, subjects filled out a “food frequency questionnaire” (FFQ) in which they were asked to remember the foods they’d eaten for the past year. Different questionnaires were used for each data collection, and a test of how well the two could be combined yielded correlations as low as .56 (1 is a perfect correlation). A well-known problem with FFQs is that people don’t report accurately the foods they eat; hardly anyone can recount what they’ve eaten two days ago much less over the past year.

FFQ questions themselves can skew results. In this study’s merged dataset, for instance, only 4 questions were used to gather information about red-meat consumption: on bacon, hot dogs, hamburgers, and a category called “beef, pork, lamb.” Compare this to the 28 questions on various types of vegetables. It’s wellknown that the more questions asked, the better the data, and this FFQ, named after its inventor, Walter

Willett at Harvard University, was clearly designed to get better data on vegetables-less so on meat.

This post should really end here. We should feel at ease setting aside these headlines and wait for a study using better FFQs and yielding an association (measured by “relative risk”) greater than 2. Relative risks below 2 should be “viewed with caution,” said a publication of the National Cancer Institute. The numbers 1.151.22 in this study imply that other factors (called “confounders”) may be causing the slightly greater heart-disease risk observed. For instance, it’s known that red-meat eaters tend to smoke more and exercise less. People eating hot dogs and hamburgers are also likely to be accompanying those foods with milkshakes and French fries, yet the ATVB study does not report adjusting for sugar or overall carbohydrate intake.

The idea that TMAO causes heart disease and that meat consumption is its principal cause is a theory promoted by Dr. Stanley L. Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic. His first paper came out in 2011, and he started blaming red meat in 2013. The current paper, on which he’s an author, proposes the following mechanisms for TMAO’s links to heart disease: In experiments, TMAO promotes macrophage foam cell formation, vascular inflammation and inflammasome activation, endothelial dysfunction, platelet hyperreactivity and thrombosis, and decreases reverse cholesterol transport.

It would be nice if the paper explained that eight of the nine experiments cited here (citations 8-16 in the paper) were conducted not on people but on mice or in test tubes, a type of data that is speculative and cannot be assumed to extend to humans. The one experiment performed on actual people showed “enhanced platelet aggregation” (leading potentially to thrombosis) when subjects were fed TMAO supplements. However, TMAO from supplements appears to be absorbed differently than TMAO from food, so this entire pathway is far from certain.

You might be wondering why the authors are focusing on TMAO, when we’ve been told for decades that red meat is bad for health due to saturated fat and cholesterol. What happened to those explanations? As it turns out that in recent years, the science to justify them has been shown to be weak. A major “State of the Art” review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, concluded in 2020 that, when it came to heart disease, the evidence was insufficient to justify continued caps on saturated fats. And the American Heart Association together with the American College of Cardiology issued a 2013 review stating that there was insufficient evidence to show a relationship between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol.

Continued on page 8

The ATVB authors downplay the importance of cholesterol and saturated fat. Evidently an alternative explanation is needed for heart disease and red meat as its cause.

If TMAO is their answer, however, they should really be warning against fish, not meat. Cod yields 65+ times more TMAO than beef, and halibut, at least 100 times more, according to a 1999 study that examined the effects of 46 foods on TMAO excreted in human urine. Carrots, cauliflower, peas, peanuts and potatoes also lead to far more TMAO than beef. A 2017 analysis came straight out and called the TMAO story “a red herring.” Red meat is clearly not the problem.

in certain lines of research as a foundation for the development of drugs or devices. Yet is it fair to ascribe bias to this Unfortunately,paper?yes.

The paper’s senior author, Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, is also the creator of the “Food Compass” rating system, which found Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes and altogether 70 brand-named cereals from General Mills, Kellogg’s, and Post to be worthy of rankings far higher than eggs or ground beef, as I wrote about here.

In many areas of science, it would be unseemly to suggest that researchers have conflicts of interest, but nutrition science is often enigmatic unless you follow the money. The funds flowing from the food and pharmaceutical industries into this field are massive— and have been since the 1940s at least. Multinational packaged food companies would like you to eat boxed cereal instead of eggs and macaroni rather than meat. Pharmaceutical companies, for their part, may invest

The Food Compass also reflects a specific bias against red and processed meats by subtracting up to 10 points (out of 100) “simply for being themselves,” as researcher Zoe Harcombe explains in this excellent blog post. Points were also deducted for a food’s cholesterol content, even though, as explained above, there’s no evidence to show that dietary cholesterol contributes to heart disease. And the Food Compass gives no credit to red meat for containing heme iron and other needed nutrients that are in the forms more easily absorbed by humans than when consumed via plants or supplements. The top score meat could obtain in this rating system was 73, Harcombe calculates. In other words, Mozaffarian built a bias against meat into his model.

