Meeting Place Organic Farm - Depth of Field | Profondeur de champ National Farmers Union Canada 2024-07-10 | THE PROJECT | LE PROJETThe National Farmers Union (NFU) has teamed up with award-winning documentary filmmakers of March Forth Creative Inc. to produce and present Depth of Field: Films About Farming–a series of short documentaries featuring individual farm stories across Canada with a focus on sustainable agriculture.L’Union nationale des fermiers (UNF) s'est associé aux documentaristes primés de March Forth Creative Inc. pour produire et présenter Profondeur de champ : films sur l'agriculture - une série de courts documentaires présentant des histoires de fermes individuelles à travers le Canada et mettant l'accent sur l'agriculture durable.Trailer / Bande-annonce : bit.ly/DoFTrailer Playlist / Liste de lecture : bit.ly/DoFYoutubeWatchlist Website: nfu.ca/filmsaboutfarming Site web: nfu.ca/fr/filmsaboutfarming THE FARM | LA FERMEMeeting Place Organic Farm is a woman-owned and operated organic farm in Ontario now being farmed by the second generation of McQuails in a sustainable, environmentally conscious manner. They aim for more than regenerative agriculture with their grass-fed and finished Ontario beef, pasture-raised pork, organic chicken and certified organic apple orchard. They believe in the importance of building strong local communities and being good stewards of the land and animals they tend.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | REMERCIEMENT The National Farmers Union would like to acknowledge all parties involved in bringing this project to life. Thank you all.L’Union nationale des fermiers souhaite remercier toutes les parties impliquées dans la réalisation de ce projet. Nous vous remercions tous.March Forth Creative - marchforthcreative.comNational Farmers Union - nfu.caNational Farmers Union Ontario - nfuontario.ca National Farmers Union New Brunswick - nfunb.org Sustain Ontario - sustainontario.com Small Scale Meat Producers Association - smallscalemeat.ca Farmers Markets Ontario - farmersmarketsontario.com Sask Organics - http://saskorganics.org Young Agrarians - youngagrarians.org Régénération Canada - regenerationcanada.org/en Canadian Organic Growers - cog.ca National Farmers Foundation - nationalfarmersfoundation.ca Organic Alberta - organicalberta.org Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the AgriCommunication Program.Ce projet est financé par le ministère de l’Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada sous le Programme Agri-communication.
Celebrating THE EXCHANGE | Célébrons-nous LÉCHANGE National Farmers Union Canada 2026-07-13 | Celebrating THE EXCHANGE - 2 years, 2 cohorts and a lifetime worth of knowledge, connection and community. ~40 cohort members over the past two years gathered regularly online and traveled to meet in-person on farms across the country to gain hands-on farming experience and training. These resources and supports along with the dedication of farmer participants and their mentors, have helped pave the way for a stronger, more resilient and diversified local food system. The NFU wants to congratulate all members of the EXCHANGE, the participating farms, and the program coordinators who made it all come together—Nasseem Hakimian, Nadia Bunyan and Peachtree Boucard. We are the future of farming—diverse, connected, ancestral. Funded by the AAFC AgriDiversity program.Video credit: Ajani Singh—Célébrons L’ÉCHANGE : deux ans, deux cohortes et une multitude de connaissances, de liens et d’esprit communautaire. Au cours des deux dernières années, une quarantaine de membres des deux cohortes se sont régulièrement réunis en ligne et se sont déplacés pour se rencontrer en personne sur des fermes à travers de tout le pays, afin d’acquérir une expérience pratique dans l’agriculture et de suivre des formations. Ces ressources et ce soutien, et grâce à l’engagement de tous les participant.e.s et de leurs mentor.e.s, ont contribué à faire émerger un système alimentaire local plus solide, plus résilient et plus diversifié. L’UNF tient à féliciter tous les membres de L’ÉCHANGE, les fermes participantes et les coordinateurs du programme qui ont rendu tout cela possible : Nasseem Hakimian, Nadia Bunyan et Peachtree Boucard.Nous sommes l’avenir de l’agriculture : diversifiés, connectés, fidèles à nos racines ancestrales. Financé par le programme AgriDiversité de l’AAFC.Vidéo créée par Ajani Singh
An Oneida Historical Perspective National Farmers Union Canada 2026-07-02 | As settlers, our relationship to land in Canada is complicated. Indigenous peoples and nations on Turtle Island, in what we now call Canada, have lived on and stewarded the land for tens of thousands of years. As farmers we strive to be stewards of the land that we occupy now, but what does this mean for our relationship to Indigenous people and nations?Al Day, hereditary chief of the Oneida Nation will present a world view that will help us to understand our relationship to land and Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. He speaks to attendees about the types of Treaties made with Indigenous peoples by the Canadian Government and laws that enabled the colonization of Canada. Al will also introduce us to the Oneida worldview, the role of critical thinking in understanding Indigenous relations and the role of matrilineal leadership. He will then introduce us to the roots of Crown and Indigenous relations that shape and influence our relation to land, Indigenous peoples, and power.
