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Opinion: Keep political bitterness out of Canadian food

Some things are more apparent than real. If the price of food jumps by 15 or 20 percent due to rising global inflation, it is assumed the difference between today’s price and last year’s price is in someone’s pocket. But whose?

Canadian politicians have an opportunity to explain the components of food prices. The House of Commons has been holding hearings to examine food price inflation in the nation. About 45 people, from grocery chief executives to farmers, have sat before Parliament’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee since the end of November.

Each has described their piece of the grocery elephant. But will parliamentarians produce a report that tells the tale accurately and comprehensively?

For agriculture, the outcome of these hearings is a real chance for all Canadians to get a clearer picture of where their food comes from and the systems that take it from field to fork.

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Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.