Mozaffarian discloses in the ATVB paper that he receives funding from Barilla, the world’s largest pasta company—which clearly stands to benefit if meat is sidelined off the dinner plate. (Barilla has invested heavily in nutrition researchers and in promoting the idea that meat as bad for the climate). Mozaffarian also receives funds from the Gates Foundation, whose founder has campaigned widely against beef while also being one of the top investors in meat-replacement companies; and Bunge, a major producer of plantbased meat and dairy replacements (Mozaffarian does not disclose Bunge in the ATVB paper but reports it Co-authorelsewhere).Stanley

Hazen, the ‘inventor’ of the TMAO hypothesis, turns out to have been in a partnership with Procter & Gamble (P&G) since 2015. This includes a “Joint Development Agreement” with P&G “to develop an over-the-counter product that can help people manage their TMAO levels.” P&G has participated in and paid for Hazen’s research while also employing him as a consultant, as Hazen reported in 2018 and again in the ATVB paper. Hazen also consistently discloses being named as a coinventor on “pending and issued patents held by the Cleveland Clinic relating to

cardiovascular diagnostics and therapeutics.” A search of the US patent database for “Cleveland Clinic” and “trimethylamine N-oxide” yields 23 existing patents.

Of the 83 news stories now published on the new TMAO study, I’m willing to bet that few-to-none report on the major conflict of interest with P&G, even though it’s easy to find. Many of these stories begin with the exact same line, clearly from a press release: “A daily hamburger might raise the risk of developing heart Thedisease…”motives

behind this paper are clearly complex yet one thing is clear: a tenable case against red meat, this paper is not.

For more information, visit https://unsettledscience. substack.com

2022 CANADIAN BEEF INDUSTRY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

have been defining themes and have allowed him to expand resources and improve the effectiveness of AAFC’s program delivery. Dr. Papadopoulos is known across North America for his contributions to forage development and ruminant livestock sustainability.

Dr. Papadopoulos is most recognized for his development of legume varieties. He is responsible for leading research in the development of the alfalfa variety, AAC Trueman, which was registered in 2018. AAC Trueman is drought tolerant but can also tolerate flooding. This added layer of resilience sets it apart from other varieties of alfalfa, creating value for beef producers across Canada. He also led the charge for a breeding trial on birdsfoot trefoil which resulted in the variety AC Langille, a high yielding, early spring cultivar registered in 1995. Dr. Papadopoulos credits his success in the field to his family and his team which is why both cultivars are named after esteemed research assistants from the Nappan Research Farm.

Dr. Papadopoulos is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Atlantic Food & Horticulture Research Centre in Truro, Nova Scotia. He is also an adjunct professor at Dalhousie University and Saint Mary’s University. Dr. Papadopoulos’ work focuses on forage breeding, pasture improvement and reducing the inputs required for forage establishment to improve environmental sustainability. He received his MSc focused on crop production and management through the University of Guelph in 1982 followed by a PhD in crop breeding focused on the genetics of plant disease resistance in 1987. He returned to the classroom to receive his MBA from Saint Mary’s University in 1999.

Collaboration with producers, researchers, industry and government has been a priority for Dr. Papadopoulos throughout his career. Extension and partnerships

“Dr. Papadopoulos is a prime example of why awards like this exist,” says Amy Higgins with the Maritime Beef Council. “He has a unique ability to be plunked into the middle of a group of producers and be able to speak in a language that they understand as well as having the equal ability to be plunked into a group of his research peers and can communicate in an eloquent manner.

Dr. Yousef Papadopoulos was honoured at the recent Canadian Beef Industry Conference with the award for the 2022 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation.

