Podcasts about croplife canada

In this podcast episode, our special guest, Pierre Petelle, the President and CEO of CropLife Canada, discusses the organization's role and impact in the agricultural industry. CropLife represents companies that produce vital seed technologies and crop protection products in agriculture and public health. Pierre emphasized the evolution of these products, highlighting gene editing as a significant advancement that allows for more precise and affordable crop modifications. He also pointed out the organization's efforts to make science relatable to the public, stressing the importance of these technologies in preventing food waste, improving food affordability, and contributing to carbon sequestration. To help the public understand farming challenges and innovations, CropLife created "Real Farm Lives," a series that showcases Canadian farming families and their commitment to the land. Pierre encouraged an open-minded approach to agricultural technology, advocating for its role as a solution to many pressing environmental and economic issues.In the news, we talk about how Canada's Food Price Report for 2024 "landed," delving into the ethics and economics within the food industry and debating the implications of regulatory measures and the grocery code of conduct.   The conversation then shifts to food safety and recalls, touching on the Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupes and the complexities of mitigating risks within the food supply chain. They discuss how regulation and consumer behaviour intersect, with Sylvain advocating for better risk communication and Michael highlighting the need for innovative solutions like vertical farming.Additionally, we explore McDonald's new strategy with their new CosMc's concept, aimed at capturing a younger demographic and filling a gap in the mid-afternoon snack segment. Lastly, we touch upon a unique legal case where a woman was given the option to work in fast food as a sentence for assault, reflecting on the creative approach to justice.Overall, the podcast covers the intricate balance between industry practices, consumer expectations, and regulatory frameworks, emphasizing the need for transparency and ethical conduct in addressing the food industry's challenges.Graveyard image Photo by Matthias Müllner on UnsplashAbout PierreInnovation in agriculture is helping Canadian farmers become more productive and sustainable than ever before. As president and CEO of CropLife Canada, my mission is to support our members and advocate for political and regulatory frameworks that continue to enable cutting edge agricultural technologies to come to market in Canada.I am responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of our organization. As an industry we are often faced with misinformation about agricultural technologies like pesticides and plant breeding innovations such as GMOs. I strongly believe in our role, working in partnership with the broader agricultural industry, in telling the positive story of modern agriculture. I am also a firm believer in the power of collaboration when it comes to advancing the common interests of the agriculture industry, which is why we work closely with our partners in the GrowCanada partnership. I'm energised about the future of Canadian agriculture because over the last few decades we've experienced dramatic change, fueled in large part by technological advancements. While farmers are facing some enormous challenges in their efforts to grow food for the world, I'm optimistic that the ingenuity of farmers and the innovation in the plant science industry will make for a bright future for agriculture and food production.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery.   Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row.Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America

The federal government announced a series of changes to its policies around pesticide use on Tuesday, including the introduction of a ban on cosmetic uses of pesticides on federal land and the end of a nearly two-year pause on reviews of maximum residue limits (MRLs). CropLife Canada, which represents companies that make crop protection products,... Read More

Ian Affleck discusses how science has played a pivotal role in ensuring Canadians have safe, affordable and abundant food.  The advancements in plant breeding to gene editing have ensured Canadian farmers can use modern technology in an effort to be more environmentally friendly and produce the food the world needs. Host: Clinton MonchukClinton Monchuk grew up on a mixed dairy, beef and grain family farm outside of Lanigan, Saskatchewan. He received his Bachelors of Science in Agriculture majoring in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan and Masters of Business Administration in Agriculture from the University of Guelph. Clinton has enjoyed numerous roles across Canada, the United States and Mexico as a researcher, educator, manager, economist and director of trade policy.In 2016 Clinton accepted the role of Executive Director with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan to promote farming and ranching to consumers. Clinton understands the value of increasing public trust in agriculture and actively promotes engagement between the agriculture industry and consumers.Clinton, Laura and their children Jackson and Katelyn, continue to be active partners on their family grain and layer farm in Saskatchewan and cattle ranch in Oklahoma.Guest: Ian AffleckIan Affleck is the vice-president of plant biotechnology for CropLife Canada. In this role, Affleck works with domestic and international agricultural stakeholders and governments on the development of policies, regulations, and science related to plant biotechnology.  Prior to joining CropLife Canada, Affleck worked at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for 10 years. His work there focused on the regulation of novel plants and new varieties.  Affleck holds a bachelor of science in agriculture from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, concentrating on agronomy and pest management. He also holds a master's degree in agriculture from the University of Guelph, specializing in horticulture and plant breeding.    Affleck has been involved in agriculture from an early age, having grown up on a potato farm in Bedeque, Prince Edward Island.  Resources:PlantsThat Defend ThemselvesGrowing Better CropsWhat is Gene EditingEpisode Credits: Research and writing by Dorothy Long and Penny Eaton, Produced and edited by Angela Larson and Michael Jordan, Music by Andy Ellison-Track title: Gravel Road Connect with us: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube , emailSign up for our newsletter

