Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Canada promotes soil conservation at G20

Canada promotes soil conservation at G20

Minister MacAulay promoted the Agroecosystem Living Labs approach

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Canada’s federal ag minister highlighted a national method to address soil conservation challenges during recent meetings with international colleagues.

The Agroecosystem Living Labs (ALL) approach brings together scientists, industry representatives and producers to develop and test new technologies and practices on farms.

In May, G20 ag ministers asked Canada and the U.S. to establish a working group to explore ALL methods.

This approach can help farmers address such issues as soil and water conservation and climate change, Minister MacAulay told fellow ag ministers at the G20 Agriculture meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina yesterday.

Exploring and adopting new technologies can help “put more money in farmers’ pockets and help support them with the vital job of feeding the world sustainably,” he said in a statement.

The other 19 members agreed with MacAulay and included the Canadian approach in a July declaration.

“We welcome the May 2018 communique of (Meetings of Agricultural Chief Scientists), and in particulate their support for Agroecosystem Living Labs which work in close collaboration with farmers and other stakeholders,” the declaration says. “With the right policies, investments and technologies, agriculture can provide solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.”

MacAulay also discussed trade while in South America.

He visited with Chilean officials to promote Canadian canola, wheat, beef and pork. Chile is also a CPTPP member.


Trending Video

Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz

Video: Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz


The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.