Farm & Food Care Submission re: Environmental Bill of Rights

Jan 28, 2015

The pollinator health issue is complex as pollinators have been shown to be sensitive to a variety of factors in their environment, and more importantly to the cumulative impact of these factors. While the impacts of pesticides are one factor, there are many others factors, particularly in Ontario. These include losses of pollinator habitat and food sources due to factors such as increased land used by urbanization, climate change, changes in beekeeping practices (custom pollination for example), and diseases and pests like the Varroa destructor. Changes in the mix of agricultural crops have had a tremendous influence on the habitat available for pollinators. In 1978, hay and pasture lands represented 35 per cent of Ontario’s farmland. By 2011, hay and pasture represented just three per cent of Ontario’s farmlands and more intensive management of hay and pasture lands (such as cutting clover before it flowers) has removed a once-abundant seasonal food supply for pollinators. If we hope to truly improve pollinator health in the province, we must look at the big picture and take into account the relative impacts of each factor that could contribute negatively or positively to improving pollinator health. Farmers are committed to finding workable, practical solutions to limit exposure of bees and other non-targeted insects to pesticides and encouraging a healthy pollinator population.

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Source: Farmfoodcare

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.