Farming is an innovative business, and managing resistance is one area where that shines especially bright. Many farmers who deal with resistance – whether herbicide-resistant weeds, insecticide-resistant insects, or fungicide-resistant diseases – have developed some method of coping that works for them – and might for others. But aside from the local coffee shop or deep-diving on Twitter, how do you share those tips and compare notes with other resistance-managing farmers?Jennifer Hubert, executive director of plant biotechnology with CropLife Canada and head of Manage Resistance Now, is looking for on-farm, resistance management success stories with the recently launched Pest Management Challenge. From rotating crops or chemistries to unique, complex strategies, all forms of resistance management great and small are welcome in the challenge.In this episode of Inputs, Hubert discusses Manage Resistance Now, the importance of maintaining the tools we currently have, and the goals of the challenge – one of which is to create a peer-to-peer information-sharing hub.Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Show notesManage Resistance NowThe Pest Management ChallengeEconomic gains from resistance management (factsheet)Support for this episode provided by Nutrien ESN and Farm Management Canada.

This month, representatives from nearly 200 countries, met in Montreal for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of this COP15 was to hammer out an agreement on conservation and biodiversity protection. Pierre Petelle, president of CropLife Canada, says that going in to the meeting,... Read More

Thanks for tuning in to this Wednesday edition of RealAg Radio, with host Shaun Haney. You’ll hear: Neil Townsend of Farmlink Marketing Solutions, on the commodity markets and a look at 2023; Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, with a Beef Market Update; and, Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada, on the impacts of the... Read More

Thanks for tuning in to this Wednesday edition of RealAg Radio, with host Shaun Haney. You’ll hear: Neil Townsend of Farmlink Marketing Solutions, on the commodity markets and a look at 2023; Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, with a Beef Market Update; and, Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada, on the impacts of the... Read More

At any current conference, no matter what sector of the agriculture industry, the word sustainability is going to pop up. Last week at the GrowCanada conference, hosted by CropLife Canada, there was a whole section of the agenda devoted to sustainability. Mary Shelman, of Shelman Group and former director of Harvard Business School’s agribusiness program,... Read More

A recent decision by the federal government to put the brakes on any maximum residue limit (MRL) reviews until the spring of 2022 has politicized what should be a non-partisan, science-based regulatory process, says Pierre Petelle. President and CEO of CropLife Canada, Petelle says that it’s somewhat surprising to see the government’s stance and language... Read More

Welcome to this Tuesday edition of RealAg Radio. On today’s show, guest hosted by Lyndsey Smith, you’ll hear: An excerpt from last night’s episode of The Agronomists, featuring Mike Hilhorst, on fall fertility testing in a drought year; A Global Ag Risk product spotlight with Grant Kosier; Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada, on a recent... Read More

Welcome to this Tuesday edition of RealAg Radio. On today’s show, guest hosted by Lyndsey Smith, you’ll hear: An excerpt from last night’s episode of The Agronomists, featuring Mike Hilhorst, on fall fertility testing in a drought year; A Global Ag Risk product spotlight with Grant Kosier; Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada, on a recent... Read More

Welcome to this Tuesday edition of RealAg Radio. On today’s show you’ll hear: Ted Bilyea of CAPI, to talk about an upcoming meeting on trade and climate change; Pierre Petelle, president and CEO of CropLife Canada, on Health Canada’s decision on two neonicotinoid group active ingredients; Meagan Murdoch of National Public Relations, on the political... Read More

