August 2008 Archives

In the 2002 Farm Bill, the United States introduced country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for various commodities. COOL implementation has twice been delayed, but it will now come into effect on September 30, 2008 based on the revisions outlined in the 2008 Farm Bill. The U.S. government argues that COOL will deal with unfair competition, enhance food security, and address information gaps that consumers have about food (Library of Parliament 2003). However, the list of exemptions for the so-called mandatory regulation results in a great deal of food not having to carry country-of-origin labeling.

Every week Canadians are bombarded with media about the environment, be it climate change, concerns over water quality and quantity, or species at risk. While media has often pointed the finger for environmental problems at agriculture, not nearly enough attention has been focused on the benefits that agricultural producers provide to society. In addition to producing food, Canadian farmers and ranchers produce a host of other goods and services that make our lives better.