Pictured left to right: Dean Manning, Manning Family Farm; Dr. Yousef Papadopoulos, 2022 recipient of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation, and Amy Higgins, Maritime Beef Council

NSF INTERNATIONAL FOCUSES ON CANADIAN FOOD INDUSTRY WITH NEW WEBSITE FOR SERVICES IN CANADA

The Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation is presented annually by the BCRC on behalf of Canada’s beef industry stakeholders. The award recognizes scientists and academics that are actively involved in strong research programs aligned with industry priorities, continually engage with industry stakeholders, and demonstrate their passion and long-term commitment through leadership, teamwork, and mentorship. For more information, visit BeefResearch.ca

Global public health organization showcases services for Canada’s growing and fast-changing food industry

He is well respected in industry and research circles alike. I respect [his] approach to research in that it can be directly transferred to the field. For example, they held off on bringing the new alfalfa variety to market until they could properly trial it in the field to ensure it performed. I think this is a great example of the strong integrity he possesses.”

NSF International in Canada recently launched a new website - www.nsfcanada.ca - to give Canada’s growing and complex food and beverage industry easy access to the global public health organization’s expertise and services in Canada. The website combines information on the depth, experience and capabilities of the NSF International Canadian office with access to NSF International’s global services dedicated to food safety and Evolvingquality.regulations

Over the course of his career, Dr. Papadopoulos has served as part of numerous beef and forage organizations and committees such as The North American Trifolium Society, Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, the Atlantic Field Crop Committee, the Nova Scotia Beef Commission’s Pasture and Development Committee and the Agricultural Institute of Canada. He also chaired a committee that completed the development of a cost-recovery system for evaluating alfalfa cultivars in Atlantic Canada.

across countries and increasing complexities associated with a globalized food supply network present challenges for NSF International clients in Canada and around the world. The new Canadian website offers expertise and services to help companies navigate these challenges, including certification and auditing, consulting, technical services, training and education, food and label compliance, packaging, and product and process development.

NSF International’s Canadian website provides information on the following services:

“He [sees] the industry in a complete way, integrated from top to bottom, complex and complicated in a challenging but exciting way,” added Bill Thomas, a retired forage agronomist from Truro, Nova Scotia. “Through this lens he brought research to life but perhaps, more importantly, he made research understandable at the farm gate. He’s so respected on the land for believing that farmers are the real testers. Far too often, research has a life of its own, sadly, hidden away in a world of reports and language and access. Yousef crossed the divide between science and life on the land – what a gift.”

Certification & auditing: Third-party food safety audits and certifications, which are integral components of supplier selection and regulatory compliance. Accurate audits are the first step toward successful verification of a company’s food safety system, providing improved brand protection and customer confidence. Certifications and audits are available for animal and produce in the agriculture industry, GFSI certification and management system registration.

Consulting: A full-service team approach providing technical resources, expertise and insight for a wide range of food safety and quality services. NSF International provides finished product inspection testing for food, packaging and non-food testing for rapid analysis and insight to protect the brand, technical support services from on-site temporary or permanent technical staffing placements, and various types of consulting.

As a researcher, teacher, and mentor, Dr. Papadopoulos has more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, has trained over 15 graduate students and has influenced a generation of researchers now working in public and private institutions across Canada and in the US. He is recognized for his extensive knowledge of forages, agronomy and plant breeding and for his communication skills which have led to numerous speaking invitations at conferences and academic meetings as well as producer training events.

Technical services: A one-stop solution for food product compliance and formulation, from concept to finished product, including food and label compliance, packaging, product and process development, and shelf-life and product evaluation.

Training and education: Training for the global food and beverage industry across the supply chain as an

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regulations

COLD AND HUNGRY: FOOD INFLATION BITES CANADA'S NORTH

By Rod Nickel, Reuters

In Canada's remote north, residents have long paid dearly for food, and rising prices have worsened an already dire situation, exposing the vulnerability of one of the world's biggest exporters of grains and meat.

Communities in Nunavut -- the largest of the three territories that make up Canada's northernmost region -- have no roads to connect them with each other, forcing them to rely on fresh food airlifts twice each week. Permafrost and freezing temperatures nearly year-round make growing crops impractical.

Supply chain disruptions driven by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have worsened food insecurity in poor countries globally. Nunavut's experience shows it has taken a toll on poor regions of even rich nations like Canada, which is the No.3 exporter of wheat and pork.

In stores in Nunavut's capital Iqaluit recently, a bag of cherries sold for C$21 ($16.34), and a six-pack of bottled water cost C$19 - both about double the cost in southern Canada. A 12-pack of soft drink cans sold for C$27, triple the price in the south.

Iqaluit resident Nathaniel Chouinard, 35, says he used to spend C$500 every two weeks to feed his family of six. Since January, he has been spending C$150 more every two weeks.