Welcome to this Tuesday edition of RealAg Radio. On today’s show you’ll hear: Ted Bilyea of CAPI, to talk about an upcoming meeting on trade and climate change; Pierre Petelle, president and CEO of CropLife Canada, on Health Canada’s decision on two neonicotinoid group active ingredients; Meagan Murdoch of National Public Relations, on the political... Read More

Last week, Health Canada announced a 60-day a 60-day public consultation in regard to Canada’s Novel Food Regulations, which could determine how Canadian plant breeders are able to use gene editing to create new products for decades to come. We sit down for a chat with Jennifer Hubert, plant biotechnology director for CropLife Canada, to […] The post Gene Editing: Why a Product-Based Approach Makes Sense appeared first on Germination.

Welcome to this Friday edition of RealAg Radio. On today’s show you’ll hear: Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada and Tyler Bjornson of Canada Grains Council join forces to talk about the consultation underway at Health Canada regarding gene editing technology in plants; Then we have a RealAg issues panel for you featuring RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith,... Read More

Welcome to this Friday edition of RealAg Radio. On today’s show you’ll hear: Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada and Tyler Bjornson of Canada Grains Council join forces to talk about the consultation underway at Health Canada regarding gene editing technology in plants; Then we have a RealAg issues panel for you featuring RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith,... Read More

It’s not just any regular Tuesday, the day is finally here for the U.S. election. On today’s episode of RealAg Radio, you’ll hear: The top ag news stories of the day with host Shaun Haney; Pierre Petelle, CEO of CropLife Canada, covering a whole bunch of topics surrounding crop protection products and more; Haney’s thoughts... Read More

It’s not just any regular Tuesday, the day is finally here for the U.S. election. On today’s episode of RealAg Radio, you’ll hear: The top ag news stories of the day with host Shaun Haney; Pierre Petelle, CEO of CropLife Canada, covering a whole bunch of topics surrounding crop protection products and more; Haney’s thoughts... Read More

Between biotech and technology issues, monitoring regulatory work being done, and managing activist pressure, a lot of things happen in the background of the crop protection industry. CropLife Canada does much of that important work behind the scenes that isn’t necessarily thought about every day on the farm. Joining us for today’s RealAg LIVE is... Read More

Ian Affleck, vice-president plant biotechnology for CropLife Canada, joins Marc Zienkiewicz on this week’s podcast to talk about next week’s U.S. election and what it might mean — and not mean — for the world of biotechnology. The post What Might the U.S. Election Mean for Biotechnology? appeared first on Germination.

It’s already time for the midweek edition of RealAg Radio! On today’s show you’ll hear: The top ag news stories of the day with host Shaun Haney; Tracy Fehr of CropPro Consulting, with a product spotlight, and a tool they have for plant stand establishment and zoning; Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada, on dicamba, glyphosate,... Read More

It’s already time for the midweek edition of RealAg Radio! On today’s show you’ll hear: The top ag news stories of the day with host Shaun Haney; Tracy Fehr of CropPro Consulting, with a product spotlight, and a tool they have for plant stand establishment and zoning; Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada, on dicamba, glyphosate,... Read More

In episode 4, Erin chats with Pierre Petelle, the President and CEO of CropLife Canada. They discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian agriculture, the need for regulatory reform and modernization, and how the industry can “own the podium” in 2021.

RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney is broadcasting from the Grow Canada Conference in Calgary, Alta. today, and we’re hearing about: Issues impacting agriculture, and organizing and collaborating in lobbying, with Mary Robinson of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture; Lobbying on behalf of the Canadian agricultural sector, with Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada; A farmer panel with Ontario’s... Read More

RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney may be a little excited for what he calls “the best holiday of the year.” Happy Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, everyone! Oh yeah, and today on the show: The top ag news, with RealAgriculture’s Jessika Guse; Pierre Petelle of CropLife Canada discusses season 2 of Real Farm Lives; and RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey... Read More

Wheatley, Ontario farmer Chris Renwick, Madison Englot and her father Norm from Montmartre, Saskatchewan talk about their families connection to agriculture, being filmed while doing their everyday chores, their passion for informing consumers about where their food comes from and telling them who they are as farm families. CropLIfe Canada, the organization behind Real Farm LIves, President and CEO Pierre Petelle talks about the excitement of putting the project together and where it all originated.

