CETA Troubles 'Unfortunate', Says Former High-Ranking US Ag Official

Oct 24, 2016

Both sides are working hard to get a deal done, after trade talks between Canada and the European Union stalled late last week.

Canada's International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland walked out of meetings on Friday, after failing to come to terms with the Belgian region of Wallonia.

Dr. Joe Glauber, former Chief Economist of the US Department of Agriculture, got wind of the news after giving a presentation in Winnipeg.

"I think it's unfortunate," he said. "It is symptomatic of what you're seeing I think globally right now with a lot of difficult negotiations. I don't know from the European standpoint, how much of the CETA issues are now complicated by Brexit and other things."

Glauber says it's hard to believe that CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), a deal which was essentially done, would not get ratified.

Source : Portageonline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.