Canada's ag ministers gather in Guelph

Nov 10, 2021

Canada's agriculture ministers are meeting in Guelph, Ontario this week, with some virtual participation as well.

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) President Bill Campbell expects a variety of topics to be discussed.

"Very recently, lots of conversation about climate change and agriculture and how that will fit in the equation. I believe it is one of the priority agendas for this current government. How will agriculture fit in with that component. We've been having ongoing discussions with regards to Business Risk Management and what the new suite of programs will look like."

Campbell commented further on discussions surrounding the Next Agricultural Policy Framework.

"We've had numerous discussions provincially and federally through CFA, with regards to what this new program should entail. It will be interesting to see what comes out of this meeting as to what the provinces and the federal government's vision is for the new Business Risk Management."

Canada's Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau tweeted that topics of discussion at the meetings will include sustainable agriculture, emission reduction, business risk management, opening of new markets, science and innovation, labour, biosecurity, and mental health.

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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.