After years of celebrating our agricultural know-how, the guide has gone urban – and is more than a little patronizing
Say goodbye to the four food groups. Almost 12 years after the launch of the previous version, the new Canada’s Food Guide celebrates food by displaying a plate filled with greens, fruits, plant proteins and grains. And if you look very carefully, you’ll see a cup of yogurt alongside a piece of beef that looks…
The economic damage of supply management to Canadian families is significant. But we failed to get rid of it in recent trade talks
The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a mixed bag for Canadians. The bright side is that it’s certainly better than having no trade agreement, and is more desirable than the massive uncertainty that comes with not knowing whether an agreement will be reached. On the down side, trade between Canada and the United States…
A clear vision and strategy for dairy’s future is imperative, with a forward-looking focus on domestic and foreign markets
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), or NAFTA 2.0, could be the watershed moment Canadian dairy farmers have been waiting for. The federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed to compensating the dairy sector for either lost sales, higher per-unit costs or the loss in value of quotas. The government has been clear on…
The new North American trade agreement has forced Canadians to look honestly at our dairy industry
Nobody should be surprised – concessions on dairy access during the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations were foreseeable. Americans went from wanting to tweak the North American Free Trade Agreement last year to getting significant concessions from Canada in the USMCA, which replaces NAFTA. It’s a deal we needed, of course. But how will our…
The federal government has not explicitly stated that supply management is non-negotiable
By Steven Globerman and Gary Hufbauer The Fraser Institute As North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks continue, much remains undecided. The United States and Mexico have already reached an agreement in principle on a new free-trade arrangement. But in light of Trump’s complaints about Canadian dairy tariffs, the highest hurdle for Canada will be…
We need a smart, realistic strategy for negotiations, starting with giving up our dairy supply management system
The importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement to Canada’s economy is staggering. Each day, $2.4 billion worth of goods and services cross the Canada/U.S. border. Some 78 per cent of Canada’s merchandise exports are destined for NAFTA partners. Now, the 23-year-old agreement is under severe threat from a hyper-protectionist American president. Initially, NAFTA…
The opening of the dairy market was done systematically over eight years to allow time for farmers to transition
By Jon Berry, Alan Oxley and Dan LeRoy The Fraser Institute As trade tensions between Canada and the United States over North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations continue, and U.S. President Donald Trump places Canada’s protection of various sectors of its agricultural industry front and centre, Canadian policy-makers would be well advised to learn lessons…
Supply management is protectionism by another name. And domestic protectionism shouldn’t be ignored as we seek freer trade
A significant amount of ink is being dedicated on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to the trade conflict that President Donald Trump precipitated at the end of the G7 meetings in Charlevoix, Que. Trump wants a better trade footing for the United States, pointing out that tariffs of around 270 per cent are slapped…
Supply management 2.0 is finally here. To survive, farmers who see the writing on the wall will need to develop new skill sets
It was not the G7 most expected. Not even close. But should we be surprised? As U.S. President Donald Trump lashes out on Twitter against Canadian dairies, Canada is beginning to realize that there may be no North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 2.0 after all. Washington is apparently aiming for two separate deals. But over…
A Supreme Court ruling that there’s no ‘constitutional guarantee of free trade’ will stifle both competition and lower prices for consumers
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that provinces have the right to erect interprovincial tariff barriers. That’s bad news for Canadian consumers and the health of the national economy. It is, however, a relief for provinces that for years have allowed fiscal priorities to supersede consumer choice and common economic sense. In 2012, Gerard…