Ian Affleck of CropLife Canada visits Between the Rows to talk about a court decision in the European Union on gene editing that could deny European farmers the latest in plant technologies, Dan Orchard with the Canola Council of Canada talks about what canola growers can learn from ‘all the clubroot minds’ from […]

This week on The Voice our host Tina Barton sits down with Nadine Sisk, Vice-president, communications and member services at CropLife Canada, about pesticides, plant biotechnology, and how to communicate the unpopular and commonly misunderstood. CropLife Canada is the trade association that represents Canada's plant science industry. Nadine discusses how today's society is disconnected from the farm, explains how plant biotechnology helps farmers, and shares ways in which farmers are increasingly using social media and digital content to educate consumers and close the gap. Join the conversation!You can connect with guest @NadineSisk and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

We speak with CropLife Canada regulatory affairs and non-ag uses director Pierre Petelle and West Coast Environmental Law Society staff counsel Andrew Gage about efforts to ban cosmetic pesticides in British Columbia. CKNW's Brett Mineer discusses his big scoop last week, revealing British Columbia Lottery Corp. had been fined more than $670,000 for over 1,000 violations of the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Act. And our rabble-rousing panel - David Cubberley, Bob Russell, the Times Colonist's Rob Shaw and Allan Warnke - debate the week that was in provincial and federal politics.

This episode follows up on our March 25th broadcast on Bill C-474 - a bill that is calling for changes to the process through which genetically engineered seeds are approved in Canada. The bill was supported by many groups such as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the National Farmers Union and the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, and was strongly opposed by groups like the Canadian Canola Growers Association and CropLife Canada - the biotechnology and pesticide industry's trade association. The bill was introduced by NDP Member of Parliament Alex Atamanenko and is encouraging any new approvals of GE seeds to undergo an analysis of potential harm to export markets prior to their approval. With many markets around the world restricting their importation, the bill seeks to ensure global markets will remain open to Canadian farmers. On April 14 in Canada's House of Commons, the bill received enough support for it to be sent to committee by a vote of 153-134. This broadcast examines the next steps that this bill must now go through, and as usual, we deconstruct some more questionable remarks made by Conservative members in the House of Commons during the bill's second hour of debate on April 1. Adding to this deconstructing, we also look closer at just where this perpetual misinformation among Members of Parliament might be coming from. Guests/Voices Terry Boehm, president, National Farmers Union (NFU) (Allan, SK) - The National Farmers Union is the only voluntary, direct-membership national farm organization in Canada. It is also the only farm organization incorporated through an Act of Parliament (June 11, 1970). Terry farms in Allan, SK. Wayne Easter member of parliament, Malpeque, Liberal Party of Canada (North Wiltshire, PEI) - Wayne was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and was raised on the family farm in North Wiltshire. Wayne entered politics in 1993 when he was officially elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Malpeque, P.E.I. He was re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2008. In Parliament, Wayne has served as Solicitor General of Canada, Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Oceans, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Agri-Food with special responsibilities for the Rural Secretariat, and is currently the Liberal Party's Opposition Critic on Agriculture and Agri-Food. Brian Storseth, member of parliament, Westlock-St. Paul, Conservative Party of Canada (St. Paul, AB) - Storseth sits on the Standing Committee of Agriculture & Agri-Food. Don Davies, member of parliament, Vancouver-Kingsway, New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) - Davies is the NDP's critic on Public Safety. Alex Atamanenko, member of parliament, BC Southern Interior, New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) (Castlegar, BC) - Atamanenko is the NDP's Critic on Agriculture & Agri-Food and Food Security. He sits on the Standing Committee on Agriculture & Agri-Food.  

