US Company involved in Quebec Maple Syrup Heist

Feb 08, 2013

Canadian officials link $20 million stolen maple syrup case to a US company

Canadian officials have discovered a link between Maple Grove Farms, a US company based out of Vermont, and the $20 million in maple syrup that was stolen in Quebec back in October last year - 12 tractor-trailer loads of maple syrup went missing at that time. Maple Groves is one of the largest distributors of maple syrup in the United States.

A petition filed before the Board of Agriculture and Food Marketing in Quebec indicates that a Maple Grove representative purchased syrup from the heist ring leader Richard Vallieres at a cost significantly lower than market rates. According to Quebec media, Vallieres is well-known within illegal Maple Syrup distribution circles.

Maple Groves released a public statement saying “Maple Grove Farms purchased the maple syrup in good faith with no reason to believe that it was coming from Quebec or that it may have been stolen.”

Canadian authorities have made close to 18 arrests in the case. Officials have said that Maple Grove could face fines and trade sanctions. The investigation is still ongoing.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.