"I compensate by working more hours," said Chouinard, who works two jobs in security and information technology. "I’m spending less time with my family."

The Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit, a soup kitchen that offers free meals to those in need, says by June this year it had served 20,000 meals - the number served up in all of 2021.

"Food insecurity in the north was already called the longest-lasting public health emergency in Canadian history," said Rachel Blais, Qajuqturvik's executive "Thedirector.sharp increase in demand we've seen in the last seven months is alarming."

Nunavut's Family Services Minister Margaret Nakashuk said hunger was hampering the ability of children to learn in school and fueling crime, especially break-ins.

It is difficult to quantify how much food prices have risen in the north this year. Statistics Canada's measurement of inflation in the northern territories is limited, only assessing price increases in the three main cities and not breaking out individual components like food and fuel.

Iqaluit's consumer price index has doubled since the start of this year, hitting 4.3% in June and well above the Bank of Canada's 2% target. That is well below Canada's national inflation rate of 8.1%, mostly because Nunavut's government made bulk purchases of fuel before prices spiked.

The region has long struggled with food sufficiency. According to a 2020 Statistics Canada study, 57% of households in Nunavut dealt with food insecurity in 2017-2018, the highest level among provinces and territories in the country. Food insecurity is defined as a household lacking money to buy the variety or quantity of food it needs.

Residents benefit from the Nutrition North federal food subsidy, which lowers the price of certain foods in some northern communities. But that is failing to reduce inequality, says Qajuqturvik's Blais.

The region is also unable to directly reap the benefits of having waters swimming with fish. More than 95% of the turbot and shrimp caught offshore are exported because the territory lacks both a deepwater port to offload its catch as well as research to identify economic fishing locations closer to shore, said Brian Burke, executive director of the Nunavut Fisheries Association.

The Canadian government has promised C$40 million to build Nunavut's first deepwater port, but that is a few years away.

Blais, the soup kitchen director, said there is also concern among people in Nunavut that stores may be charging too much.

North West Co., one of the biggest grocers in northern Canada, last year reported profit that was up 82.5% from its 2019 level. However, that reflects consumers buying more during the pandemic and the company's profit ratios are in line with those of southern grocery chains, said Mike Beaulieu, vice president of Canadian store operations at North West.

Regulations to cut down on overpackaging and lengthen expiry dates could help, since Nunavut's biggest additional cost is flying in food, Beaulieu said.

For example, a third of a box of cereal is often just air and certain foods carry longer best-before dates than needed, he said.

Iqaluit Mayor Kenny Bell said he doesn't blame food "It'scompanies.reallyexpensive

to do business here," he said. "It is definitely getting worse."

SUSTAINABLE, SKILLED LABOR IS THE ANSWER FOR THE MEAT PROCESSING INDUSTRY

Today, as we move into the post-pandemic era, an issue facing many industries is the U.S. labor shortage, and the meat processing industry is no different. Twentyseven state agriculture departments operate state meat and poultry inspection programs enabling agriculture departments to be in a prime position to hear farmers’, ranchers’ and all types of meat processors’ needs for improving meat processing capacity. With fewer workers and an increase in demand, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) is hearing from the ranch to the packing house that innovative solutions must be found to ensure long-term health for the industry.

In 2021 NASDA successfully worked with USDA to support meat processors throughout the pandemic’s ever-changing challenges, but today NASDA is focused on finding a sustainable workforce for the industry.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture recently hosted a meeting to bring together representatives from the beef packing industry, livestock transporters, national and state livestock industry associations, renderers, state and federal animal health agencies and academia from 11 states to discuss how the industry can better prepare for unexpected challenges.

Seeing the need for sustainable, skilled labor, state departments of agriculture have implemented innovative solutions.

Going beyond labor supply, ensuring workers have the training and tools needed to efficiently produce safe, high-quality meat is essential. NASDA advocated for funding USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Workforce Development Program and Meat and Poultry Workforce Technical Assistance Program, which provide technical assistance and workforce training and development.