Since the recent streak of municipal pesticide bans were put into place across Canada, the pesticide industry has been on the defence. Represented by trade association CropLife Canada, the public relations strategies used by the industry were front and centre at the association's September 2007 conference in Saskatoon, which Deconstructing Dinner host Jon Steinman attended. But how is the media presenting those messages? In this multi-part series, Deconstructing Dinner explores the messages coming from industry and Canada's regulatory bodies; it examines research on the pesticide and cancer connections; it digs deep into the care that agricultural migrant workers receive when working within our borders; and it challenges one of the most frequently used arguments -- "Without pesticides, the world would go hungry!" Part II Part II was sparked in light of CropLife Canada becoming engaged in an aggressive and defensive campaign since the Province of Ontario announced in April 2008 that they would legislate a province-wide ban on the non-essential use of 250 pesticides. That ban came into place on April 22 of this year and other provinces who have not already banned non-essential pesticides are thinking of doing the same. One of those provinces being pressured to enact such a ban is British Columbia where the Canadian Cancer Society is putting pressure on the province to do so. The issue has become somewhat of an election one in light of the upcoming May 12th provincial election and is likely what sparked CropLife to hold a meeting with other pesticide industry supporters on April 23 in the City of Richmond. This episode explores the latest messages from CropLife including an exclusive unheard interview between Host Jon Steinman and CropLife's Lorne Hepworth - recorded in September 2007 at CropLife's annual conference. Richard Wiles (Environmental Working Group) and M. Jahi Chappell (Cornell University) were invited to respond to questionable remarks made by Hepworth during that interview. Guests Lorne Hepworth, President, CropLife Canada (Toronto, ON) - Lorne Hepworth has been President of CropLife Canada (formerly Crop Protection Institute of Canada) since 1997, having previously (1992-93) served as Vice President. CropLife Canada is the trade association representing the manufacturers, developers and distributors of plant science innovations - pest control products and plant biotechnology - for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings. Member companies include Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, DuPont and Syngenta among others. Richard Wiles, Executive Director, Environmental Working Group (Washington, D.C.) - Richard Wiles co-founded EWG with Ken Cook in 1993 and now supervises all staff. He is a former senior staff officer at the National Academy of Sciences' Board on Agriculture, where he directed scientific studies, including two that resulted in landmark reports: Regulating Pesticides in Food: The Delaney Paradox and Alternative Agriculture. Wiles is a leading expert in environmental risks to children, and under his direction, EWG has become one of the most respected environmental research organizations in the United States. EWG's exposure and risk assessment methods are recognized as state of the art, and have been used by the EPA and the National Research Council. Wiles holds a BA from Colgate University and an MA from California State University at Sacramento. M. Jahi Chappell, Postdoctoral Associate, Science & Technology Studies, Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) - Jahi is the co-author of "Organic Agriculture and the Global Food Supply" published in June 2007 in the journal Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. The University of Michigan study has received widespread attention. When the paper was being researched, Jahi was a PhD student in ecology, specializing in the intersection of conservation and food issues. His interest lay in analyzing how conservation policy could effectively be advanced to prevent the rapid loss of biodiversity, which Jahi indicates is, today, similar to the extinction rate that wiped out the dinosaurs. Jahi is now engaged in postdoctoral studies at Cornell University. Other Voices Samuel Epstein - Professor Emeritus, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois School of Public Health (Chicago, IL) Arzeena Hamir - Coordinator, Richmond Food Security Society (Richmond, BC) Ben West - Healthy Communities Campaigner, Western Canada Wildnerness Committee (Vancouver, BC) Harold Steves - City Councillor, City of Richmond (Richmond, BC) Robert Wright - Field Development Manager - Eastern Canada, Syngenta Crop Protection Canada (Guelph, ON) Marian Stypa - Regulatory and Biological Development, Syngenta Crop Protection Canada (Guelph, ON)  

