Why Canada’s robust, but fragile, beef supply chain needs a revamp By: Judson Christopherson, University of Saskatchewan student Loads of Local Beef, A Lack of Local Beef Processors As a western Canadian Rancher, I have seen firsthand the lack of options we as producers have for marketing large volumes of Read more…
Latin America was present at ICABR 2020 The 24th edition of the ICABR conference was very different from the previous 23, to say the least. For obvious reasons, no one is travelling and meeting in person in big groups. This was no different for researchers and academics originally planning (pre-COVID) Read more…
Livestock emit greenhouse gases, but could they also be climate change carbon savers? Climate change is real and in many instances, agriculture’s livestock is often tagged as being a leading emitter, but what if cattle and livestock could be one of our solutions? It’s no secret, livestock production is an Read more…
Over the last quarter-century, farmers have been working hard to adopt innovative and sustainable practices for their economic and environmental benefits. Two notable shifts in management practices include the widespread adoption of zero-tillage and the removal of summerfallow in crop rotations, both of which contribute to increased carbon sequestration. Yet, Read more…
Scientists, grad students and fiscal research investments are all fleeing Europe As consumers, we all want to be reassured that the products we purchase are safe for us to use and this is nowhere more important than in terms of the food products we buy. Consumers typically have a high Read more…
The ability of bias to affect assessment outcomes In the process of gathering information, data or evidence to facilitate policy development processes, the parameters placed on the gathering of such, has the potential to influence the outcomes. In today’s world, policy built upon science-based evidence is the goal of all Read more…
Farmers are proud to be landowners, establishing and growing farms that can be passed on through generations. The concept of growing crops on your own soil ignites feelings of pride, community, and tradition. Many farmers also consider land investment to be their retirement fund. However, in a recent Western Producer Read more…
By: Rim Lassoued, PhD Professional Research Associate, University of Saskatchewan Making decisions in the irrational world In a perfect world, people make rational decisions based on having complete information to evaluate alternatives and choose the best possible course of action. In the real world, risk and uncertainty are part of Read more…
The costs of misinformation adversely affects everyone Science is not like ice cream. With ice cream, we all have our favourite flavours or brands of which we can pick and choose which we eat, and refuse. With ice cream, we can make our decisions on the ingredients, flavours, or the Read more…
You’ve probably seen Burger King’s latest marketing video featuring Wal-Mart yodeler Mason Ramsey singing about methane emissions from cow farts and burps. The ad promotes Burger King’s “Cows Menu” consisting of beef from cows fed lemon-grass leaves, which some research suggests decreases methane emissions. I must admit, the song is Read more…