A Brief History of Sustainability in Canadian Prairie Agriculture

It’s hard to overstate how challenging the conversation about farming practices has become in western Canada. Polarizing industry messaging is part of the problem.

Since 2018, Prairie Routes has been building a research base, forecasting tools, and a professional network of experts across North America in all areas of regenerative agriculture, from agroecology to direct marketing. During that time, we have seen suppliers around the world leap into new markets and grasp business growth opportunities, while the tension in western Canadian agriculture steadily erodes its own economic competitiveness.

NOTE: There will be no reports published during the last week of March. After this Friday’s, the next issue of Prairie Routes Research will come out on April 2^nd, 2024.

Perpetuating Limiting Beliefs

Commodity grain producers, and the agribusiness community that serves them, pretty much all read a weekly newspaper published by Glacier Farm Media called The Western Producer. It shared a strong opinion about society and agriculture in a February 1, 2024 article, which reads:

“Supporters of the political left in Canada and the United States typically have loud and forceful positions on what is right and what is wrong… are completely convinced that they’re correct (about everything), and feel compelled to impose their will on the rest of society.”

The author states ‘their stances’ to be:

• Eating meat is immoral and livestock are destroying the planet;

• Good people drive electric cars, take the bus or ride a bike;

• The petroleum industry is unsustainable and should be eliminated;

• Gender is a social construct, not a biological reality.

Real people have far more moderate viewpoints, both on the left and on the right, and everywhere in between. Why is this popular paper fanning the flames of polarization amongst its readership?