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: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.