Governor Kim Reynolds, Lt. Governor Adam Gregg and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig are pictured with staff of Jake’s Meat Market in Lamoni, Iowa, at the bill signing of the legislation that adopted the recommendations of the Artisanal Butcher Task Force. Photo courtesy of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

THE BEST DEFENSE

A STRONG OFFENSE

PROMOTING THE HEALTH BENEFITS

Red

During the pandemic, The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma CareerTech partnered to establish a meat processing training program in response to the ever-growing need for workforce development in the meat processing “Foodindustry.processing

in Oklahoma never stopped during the pandemic,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture and NASDA Animal Agriculture Committee Chair Blayne Arthur. “Partnering with Oklahoma CareerTech to establish industry education protects the future of the food processing industry. The Meat Processing Workforce Education program, featuring a mobile meat laboratory and the accompanying online courses, provides an exceptional opportunity for our state’s agriculture industry to add highly qualified individuals to the food processing workforce.”

In addition, the Iowa legislature adopted the recommendations of the Artisanal Butchery Task Force, an initiative lead by Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. The task force was charged with exploring the feasibility of creating an artisanal butchery program at community colleges or Iowa State University to help address worker shortages and other barriers to opening or expanding a small meat processing facility. The idea for the task force followed the successful utilization of CARES Act funded Meat Processing Expansion and Development “Thegrants.pandemic

disrupted the supply chain, heightened interest in meat lockers and small-scale processors, and drove intense attention toward local foods. We immediately started looking for ways to help them tackle their capacity challenges head on,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “To assist with the growth of existing meat processors and find ways

This provides an opportunity for retail meat departments to implement an instore ‘Healthy Meat Facts’ nutritional campaign to set the record straight and convince their customers that meat and poultry are actually good for one’s health and that they should increase rather than decrease their purchases of it. The campaign outlined below can have a direct impact on sales: Start by displaying instore posters promoting the nutritional value of meat. They should be innovative, eye catching and be designed to specifically contradict any meat myths. The comments should all be literature based quoting research papers or MDs for maximum effect. Various posters should be made - each with a brief but powerful message covering one Posterstheme.can

to establish new businesses, our task force looked at issues from workforce training and educational programs to regulatory hurdles and opportunities to better market their products. There is a lot of optimism about the future here in Iowa.” As we overcome today’s challenges and prepare for the future, NASDA supports recognizing state departments of agriculture as key voices for developing solutions. When federal, state and industry partners work together to support farmers, ranchers and processors, we can ensure the best solutions to protect supply chain continuity and feed everyone.

convey the following healthy meat fact messages:

ABOUT NASDA

1. Let’s IRON out the Truth on Meat! “You and

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) was founded in 1916. NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories. For more information, visit NASDA

FUNDING AVAILABLE TO IMPROVE ANIMAL WELFARE

The humane care and handling of farm animals, and the ability to track their movements, are an important part of the confidence consumers have in their food in Canada. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food recently announced an investment of up to nearly $3 million to three national organizations to enhance animal welfare and tracking in the country.

"The dedication of Canadian producers to the welfare of their farm animals is what makes our livestock system world famous,” stated Minister Bibeau. “By improving our standards and practices for care and tracking, consumers can be assured that our food system is meeting the highest standards."

With funding under the AgriAssurance Program, the organizations will draw on new research to update industry standards for the care and handling of animals, and will evaluate technology to more efficiently trace farm animals in the production system in the event of a disease outbreak. The work will support the highest standards in farm animal care. The recipients include:

• Animal Health Canada, located in Elora, Ontario, will receive up to $2.9 million to update national codes of practice for the livestock sector, including the code for the safe and humane transportation of livestock. It has also developed and introduced a code of practice for the aquaculture sector covering farmed salmon, trout and arctic char.

• The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, located in Calgary, Alberta, will receive up to $52,140 to evaluate the use of ultra high frequency (UHF) scanners to read cattle identification tags as part of Canada's commitment to the international community to quickly trace the movement of animals in the event of a disease outbreak. Tag readings are recorded in a database that makes it possible for government and industry to rapidly contain the scope of a potential outbreak, protecting animal and human health.

• The Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council, located in Ottawa, Ontario, will receive up to $35,750 to update its animal welfare program for hatcheries to meet the requirements of the National Farm Animal Care Council's Code of Practice for the care and handling of hatching eggs, breeders, chickens and "Oneturkeys.of

QUICK FACTS

• The Canadian Code of Practice is a national guideline developed by the National Farm Animal Council for the care and handling of farm animals. It includes requirements and recommendations on water and nutrition, environment management, housing and handling and transportation. The code is based on input from farmers, processors, researchers, government, veterinarians, food service and retail representatives and animal welfare organizations.