This series has long been in the works since Host Jon Steinman attended the CropLife Canada conference back in September 2007. Since the recent streak of municipal pesticide bans were put into place across Canada, the pesticide industry has been on the defense. Represented by trade association CropLife Canada, the public relations strategies being used by the industry were front and centre at the Saskatoon conference. But what about in the media? On this multi-part series, Deconstructing Dinner explores the messages coming from industry and Canada's regulatory bodies; it will examine research on the pesticide and cancer connections; it will dig deep into the care that agricultural migrant workers receive when working within our borders; and it will challenge one of the most frequently used arguments - "Without pesticides, the world would go hungry!". Part I As part of his conference media package, Jon Steinman received a DVD produced by seed and pesticide manufacturer Syngenta Crop Protection Canada. Titled, "A Primer on Pesticides", this production will provide the basis for this Part I of a multi-part series A Primer on Pesticide Propaganda. Using historical recordings on pesticides, Steinman explores the history of pesticide use throughout North America and makes the connections between war and agriculture. The underlying ideology of being at war against nature is placed into a critical light with Steinman's deconstructing of the many "enemy" weeds that are destroyed by chemicals every day. As is discovered, some of those pesky weeds are actually far more nutritious and resilient than most of what makes up the dominant food supply! Voices Donna Houghton - Toxicologist Syngenta Crop Protection Canada (Guelph, ON) Robert Wright - Field Development Manager - Eastern Canada Syngenta Crop Protection Canada (Guelph, ON) Marian Stypa - Regulatory and Biological Development Syngenta Crop Protection Canada (Guelph, ON) Nancy Tout - Lead Scientist Dietary Safety Assessment Syngenta Crop Protection Canada (Guelph, ON) Lorne Hepworth, President, CropLife Canada (Toronto, ON) - CropLife Canada is the trade association representing the manufacturers, developers and distributors of plant science innovations — pest control products and plant biotechnology — for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings. Other Featured Audio Death to Weeds (1947) - A short film produced by Dow Chemical to promote the use of their pesticide 2,4-D.