Part 2: The Past, Present and Future of Canada’s Agricultural Policy Framework National Farmers Union Canada 2026-04-27 | The Canadian Agricultural Policy Framework is the main funding framework for programs and services for farmers across Canada. Consultations are underway towards the Next Agricultural Policy Framework (NPF) – this means that the next few months are a very important time for farmer voices and advocacy!Policies in this framework impact on-the-ground experiences of farmers and farm workers across the country. They are integral to Canada’s agricultural success, not just today but for generations in the future.The NPF represents billions of dollars of spending that sets the goals of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and provincial Ministries of Agriculture for the next five years. The NPF negotiations are a special opportunity to advocate for programs and policies that support Canadian farmers for years to come. This session is the second part of a series that the NFU is running in collaboration with Young Agrarians and the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario to hear from our members about what they want included in the NPF and to provide information on how to get involved. Event facilitators Ayla Fenton (Young Agrarians), Stuart Oke (EFAO), and Sophie McCafferty (Young Agrarians) walked us through the consultation question by question, using a survey guide to anchor answers around new farmer issues and local food system development.
Part 1: The Past, Present and Future of Canada’s Agricultural Policy Framework National Farmers Union Canada 2026-04-13 | The Canadian Agricultural Policy Framework is the main funding framework for programs and services for farmers across Canada. Consultations are underway towards the Next Agricultural Policy Framework (NPF) – this means that the next few months are a very important time for farmer voices and advocacy!Policies in this framework impact on-the-ground experiences of farmers and farm workers across the country. They are integral to Canada’s agricultural success, not just today but for generations in the future.The NPF represents billions of dollars of spending that sets the goals of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and provincial Ministries of Agriculture for the next five years. The NPF negotiations are a special opportunity to advocate for programs and policies that support Canadian farmers for years to come. This session is the first part of a series that the NFU is running in collaboration with Young Agrarians and the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario to hear from our members about what they want included in the NPF and to provide information on how to get involved. Be a part of grassroots organizing to shape the Canadian food system you want to see.Before we look forward to the 2028-2033 NPF, Naomi Robert will take us back in time to give us a historical view of how the goals of the framework have shifted over time and its treatment of support for family farms, rural communities and sectoral growth. This narrative analysis sets the stage for the importance of grassroots advocacy on the NPF.
Virtual Town Hall: Act to Defend Canadas Public Agriculture Research! National Farmers Union Canada 2026-03-26 | We must act now to reverse the proposed cuts to Canada’s public agricultural research programs! In January, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced the closure of seven research centres across Canada that are critical to the success of Canada’s food and agriculture system. Watch to learn more about how these cuts affect Canadian farmers and what actions can and are being taken to stop the cuts!Campaign material can be found here: nfu.ca/stop-the-aafc-cuts-today
Basic Income 101: What is a guaranteed annual income? National Farmers Union Canada 2026-03-23 | Incomes continue to tumble for many Canadian farmers. Increasing costs, stagnating product prices, and tight margins are making farm livelihoods untenable. Canadian farmers are increasingly seeking off-farm jobs to fill in the gaps. New farmers are faced with high start-up costs, with few long-term guarantees that they can keep farming and make a livelihood. What’s the solution? At our National Convention in 2025, members of the National Farmers Union passed a resolution calling for a guaranteed annual income of $50,000 to support Canadian farmers. Income guarantees come in all shapes and sizes, so how can we organize successfully for a policy that makes sense for Canadian farmers?In this NFUniversity session, Sheila Regehr will give a history of organizing for basic income in Canada. This historical overview will answer important questions for the NFU’s organizing work, including: What basic income policies have been proposed in Canada in the past? Are there examples of successful basic income policies in Canada or abroad? How can we effectively organize for a basic income in Canada?Sheila Regehr is a founding member of the Basic Income Canada Network and former Executive Director of the National Council of Welfare. Her 29 years of federal public service spanned front-line work, policy analysis and development, international relations and senior management, with a focus on improving fairness and equality, and on gender and race in particular. She has policy expertise in areas of income security and taxation, such as child tax benefits, child support, maternity/parental benefits, pensions and social assistance. Her insight also comes from experiencing poverty as a young parent. Sheila is grateful, in her retirement, to have resources, time and health to do volunteer work and help care for twin grandsons.