NEW ‘WOULDSLAUGHTERHOUSESURREYOPENDOOR’ TO NEW BEEF MARKETS

Proposed 30,000-square-foot beef abattoir in Cloverdale would be B.C.’s largest such facility

• The AgriAssurance Program is a $74-million federal initiative to build public trust by helping industry develop and adopt systems, standards and tools that enable it to make credible, meaningful and verifiable claims about the quality of Canadian agriculture and agri-food products and the manner in which they are produced.

A federally licensed beef processing facility is in the works in Surrey, BC.

our mandates at Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is to keep in step with new technologies that have the potential to move livestock traceability forward, such as ultra high frequency (UHF) technology. We began with a review of its current application in livestock and are now enhancing our database to accommodate producers who are already use the technology. CCIA is grateful to have received funding to support both initiatives”, said Anne Brunet-Burgess, General Manager, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency.

Consumer confidence in Canadian livestock and meat products is built on Canada's strong food safety system. The Government of Canada is committed to providing producers with the tools and resources they need to implement agricultural best practices to enhance the welfare of animals and provide Canada and the world with safe, quality food.

so as to not emit odours. And while there is an operational

“There’s a new building coming forward, a new abattoir, I think that’s the French pronunciation of slaughterhouse,” said Councillor Mike Starchuk. “So Surrey will have a newer facility with a better capacity so people will have the ability to not have to ship an animal to Alberta to have it processed. The applications have gone through the Agricultural and Food Sustainability Advisory Committee.”

The facility is proposed on a 25-acre property within the Agricultural Land Reserve at 5175 184th St. The planned 30,000-square foot abattoir in Cloverdale would process up to 100 head of cattle per day.

According to a city report, that would make it larger than any other processing facility in B.C.. But it would still be small by industry standards, compared to the largest meat processing plants in Alberta that process 3,000 heads of cattle per day.

The proposed facility would be fully enclosed and designed

By Amy Reid, Peace Arch News https://www.tcextrade.com

HOW TO DESIGN AN EFFICIENT WASTE MANAGEMENT

It’s no secret that the agricultural sector produces a lot of waste. Learn how to design an efficient waste management plan to address the problem.

The food processing industry generates a massive amount of waste, and commercial farms often struggle to deal with excess animal products in a sustainable way. From restaurants and suppliers that toss recyclable material to meat packing plants that generate biohazardous material, many businesses can benefit from designing an efficient waste management plan.

Optimizing your current methods means more than making a few minor changes—you need to audit your practices and rewrite your system to see a difference. Improving your waste management plan is worthwhile when you see how much smoother your business

First,operates.you

need to define your goals. What are you hoping to achieve with your new waste management plan? Agricultural businesses often see a huge improvement in their finances and environmental impact, so consider these as possible objectives.

Getting specific with your goals will help you take aligned action—when you know what you want to accomplish, you can better identify areas of improvement. Tackle these areas first to get the ball Believerolling.

CONSULT WITH PROFESSIONALS

it or not, waste management is a complex industry. All businesses must follow strict rules and regulations to avoid accumulating fines; this is especially true of the meat processing sector, which deals with biohazards every day.

Consult with a professional waste disposal service to answer all your pressing questions. They can address nuanced subjects like the difference between hazardous and toxic waste and help you make the right decisions.

Designing an efficient waste management plan means nothing without proper implementation. Once you’ve identified areas that need improvement, established your goals, and spoken with experts in the field, you need to put your plan into action. Provide your employees with in-depth training so you can attain all your expectations.

Be clear about new recycling and disposal procedures, and make sure everyone knows their role in your new waste management procedures. Building a team to handle all matters regarding waste will help you streamline the process.

I’m not sure why the eastern associations wouldn’t have previously nominated anybody because there are many farms here on PEI doing every bit as much as we are as to attain a high level of sustainability. Anyway, we were very surprised when the PEI Cattleman’s Association nominated our farm.

Now that you’ve developed and implemented your plan, it’s time to track your progress. This data will tell you whether or not your efforts are successful. Additionally, this is the point where your inhouse waste management team will be the most useful.

CMB: And then you were attending the Canadian Beef conference in Calgary and you won.

Look at areas of improvement first, and compare spending and savings to your recycling and waste-minimizing efforts. From there, you can optimize your methods even further to become a well-oiled machine.

