Food is an inextricable part of our lives. Everybody eats, and nearly half of the world’s population live in households with at least one member employed in agrifood. As we look forward to 2024, uncertainties abound in our food system which has been impacted by an unstable climate, food price inflation, ongoing wars and Washington’s political deadlock including the stalled Farm Bill. From PepsiCoPEP +1.4% to
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European farming has been hit by an increase in flooding, drought, and heatwaves in recent years. The climate crisis is already causing economic losses for farmers and the agricultural sector and, without intervention, it’s set to get even worse. There’s no doubt about the science. “In Europe and around the world, the level of risks for the food system, functioning
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The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) defines a family farm as … an agricultural holding which is managed and operated by a household and where farm labour is largely supplied by that household. Family farms are by far the most common type of farm in the European Union (EU), encompassing a wide range of agricultural holdings (hereafter referred to as farms): from small, semi-subsistence
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With skyrocketing energy prices, labour shortages, climate change and a rapidly rising global population, farming is a sector under pressure. Agritech has a significant role to play in addressing these challenges; however startups in Europe can be limited by space, capital and access to talent. Established markets in North America could be the answer to cultivating change — with more funding options,
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North American and European agriculture leaders came together in Prince Edward Island recently for the North American European Union Agriculture Conference. Held every two years, this year’s event attracted approximately 280 representatives from European Union (EU) member states, as well as Canada, Mexico and the United States. Although farmers in Canada or Mexico farm under different circumstances than their counterparts in
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In a recent Express Entry draw held on September 28th, Canada invited 600 individuals in Agriculture and Agri-food occupations, reinforcing Canada’s attempt to fulfill the high demand for skilled workers in the field. On September 28, Canada held its 267thExpress Entry Draw, inviting 600 candidates to apply for immigration. This draw focused on individuals with experience in Agriculture and Agri-food
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The Honourable MarcMiller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, today announced that the first round of invitations for agriculture and agri-food occupations through category-based selection in Express Entry will occur this week. This focus on candidates with experience in the agriculture and agri-food sector—including agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors, and
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On August 18, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced two changes to its Agri-Food Pilot program to help address Canada’s labor needs. These firstly include the expansion of open work permit access to family members of all participants in the Pilot, and secondly the announcement that IRCC is accepting union reference letters to attest to a candidate’s work experience as
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Farms in Europe, and worldwide, are suffering from a continuous and worsening shortage of workers. In the UK, this problem has been exacerbated by Covid-19, Brexit, the war in Ukraine and high employment levels in competing sectors, with the National Farmers’ Union suggesting that as much as £60m of food will be left to rot on farms this year due
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Farms throughout Canada are forecast to suffer a labour shortage over the next eight years with too few agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors to do the tough job of ensuring enough food is produced. The federal Canada jobs hunting and career-planning Job Bank website is forecasting a shortfall of 5,900 of these workers from now to 2031. ”New job openings arising
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