A Green (Party) View on Canada’s Ag Present and Future

Sep 09, 2021

The Green Party of Canada talked with Farms.com about its agricultural platform heading into Election 2021.

Andrew Joseph, Farms.com

On Monday, September 20, 2021, Canadians will vote to determine the next Prime Minister, members of the House of Commons to the 44th Canadian Parliament, and the path Canada will take in the near future.

For Canadians—whether they realize it or not—how the federal government handles its agricultural, and thus farmers and farm industry, is of great importance.

Farms.com contacted agriculture party critics from the federal NDP, Green Party of Canada, and the Conservative Party, as well as the reigning Liberal Party’s minister of agriculture for their party’s view on how they see the agriculture sector and offer insight on what the future may hold should they take power.

We are still waiting to confirm participation from the Liberals and the Conservatives agriculture critics.

Beginning our video series: the Green Party of Canada. The official agriculture party critic, but non-candidate, Dr. Maria Rodriguez recently discussed her party’s view on the Canadian ag landscape and what the plan is going forward.

View the NDP video.

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.