Ag Policy Connection – RealAgriculture

Canadian agriculture's policy framework needs to shift from reacting to crises toward proactively building resilience if the sector is to remain competitive in an increasingly volatile operating environment. That's the "Big Idea" for this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast, hosted by Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), and... Read More

As Canada navigates trade disruptions, geopolitical uncertainty, and growing concerns about food security, agriculture is increasingly being viewed as a strategic national asset. That shift in thinking is creating new conversations about how policy tools—including tax incentives—can help drive investment, innovation, and long-term growth across the sector. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection... Read More

As Canadian agriculture becomes increasingly digital, cybersecurity is emerging as a critical business risk that extends far beyond computers and software. From automated livestock systems to cloud-based farm records and precision agriculture tools, a cyber attack can disrupt operations, impact animal welfare, and threaten business continuity. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast,... Read More

Canada’s biofuels sector is at a pivotal moment as industry leaders warn that delays and uncertainty around Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR) amendments could stall investment and shift production opportunities south of the border. In this Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) webinar presented in partnership with RealAgriculture and BASF Agricultural Solutions, panellists from across the fuel,…Read More

Competing in global commodity markets is a race Canada can’t win long-term, says Ted Bilyea, former executive vice-president of Maple Leaf Foods and distinguished fellow with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI). In this episode of Ag Policy Connection, Bilyea says that Canada’s advantage lies in differentiation — creating food products consumers specifically want and... Read More

A staggering share of Canada’s food never gets eaten—and Lori Nikkel says that’s a systems problem, not an accident. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast, Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, outlines why a national food waste strategy is critical to strengthening Canada’s food system. Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization,... Read More

Agriculture is often framed as an economic driver, but Alison Sunstrum says that Canada should treat it as something far more strategic: national security. In this conversation on the Ag Policy Connection podcast with co-hosts Tyler McCann and Elise Bigley of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), Sunstrum—CEO of ConserveX, managing partner at NYA Ventures,... Read More

Global agriculture is navigating a period of profound geopolitical, economic, and environmental upheaval, raising urgent questions about how our food systems can remain sustainable, resilient, profitable, and for many, affordable. While politics and conflicts may divide nations and thicken borders, food — and the policies around how it is produced and where it goes —... Read More

Better management doesn’t just improve margins — it could reshape how Canada designs farm policy. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast, Tyler McCann and Elise Bigley of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute sit down with Terry Betker, founder of Backswath Management, to explore a deceptively simple but far-reaching idea: build a national... Read More

It's time to rethink how we fund plant breeding. While much of Canadian agriculture has evolved to meet today’s demands, the model for funding plant breeding is lagging—and risks falling behind entirely. That’s the concern raised by Jason Reinheimer, global head of cereals and pulse research at Limagrain Field Seeds, in this episode of the... Read More