Growing Seed Sovereignty: Farmers, Seed Policy, and the Common Good National Farmers Union Canada 2026-03-17 | As part of SeedChange’s Where Does Your Seed Come From? series and the National Farmers Union’s NFUniversity, this webinar offers a clear, farmer-focused perspective on seed policy and why it matters now. Grounded in farmers’ experience, rights and time-honoured practices of saving, adapting, and exchanging seed, we explore how farmers are impacted by seed policies in Canada and internationally.We outline a shared vision for what a public-interest seed system can look like and examine the ways our current Canadian policy environment benefits or hinders seed sovereignty. For decades, farmers and allies have organized to fight for seed systems that support farm livelihoods, food sovereignty, the environment, and the public good – and we sustain those advantages by staying engaged. Join us to explore how you can help shape policies that strengthen farmers’ rights and our collective seed sovereignty into the future.Aabir Dey developed his passion for seeds while he was completing his Sustainable Farming Certificate at Everdale, a teaching farm in Hillsburgh, Ontario, and supporting research trials for Seeds of Diversity’s collection of over 3,000 different Canadian seed varieties. After completing a Master of Environmental Studies at York University, researching organic seed systems in Ontario, Aabir joined the The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, as Regional Program Coordinator for Ontario. Aabir has co-authored publications on Canada’s seed system including the Canadian Organic Seed Sector Environmental Scan, the Discussion Paper on Seed Policy in Canada, and Canadian Organic and Ecological Plant Breeding Priorities for Vegetable Crops, and Building Climate Resilient Seed Systems in Canada. He has been instrumental in shaping and leading the training, research, and policy programs developed for SeedChange’s Canadian program. Aabir loves working in the field with seed producers and farmers all over the country, and is committed to helping them build climate-resilient seed systems.Cathy Holtslander is the Director of Research and Policy at the National Farmers Union. In addition to policy research, analysis and writing articles and briefs on NFU policy issues, she convenes working groups of NFU members addressing policy issues. Prior to joining the NFU staff in 2011 she taught ABE in Northern Saskatchewan, was the Coordinator of the Saskatchewan Eco Network, co-published Synergy Magazine, and was a founder of, and worked for the Beyond Factory Farming Coalition, an organization promoting sustainable livestock production. Her Master’s degree focussed on social movement adult education and the history of women’s leadership in the farm movement in Saskatchewan. She also has degrees in Sociology and Regional and Urban Development. She and her partner have operated a certified organic grain farm near Mont Nebo, SK since 2009.
Souveraineté alimentaire— Nyéléni par Madeline Marmor et Rav Singh National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-14 | Panel 1: Qu’entendons-nous par souveraineté alimentaire ? Nos panélistes vous expliqueront comment l’idée de souveraineté alimentaire est née de la résistance à la mondialisation, comment elle est développée et mise en œuvre ici au Canada et à l’étranger, et comment la souveraineté alimentaire et la souveraineté canadienne sont liées dans le contexte politique actuel.Rav Singh (elle) est une jeune et nouvelle fermière du sud de l’Ontario. Elle dirige Shade of Miti, une ferme écologique spécialisée dans la culture de légumes sud-asiatiques, tels que le gombo et le melon amer. Avant d’être agricultrice, Rav était éducatrice en environnement et travaillait avec des jeunes de la ville sur des projets de défense du climat. Elle croit au pouvoir de l’action collective et, ces dernières années, elle s’est concentrée sur l’élaboration de matériel d’éducation climatique pour les nouveaux arrivants, sur la protection des terres agricoles et sur le soutien aux jeunes qui se lancent dans l’agriculture.Madeline « Maddie » Marmor (elle) est une fermière sans terre de première génération, facilitatrice, consultante et gardienne de cercle. Ses pratiques sont enracinées dans les héritages relationnels entre les praticiens de la justice réparatrice autochtones et non autochtones. L’expérience de Madeline est issue des espaces du système alimentaire tels que La Vía Campesina, le Nyéléni Global Movement for Food Sovereignty et