A two-part series that will critically analyze what is being suggested as the worst public policy mistake in a generation. A prominent UN representative calls it a "crime against humanity", and this "crime" may shock even the most environmentally conscious of individuals, because it is in reference to biofuels, a technology that is in the early stages of an unprecedented boom around the world. The green image being painted by industry and world leaders is doing little to convince skeptics that using agricultural land to grow fuel is as environmentally friendly as it is reported to be. Compounding the environmental debate, biofuels are being referred to by some of the world's most influential international organizations as contributing to increases in global hunger at staggering rates. The money being thrown around the world and being invested into these biofuel technologies is incredible. In July 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised 1.5 billion dollars in incentives to get the Canadian biofuel industry up and running. British Petroleum has controversially invested half a billion dollars into biofuel research at the University of California at Berkeley. The seriousness of this issue has prompted a careful approach to addressing this topic, and this two-part series has been designed to hopefully be the most critical 2-hours of radio produced to date on this rapid emergence of biofuels around the world. Part II On Part II, we examine the accusation that biofuels are a crime against humanity and how the biofuel boom will affect food prices around the world. We deconstruct the suggestion that biofuels will help Canadian farmers and rural communities, and we explore the controversy on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley where on February 1, 2007, a biofuel research deal worth half a billion dollars was announced between BP (British Petroleum) and the University. Guests Darrin Qualman - Director of Research, National Farmers' Union (NFU) (Saskatoon, SK) - NFU members believe that the problems facing farmers are common problems, and that farmers producing diverse products must work together to advance effective solutions. The NFU works toward the development of economic and social policies that will maintain the family farm as the primary food-producing unit in Canada. Eric Holt-Gimenez - Executive Director, Food First (Oakland, CA) - Also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, the purpose of Food First is to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger, a purpose they've been operating with for over 32 years. The institute was launched by Joseph Collins and Francis Moore Lappe. Lappe is most well known for her book published around that time - Diet for a Small Planet. Robin Speer - Director of Public Affairs, Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (Toronto, ON) - Founded in 1994, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) mission is to promote the use of renewable fuels for transportation through consumer awareness and government liaison activities. The CRFA membership is comprised of representatives from all levels of the ethanol and biodiesel industry, including: grain and cellulose ethanol producers, biodiesel producers, fuel technology providers, and agricultural associations. Other Voices Len Penner - President, Cargill Canada (Winnipeg, MB) - One of Canada's largest agricultural merchandisers and processors with interests in meat, egg, malt and oilseed processing, livestock feed, salt manufacturing, as well as crop input products, grain handling and merchandizing. The company is a subsidiary of Cargill Limited based in the United States. In February 2007, Deconstructing Dinner ran a 2-part series on the operations of the company. Len was interviewed and recorded speaking by Host Jon Steinman in September 2007 at the CropLife Canada conference in Saskatoon. Ignacio Chapela - Associate Professor, College of Natural Resources, University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) - Working in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, the Chapela Lab focuses its research on the Ecology of Transgenes and Fungal Ecology. Chapela became the centre of controversy in 2000 while examining the native maize population in Oaxaca. One of Chapela’s graduate students, David Quist, made a shocking discovery. Despite a ban imposed by the Mexican government upon genetically-engineered(GE) corn in the birth place of modern maize domestication, there was clear evidence of genetic contamination. Chapela has long been a vocal opponent of genetic modification, which will be one focus of the BP/Berkeley Biofuels research. Miguel Altieri - Professor, College of Natural Resources, University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) - Working in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, Miguel's research group uses the concepts of agroecology to obtain a deep understanding of the nature of agroecosystems and the principles by which they function. Throughout their research and writings they have aided in the emergence of agroecology as the discipline that provides the basic ecological principles for how to study, design, and manage sustainable agroecosystems that are both productive and natural resource conserving, and that are also culturally-sensitive, socially-just and economically viable. Ali Tonak - PhD Student, College of Natural Resources, University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) - Ali is a student of Igancio Chapela and one of the organizers of the Stop BP-Berkeley Campaign. Ali was arrested on March 1, 2007 during a theatrical protest on the campus. JoAnne Buth - President, Canola Council of Canada (Winnipeg, MB) - A national trade association representing producers, input suppliers, processors and marketers of canola and its products. JoAnne was interviewed and recorded speaking by Host Jon Steinman in September 2007 at the CropLife Canada conference in Saskatoon. Jean Ziegler - Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, United Nations (Geneva, Switzerland) - In September 2000, Jean Ziegler was nominated by the UN Commission on Human Rights to be the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Ziegler is a senior Professor at the University of Geneva and the University of Sorbonne, Paris. At the University of Geneva, he established the Laboratory of sociology for the study of the societies of the Third World, and most of his work has focused on developing countries. Arnold Schwarzeneggar - Governor, California (Sacramento, CA) Robert Birgeneau - Chancellor, University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) Robert Malone - Chairman and CEO, BP America (Houston, TX)

