2020 Marks Beginning Of 'Peak Decade'

With the World Economic Forum taking place this week in Davos, Switzerland, one of the topics discussed was the idea of the 'Peak Decade'.

 

Neil Townsend with FarmLink Marketing Solutions discussed the issue this week at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon.

 

"In 2020 to 2029, we're going to reach the most ever of a lot of things," he said. "One of the big things is the most cars ever, and then from now on less and less cars are going to be driving. The one that really captured my attention is the fact that this is the first time where there's more people in world above 65 than below 18. Population is still growing, but we're reaching the point where it's going to peak and moreover the distribution of that population is going to be increasingly older and not younger and that has big implications in terms of how much people eat, how much people consume."

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.