DF: Yeah! That was a very nice moment for us. But I don’t like to use the word win actually. However, being recognized for our commitment was a real honour. If you want to know the truth, it was a pretty humbling experience. As I said to CBC when they phoned me after the conference, I was just floored, really couldn’t believe it.

Your waste management plan should help you improve safety conditions, keep your facility sanitary, and save money. Make waves in the food supply industry by developing a system that prioritizes

CMB: So now that you have been recognized, do you think that will draw more attention and garner more nominations out of Atlantic Canada going forward?

Articlesustainability.courtesy of Logical Position. For more information, visit https://www. logicalposition.com/

DF: Absolutely. We’ve gotten a lot of good press highlighting the island cattle industry. I’m positive you’ll see

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GOVERNMENT INVESTS PREVENTION

The Government of Canada has announced an investment of up to $45.3 million to enhance efforts to prevent African swine fever (ASF) from entering Canada and prepare for a potential outbreak. The funding will be critical in reducing the risk of introduction and spread of ASF in Canada.

ASF is a fatal swine disease that spreads through both direct and indirect contact with infected pigs, pork, and pork by-products. Preventing the spread of ASF into Canada requires a collaborative approach to protect Canada’s pork industry, while helping the industry prepare for a timely and coordinated response to limit the potential impact of an outbreak.

“We must continue to work as a team - federal, provincial and territorial governments together with industry, to prevent African swine fever from entering the country,” stated Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Strengthening the measures already in place is essential to protecting the hog sector and the vitality of rural communities.”

To help ensure high levels of vigilance in the face of the threat of African swine fever, the Government of Canada is investing up to $23.4 million to support the pork industry’s prevention and mitigation efforts. This funding is intended to support critical priorities for preparedness, such as biosecurity assessments, coordination for wild pig management, retrofit of existing abattoirs, sector analysis and ASF-related research projects. Program details are being developed and the program will be launched as soon as possible.

Rick Bergman, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council, said “This announcement is significant and purposeful for Canadian pork producers. We welcome the government’s investment towards keeping ASF out of our country and of our farms. We have seen the negative impact of ASF in other parts of the world which demonstrates the need for this collaboration between government and our sector.”

In addition, up to $19.8 million will be invested in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) prevention and preparedness efforts. This is intended to support work such as further enhancing laboratory capacity, establish zoning arrangements with additional trading partners, and contributing to international efforts to develop a safe and effective ASF vaccine that meets the needs of Canadian farms.

“ASF is one of the biggest threats to the Canadian hog sector. More than 70% of our pork is exported, making Canada the third-largest pork exporting country in the world. Prevention is key to avoid the entry of ASF, but preparedness will allow the pork industry to reduce the impact of the disease for a quicker recovery. This funding will provide industry and government with further resources to continue the development of the ASF Canadian action plan and be prepared for a potential outbreak”, stated Chris White, President and CEO, Canadian Meat Council

Although Canada has never had a case of ASF, the disease continues to spread in several regions around the world. A single case of ASF in Canada would immediately result in the closure of Canada’s borders to pork exports, which accounts for 70% of Canadian pork production. With up to $2.1 million in funding dedicated to enhancing the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) border control activities, the Government of Canada intends to support measures that continue to prevent the entry of high-risk pork and pork products by enhancing public awareness, improving commercial targeting, and developing training for border services officers.

Canada is recognized internationally as having strong programs in place to prevent and control the spread of foreign animal diseases into and within the country. Through close collaboration with domestic and international partners, the Government will continue to take a leadership role in preventing and mitigating the potential impact of ASF, should it ever be introduced into

the country.

QUICK FACTS

• Preventing and preparing for ASF is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial, and territorial governments and industry. The Pan-Canadian ASF Action Plan is a collaborative plan which lays the groundwork for a timely and coordinated response to reduce the size of an outbreak and limit its impact.

• The Canadian pork industry exports roughly two thirds of its pork production and millions of live hogs per year.

• The CFIA has already confirmed zoning arrangements to help manage ASF and facilitate international trade with the United States, European Union, Singapore, and

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5, 2022, Minister Bibeau announced over $446,000 in Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program funding to Swine Innovation Porc, based in Quebec City, QC, to develop strategies to mitigate the impact of an African swine fever outbreak on the pork

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Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has recognized CFIA’s National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg, MB as a WOAH Reference Laboratory to address ASF – one of only seven Laboratories in the world with the designation.

• The CFIA has a network of 13 reference and research laboratories across Canada approved to perform ASF testing for surveillance purposes.