A two-part series that will critically analyze what is being suggested as the worst public policy mistake in a generation. A prominent UN representative calls it a "crime against humanity", and this "crime" may shock even the most environmentally conscious of individuals, because it is in reference to biofuels, a technology that is in the early stages of an unprecedented boom around the world. The green image being painted by industry and world leaders is doing little to convince skeptics that using agricultural land to grow fuel is as environmentally friendly as it is reported to be. Compounding the environmental debate, biofuels are being referred to by some of the world's most influential international organizations as contributing to increases in global hunger at staggering rates. The money being thrown around the world and being invested into these biofuel technologies is incredible. In July 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised 1.5 billion dollars in incentives to get the Canadian biofuel industry up and running. British Petroleum has controversially invested half a billion dollars into biofuel research at the University of California at Berkeley. The seriousness of this issue has prompted a careful approach to addressing this topic, and this two-part series has been designed to hopefully be the most critical 2-hours of radio produced to date on this rapid emergence of biofuels around the world. Part I On this Part I, we explore the key term being used by industry and government to promote the conversion of agricultural crops into fuel, and that term is "renewable". The word presents an image of green and clean fuel, so much so, that the main biofuel industry association here in Canada is not only called the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association but has secured the web site address greenfuels.org. Quite an eco-friendly image being painted by the industry. The Canadian government has even placed biofuel initiatives under their new "EcoAction" programs. But are Canadians being duped into thinking that biofuels are the answer to climate change? Guests Darrin Qualman - Director of Research, National Farmers' Union (NFU) (Saskatoon, SK) - NFU members believe that the problems facing farmers are common problems, and that farmers producing diverse products must work together to advance effective solutions. The NFU works toward the development of economic and social policies that will maintain the family farm as the primary food-producing unit in Canada. Eric Holt-Gimenez - Executive Director, Food First (Oakland, CA) - Also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, the purpose of Food First is to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger, a purpose they've been operating with for over 32 years. The institute was launched by Joseph Collins and Francis Moore Lappe. Lappe is most well known for her book published around that time - Diet for a Small Planet. Robin Speer - Director of Public Affairs, Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (Toronto, ON) - Founded in 1994, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) mission is to promote the use of renewable fuels for transportation through consumer awareness and government liaison activities. The CRFA membership is comprised of representatives from all levels of the ethanol and biodiesel industry, including: grain and cellulose ethanol producers, biodiesel producers, fuel technology providers, and agricultural associations. Other Voices JoAnne Buth - President, Canola Council of Canada (Winnipeg, MB) - A national trade association representing producers, input suppliers, processors and marketers of canola and its products. JoAnne was interviewed and recorded speaking by Host Jon Steinman in September 2007 at the CropLife Canada conference in Saskatoon. Jean Ziegler - Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, United Nations (Geneva, Switzerland) - In September 2000, Jean Ziegler was nominated by the UN Commission on Human Rights to be the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Ziegler is a senior Professor at the University of Geneva and the University of Sorbonne, Paris. At the University of Geneva, he established the Laboratory of sociology for the study of the societies of the Third World, and most of his work has focused on developing countries. George W. Bush - President, United States of America (Washington, DC) Stephen Harper - Prime Minister, Canada (Ottawa, ON) Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - President, Brazil (Brasilia, Brazil)

In September 2007, Host Jon Steinman travelled to Saskatoon to attend the 55th annual CropLife Canada Conference. CropLife Canada is the trade association representing the manufacturers, developers and distributors of plant science innovations — pest control products and plant biotechnology — for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings. The conference was titled "The Power of Partnerships - The New Bio-Economy: Accelerating Change/Achieving Prosperity". Attending the conference were executives and members of the most influential agricultural corporations in Canada, including among others; Agricore, Viterra, Cargill, Monsanto, Dow, Bayer, E.I. du Pont, Nufarm, and Syngenta. A large contingent of bureaucrats from Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada were in attendance, including two Conservative Members of Parliament (David Anderson, Carol Skelton). Deconstructing Dinner will be featuring a number of recordings and interviews compiled at the conference, and will bring on panels of guests to respond to the messages coming out of Canada's conventional agriculture sector. On this broadcast, we listen in on segments from the Keynote Speaker Juan Enriquez. Juan's presentation was titled "As the Future Catches You: How Genomics & Other Forces are Changing your Life, Work, Health & Wealth". Joining the program to comment and challenge remarks made during this presentation will be Terry Pugh (National Farmers Union), and Jeffrey Smith (Institute for Responsible Technology). Guests Juan Enriquez - Chairman/CEO, Biotechonomy (Boston, MA) - Author, businessman, and academic, is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on the economic and political impacts of life sciences. Biotechonomy LLC is a life sciences research and investment firm. He was the Founding Director of the Harvard Business School Life Sciences Project, and author of "As the Future Catches You: How Genomics & Other Forces are Changing Your Life, Work, Health & Wealth". Terry Pugh - Executive Secretary, National Farmers Union (NFU) (Saskatoon, SK) - The NFU works on the non-partisan development of economic and social policies that will maintain the family farm as the basic food-producing unit in Canada. To help realize this goal, the NFU and its members work to create, expand, and safeguard orderly marketing and supply-management systems. NFU members believe that individual farmers must work collectively to assert their interests in an agricultural industry increasingly dominated by multi-billion-dollar corporations. Jeffrey Smith - Executive Director, Institute for Responsible Technology (Fairfield, IA) - The IRT was founded in 2003 by Jeffrey Smith to promote the responsible use of technology and stop GM foods and crops through both grassroots and national strategies. Jeffrey is the author of "Seeds of Deception", and the recently-released "Genetic Roulette - The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods".