Commentary: Putting money where foot-and-mouth could be

Apr 13, 2023

Canada’s export-dependent economy has limited opportunities for domestic growth when it comes to agriculture and food.

With 40 million Canadian souls in sight, (we are just 440,000 short), growing our population by one million people last year was a great accomplishment, especially for makers of food or jobs. But as Canada grows its agricultural capacity, the future lies in exports.

Budget 2023, from the same folks who brought you carbon pricing and the greening of the Canadian economy, does address a critical piece of the agriculture vulnerability puzzle for the nation. It includes funding of a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank. A single case of the disease would likely strike a $65 billion blow to the economy, so this particular budget item is welcome and will be money well spent.

The nation’s livestock industry has been calling on the government to address the issue of funding for an expanded FMD-infection response plan and a vaccine bank to deal with any outbreak.

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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.