'Halo' sweetens cookies and other organic stuff Thursday, May 2, 2013 A study from the Food & Brand Lab at Cornell University in New York state has implications for food labelling and also shows that "organic" still has cachet, in spite of inroads from the buy-local movement. Subjects were asked to taste cookies, yogurt and chips, labelled organic and regular, and tell researchers which tasted better. Subjects routinely had more positive thoughts about the organic products, including better taste, higher fibre, less fat and less sugar, but both of the samples were identical, and organic. Researchers referred to this as the "health halo effect," according to The Globe and Mail. The Cornell study also reported that participants were willing to pay nearly 25 per cent more for the organic products than the regular products. The study is to be published in the July issue of the journal Food Quality and Preference. BF Record rice yields in India questioned Who's more responsible - the porn industry or the food sector?
Senators examine Canada’s food system firsthand during southwestern Ontario fact finding mission Thursday, March 12, 2026 A delegation of Canadian senators conducted a full day fact finding mission on Friday, March 6, 2026, visiting several major food system organizations and research facilities across Southwestern Ontario. The tour supported the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry’s ongoing... Read this article online
Middle East conflict pushes fertilizer costs higher, forcing Ontario growers to rethink corn acres Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Ontario farmers are bracing for a turbulent spring as fertilizer and fuel prices surge in response to the escalating conflict involving Iran, a development that analysts say could reshape planting decisions across North America. The spike in nitrogen costs—the most critical and... Read this article online
March 8 is International Women’s Day Friday, March 6, 2026 Across the United States and Canada, women are taking on increasingly visible roles in agriculture—managing farms, leading ag-tech startups, advancing research, and strengthening the rural economies that feed both nations. Their work reflects a shift in an industry once defined... Read this article online
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to Visit Toronto and Southwestern Ontario Tuesday, March 3, 2026 The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry will be in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario later this week as part of its ongoing study on the role of Canada’s agriculture and agri‑food sector in strengthening national food security. The fact‑finding mission is scheduled for... Read this article online
AgriStability Program Updated to Include Pasture-Related Feed Costs Beginning in 2026 Monday, March 2, 2026 In case you missed it last week, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced that pasture-related feed costs will be added as an allowable expense under AgriStability starting with the 2026 program year. The update addresses rising operational... Read this article online