CFA TO HOST AGRICULTURE LEADERSHIP DEBATE

Sep 18, 2019

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has clearly outlined three key issues prior to the October 21 federal election. Reuters economics reporter Kelsey Johnson will moderate the debate focused on economic growth, food security and environmental stewardship.

From a farmer’s perspective, the agriculture and agri-food sector employs 2.3 million Canadians – one in eight jobs. Contributing more than $140 billion in GDP each year, agriculture is the nation’s second largest employer.

From a consumer’s perspective, about 10 per cent of take-home pay is spent on food. How the food chain works to meet consumer needs is an important part of the conversation.

Leaders from the four main federal parties will debate the challenging issues that face Canadian farmers and food processors.

Source : CFA

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.