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(Alice McFarlane/farmnewsNOW Staff)
Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Monday September 23, 2019

Sep 23, 2019 | 10:20 AM

A new survey conducted earlier this month shows Canadians don’t put food and agriculture too high on the election list.

The survey was completed Sept. 9 and released this week by Angus Reid Global along with Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

It reported just 31 per cent of Canadians believe food and agriculture will be a prime issue during the election.

However, three out of five Canadians said food security and affordability is a concern. Of those polled, 54 per cent said the use of plastics in the food industry and food waste is on their minds.

Over 1,500 people were surveyed and the margin of error is less than three per cent, 19 times out of 20.

The Canadian beef industry wants to change the message the public is hearing about healthy eating.

The message now says people eat too much beef, which adversely affects their health.

The sector wants to turn the tables in the debate and focus instead on the harmful effects of ultra-processed food.

Research shows Canadians derive five per cent of their daily caloric needs from beef and 47 per cent from ultra-processed food.

Dietitian Carol Harrison said the greater concern should be the high consumption of processed foods that are rich in salt, sugar and fat.

The Alberta government said an exception which permitted it to restrict ownership of public lands to provincial residents will be removed.

It’s one of eight exceptions to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement that Premier Jason Kenney told a business audience in Saint John, New Brunswick.

The exemption restricting ownership of public lands will still remain for foreigners outside Canada.

Grazing permits will also be opened to people and corporations in other parts of the country, as will permits for guiding and outfitting for wildlife hunting.

alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF

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