The Simpson Centre

Farmers worldwide face increasing challenges from unpredictable weather patterns, which can devastate crops and livelihoods. One solution is index insurance—a mechanism designed to mitigate weather-based risks efficiently and equitably. It offers:   – Trigger-based payouts: unlike traditional insurance, payouts are determined by a pre-set index (e.g., rainfall levels), ensuring faster and more objective claims processing.  – Affordable premiums: by reducing administrative costs, index insurance becomes more accessible to smallholder farmers.  – Resilience building: protecting incomes allows farmers to invest in their farms, adopt improved practices, and build long-term resilience.    Read more here: https://bit.ly/3OQjOoy #cdnag #climatechange #sustainableagriculture #foodsecurity

Heard of Kipster? They’re the #poultry farmers on a mission to revolutionize food production by prioritizing ethics and #sustainability, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations. Kipster’s aim to create a more resilient agricultural model is based on: – Animal-centered design whose systems prioritize animal welfare, enabling chickens to express natural behaviors while maintaining productivity.  – Resource efficiency: feeding chickens only by-products to avoid feed-food competition, optimizing resource use and minimizing environmental impact.  – Economic viability: demonstrating that sustainability can coexist with profitability, and that innovative systems can benefit farmers, animals, and consumers alike. Such creative thinking and systems-level innovation can address the complex challenges facing agriculture today. What other examples of innovative farming systems have you come across? Tell us in the comments. Learn more: https://kipster.farm/  #sustainableagriculture #cdnag

Thanks to all the #cowcalf producers who attended the second workshop for the Data Literacy Program in Red Deer! Your participation and engagement truly made the day a success. We are incredibly grateful to our inspiring speakers: Dan Lussier, Susan Markus, Sean Thompson, MSc., PAg, @Larry Martin, Claire Windeyer, Brian Perillat, Abby-Ann Redman, and Colin Nicholas. They presented on the essential topics of calf marketing strategies, digital record-keeping, #cybersecurity, financial ratios, nutrition, and herd health. A big shoutout also to our amazing team for organizing this event: Lucia Sanguinetti, Margarita Sanguinetti and Julius Allan Rondilla, CDME. Onward to a more sustainable and data-driven future for the beef industry! Photo credit: Jyotirmoy Gupta #cdnag

Top-down federal agricultural policy often relies on national modelling rather than local data showing regional differences. Sometimes, government doesn’t have any data relating to the land farmed  by the producers who will be affected by policy. Here, producer and Western Crop Innovations Interim Director D'Arcy Hilgartner offers his insights on effective data #data #agtech #cdnag #agricuture  

High supermarket #beef prices are not a reflection of what Canadian farmers and #ranchers earn from their #cowcalf herds. In the past 30 years, the average beef producer’s operating margin has never reached $50,000, despite the fact that the average beef farm’s asset base stands at more than $2 million. Derek Brewin’s 2024 paper looked at how better access to export markets, including the U.S., South Asia and North Africa, would help to remedy producers’ poor returns. The industry also needs investments in research, farm extension and supply chain co-ordination from national and provincial self-funded producer groups. Read the paper here: https://bit.ly/49dsL4q

Agriculture is no stranger to controversy, but misinformation and misunderstanding can spread virally, affecting perceptions, policies, and practices across the industry. Whether GMOs, pesticide use, or organic farming, half-truths and misconceptions can have significant consequences for farmers, consumers, and the environment.     Are we getting the full picture? Are the facts being twisted or misinterpreted? By whom and why? Asking pertinent questions and seeking accurate information makes us part of the solution. The Simpson Centre is engaged in mapping agricultural controversies and the Government of Canada has created a resource about science misinformation. See it here: https://bit.ly/418wtdS    #Agriculture #Misinformation #AgTech #Sustainability 

The Canadian farm equipment market is set for a slowdown in 2025 due to falling crop prices, high operating costs, and tighter farm profitability. Farmers are delaying purchases, leading to inventory buildups in new and used equipment markets. Used combine sales are down 18% year-on-year, while sales of larger Class 10+ combines have doubled as producers focus on efficiency.    Key forecasts for 2025 include adjusting equipment prices, easing interest rates, and a weaker Canadian dollar, which could increase imported equipment costs. Auction results will offer more insights into market conditions.    While sales are projected to decline, falling interest rates and adjusted prices may create opportunities for farmers to invest in cost-effective equipment. What is your experience? Read more here: https://bit.ly/4ePjxN9 #cdnag #sustainablefarming #alberta #westerncanada #cattle

Agrifood systems are important in achieving #biodiversity goals according to the UN's FAO. Indeed, it was the central message at the November 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference COP 16 in Cali, Colombia. FAO’s message was that transforming #agrifood systems is critical to help develop a sustainable and biodiverse planet, adapt to #climatechange, and improve #foodsecurity and #nutrition. Addressing these challenges means prioritizing solutions across multilateral environmental agreements, increased financial and technical support, and ful integrated into national planning processes. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4fW9HKf

“Launching Satellites and Saving Lives: What It Takes To Break Through Climate Challenges in Water and Food Security” We are kicking off the first session of the Simpson Centre’s Policy Lab on Water Sustainability in Alberta's Agriculture through Digitalization on November 27th with virtual keynote speaker Dr. Joshua Fisher, Science Lead for Hydrosat a remote sensing startup based in Washington DC, and Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Chapman University. See more about Dr. Fisher and register here: https://lu.ma/y7903m3q  Event Information: ·       Date: Wednesday, November 27th, 2024  ·       Time: 9:00-9:45 am MST  ·       Location: Zoom (link will be distributed to registrants) 

Farmers want timely, accurate and detailed #data without completing numerous surveys. Statistics Canada | Statistique Canada plans to go beyond a survey-first approach with data from sources such as Earth Observation data and machine learning. This project, dubbed #AgZero, aims to reduce the response burden on farmers to as close to zero as possible by 2026. For example, in July 2019 and March 2020, Statistics Canada produced estimates on the number of temporary foreign workers in the agriculture sector in Canada using administrative data. The estimates were produced with zero direct contact with farmers, saving them valuable time. In our video, Omar Youssouf gives a précis of the approach. #cdnag #sustainableagriculture