• The CBSA is Canada’s first line of defence, and has a mandate to facilitate trade and travel while keeping Canadians safe. Border services officers are trained to intercept prohibited goods.

RURAL CRIME & SECURITY

Rural crime, cybersecurity, and biosecurity – the forgotten components to ensuring food security

Canada’s agriculture industry is presently undergoing many challenges not only to maintain domestic food security, but also to feed the world. Currently, with emerging issues such as supply chains and inflation consuming most media, rural crime is not getting the attention it needs. Not only do security troubles present themselves in the form of threats to biosecurity and thieves, but also in the intangible form of cybersecurity.

Biosecurity has always been a looming threat for farmers. Animal activists and local trespassers in the field put the lives of animals at risk by compromising their physical security as well as introducing potentially harmful pathogens and farmers end up paying the price. Biosecurity in Canada was especially worrisome earlier this year when outbreaks of the avian flu spread across the nation. There are no signs of biosecurity threats declining either as Minister Bibeau announced African swine fever prevention and preparedness measures at the end of August. Not only does biosecurity have devastating consequences for farmers and their animals, but it also directly affects Canada’s food security.

To help combat the issue of rural crime and biosecurity on farms, MP John Barlow introduced Private Members’ Bill C-275: An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms), in early summer 2022. The bill attempts to tackle the issue of reckless entry to – or taking animals from – buildings and/or other enclosed places where animals are kept, without lawful excuse or authority, exposing animals to harm. The bill would allow for stricter punishments on perpetrators upon conviction; a strong deterrent for many and reassurance for farmers. CFIB supports Bill C-275 and is encouraging policymakers to pass the bill.

In CFIB’s 2021 agriculture survey, over a third (36%) of agri-business owners wanted “reducing rural crime” to be a top priority in the Next Policy Framework. Since that survey, the Canadian prairies have seen a surge in rural crime. According to an August article by Farms.com, between June 2021 and June 2022 calls to the Manitoba RCMP regarding property crime increased by 27%. Reported cases of arson rose by 50%, and calls reporting theft of property over $5,000 increased by 70%. It is clear lawmakers must act now to address the uptick of rural crime across the prairies.

Perhaps the least discussed threat to security impacting Canadian farmers and agri-business owners is cybersecurity. In trying to keep up with domestic and international food demands, Canadian producers have increasingly incorporated some advanced smart technology in their agri-businesses. These advancements include interconnected smart sensors, smart meters, cameras, digital payment methods, and so much more. According to a study by Dr. Dehghantanha, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence and Director of the University of Guelph’s master of cybersecurity and threat intelligence program, the global smart agriculture market was estimated to be worth more than $10 billion as of 2019.

However, North America currently only invests 3 per cent of their total cybersecurity spending on smart agriculture cybersecurity. “The level of cybersecurity protection in agriculture is minimal to non-existent,” said Dr. Ali Dehghantanha. This is worrisome as insufficient cybersecurity investment and infrastructure can be disastrous for Canadian producers and food security.

“I had a scammer convince me that they were going to take out some antivirus software, so I gave them remote entry to my computer. Big mistake. They almost got away with a significant amount of cash.”

– Seed retailer, Alberta

“We are seeing more credit card fraud than ever. It has cost our business a substantial amount of money. There should be more information available from the credit card companies to confirm the cardholder.”

– Wholesale and supply agri-business, Ontario

To avoid digital exploitation, Dr. Dehghantanha is advising farmers and agri-business owners to practice cyber hygiene by updating systems, protecting private information and using authentication and password procedures. Professionals are also encouraging producers to consider employing cyber threat monitoring systems from different companies. CFIB has further detailed information available on our website on how you

can protect your business from cyber threats under “Cybercrime: Is your small business protected?” and a savings program partnership with Northbridge Insurance, who also offers cyber insurance on top of other support products for CFIB members.

Food security is at the top of everyone’s priority list. However, we must do more to protect our food producers. It is time for Canadian legislators to respond to the challenges presented by rural crime, biosecurity, and cybersecurity and address our farmers’ security risks.

Get involved in our campaign to support Bill C-234 to help support farmers and protect our food supply: https:// Notinitiatives.cfib-fcei.ca/en-ca/saveourfarmsamember?JOINCFIBtodayformore help and information.Policy&Entrepreneurship

SEORHIN YOO

Intern for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 95,000 members (6,000 agri-business members) across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.