la Nationale des Fermiers – Canada. L’organisation agroécologique, les principes de la souveraineté alimentaire et l’éducation populaire sont des éléments fondamentaux de son processus et de son offre. Elle est diplômée du programme de gestion des conflits et de médiation du Conrad Grebel College, de l’Université de Waterloo, et détient une licence en médias et intérêt public de l’Université Western. Madeline aime tout ce qui est floral, cultiver des fruits (le palissage des plants de tomates lui donne des ailes !) et souhaite ardemment, avec sa communauté, l’émergence d’un avenir alimentaire plus juste et plus équitable. Un avenir qu’elle estime tout à fait possible, voire inévitable !Assister les autres présentations du panel : Nettie Wiebe: Gavin Fridell:
Souveraineté alimentaire — Commerce équitable and les politiques de commerce by Gavin Fridell National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-14 | Panel 1: Qu’entendons-nous par souveraineté alimentaire ? Nos panélistes vous expliqueront comment l’idée de souveraineté alimentaire est née de la résistance à la mondialisation, comment elle est développée et mise en œuvre ici au Canada et à l’étranger, et comment la souveraineté alimentaire et la souveraineté canadienne sont liées dans le contexte politique actuel.Gavin Fridell est professeur de recherche universitaire au département de sciences politiques et d’études sur le développement mondial de l’université Saint Mary’s. Ses recherches portent sur le commerce équitable et le libre-échange, l’économie politique mondiale et la théorie sociale critique. Ses recherches portent sur le commerce équitable et le libre-échange, l’économie politique mondiale et la théorie sociale critique. Il a publié de nombreux ouvrages, notamment en tant que co-auteur, avec Ilan Kapoor, de Rethinking Development Politics (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024), et co-éditeur, avec Zack Gross et Sean McHugh, de The Fair Trade Handbook : Building a Better World, Together (Fernwood Press 2021). Il est membre du Trade and Investment Research Project du Centre canadien de politiques alternatives et vit à Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse.Assister les autres présentations du panel : Madeline Marmor et Rav Singh: youtu.be/KyXw7P5YPxoNettie Wiebe: youtu.be/9InNrLKfoig
Conférence Principale : Les fermiers sur souveraineté alimentaire, les tarifs et de lautoritarisme National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-14 | Dans le cadre d’une discussion intime Charlie sera rejoint par sa partenaire de longue date, Brit Griffin. Brit est une ancienne journaliste d’investigation et éditrice, une romancière de cli-fi, une chercheuse pour la Timiskaming First Nation et une militante féministe et environnementale de longue date(britgriffin.ca). Les plus de 40 ans de lutte commune de Brit et Charlie pour des causes progressistes inspireront les participants à la conférence sur la manière de se nourrir et de se renforcer mutuellement dans la construction de nos propres mouvements sociaux.
Souveraineté alimentaire – les dimensions politiques de notre lutte avec Nettie Wiebe National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-05 | Panel 1: Souveraineté alimentaire – les dimensions politiques de notre lutteQu’entendons-nous par souveraineté alimentaire ? Nos panélistes vous expliqueront comment l’idée de souveraineté alimentaire est née de la résistance à la mondialisation, comment elle est développée et mise en œuvre ici au Canada et à l’étranger, et comment la souveraineté alimentaire et la souveraineté canadienne sont liées dans le contexte politique actuel.Nettie Wiebe exploite une ferme près de Delisle, en Saskatchewan, où elle cultive des céréales et des légumineuses biologiques. Elle a occupé des postes de direction élus au sein de la Nationale des Fermiers pendant dix ans et a été la première femme à diriger une organisation agricole nationale au Canada. L’UNF est un membre fondateur du mouvement mondial Via Campesina, où Nettie a joué un rôle de premier plan en tant que membre du comité international de coordination de 1996 à 2004. Elle est actuellement membre de l’IPES-Food, le groupe international d’experts sur les systèmes alimentaires durables.Regarder les autres présentations du panel: Rav Singh et Madeline Marmor: Gavin Fridell:
L’UNF met la politique en action: Laccess au terres par Jess Tong National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-05 | Panel 3: L’UNF met la politique en actionJess (elle/iel) est un.e jeune fermière queer de première génération. Iel a des racines familiales en Chine, à Hong Kong, à Singapour et à Scarborough, en Ontario. Elle est coordinatrice de l’accès à la terre à l’UNF-Ontario. Après avoir étudié l’agriculture, Jess a travaillé dans plusieurs fermes à travers l’Ontario. Avec son partenaire, elle a créé et exploité une petite exploitation maraîchère qui vendait ses produits sur les marchés fermiers, dans une coopérative alimentaire et dans le cadre d’un programme d’ASC. Elle a de l’expérience en matière de location de terres, de culture dans le cadre d’incubateurs ainsi que d’achat et de préservation (et de perte) de terres agricoles. Jess s’engage dans ce travail avec l’intention de construire des relations significatives avec la terre, de nourrir les liens communautaires et de soutenir les mouvements intersectionnels de souveraineté alimentaire. Ces intentions sont fondées sur le travail passé et présent déjà effectué par des communautés étonnantes au-delà d’elle.Regarder les autres présentations du panel : Phil Mount: Cathy Holtslander:
Lexplication de la souveraineté dans une monde post-souverain par Phil Mount National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-05 | Panel 3: L’UNF met la politique en action L’élaboration de stratégies collectives visant à promouvoir la dignité, la prospérité et l’avenir durable des fermières, des familles d’agriculteurs et de leurs communautés est une activité qui se déroule tout au long de l’année à l’UNF ! Nos panélistes vous présenteront les campagnes, les projets et les initiatives de cette année ainsi que leur impact.Né et élevé sur une ferme laitière dans l’est de l’Ontario, Phil est vice-président de l’UNF pour les politiques. Phil a fait des recherches sur l’économie politique et les systèmes alimentaires régionaux durables et, avec sa partenaire Denise, il développe actuellement des entreprises agricoles et alimentaires conjointes, développant à la fois un troupeau mixte de Katahdins à Flat Earth Farm, et une entreprise de transformation et de services alimentaires à The Sheepdog Grill.Regarder les autres présentations: Jess Tong:Cathy Holtslander:
L’UNF met la politique en action par Cathy Holtslander National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-05 | Panel 3: L’UNF met la politique en actionL’élaboration de stratégies collectives visant à promouvoir la dignité, la prospérité et l’avenir durable des fermières, des familles d’agriculteurs et de leurs communautés est une activité qui se déroule tout au long de l’année à l’UNF ! Nos panélistes vous présenteront les campagnes, les projets et les initiatives de cette année ainsi que leur impact.Cathy est la directrice de la recherche et de la politique à la Nationale des Fermiers où elle fait de la recherche politique, de l’analyse et de la rédaction d’articles et de mémoires sur les questions politiques de l’UNF, et travaille avec les comités de l’UNF pour soutenir les membres qui abordent les questions politiques. Avant de rejoindre l’équipe de l’UNF en 2011, elle a occupé plusieurs postes dans les domaines de l’éducation, de la défense de l’environnement et de l’agriculture. Elle est titulaire d’une maîtrise en éducation des adultes et d’une licence en sociologie et en développement régional et urbain. Depuis 2009, elle exploite avec son partenaire une ferme céréalière certifiée biologique près de Mont Nebo, en Saskatchewan.Regarder les autres présentations du panel : Jess Tong: Phil Mount:
Construire le pouvoir, faire grandir nos mouvements par Robin Tress National Farmers Union Canada 2026-01-05 | L’organisation de la base. Nous avons – ou pouvons créer – plus de pouvoir que vous ne le pensez ! Robin partagera son expérience et ses idées dans un discours inspirant et stimulant.Robin Tress vit à Punamu’kwati’jk, dans la région de Mi’kma’ki, actuellement connue sous le nom de Dartmouth, en Nouvelle-Écosse. Elle a été politisée par les multiples attaques de l’ancien Premier ministre Harper contre la démocratie, la justice climatique, les droits des femmes et les peuples autochtones, et se bat depuis lors pour un avenir plus juste et plus durable. Elle a travaillé pendant plusieurs années avec les protecteurs de l’eau mi’kmaq dans le cadre de la lutte contre Alton Gas en Nouvelle-Écosse, ce qui a profondément façonné sa compréhension et son approche de la solidarité, de la relation à la terre et de la stratégie du mouvement social. On peut souvent la trouver en train de ramasser les limaces sur ses tomates entre deux réunions de zoom.
Maritime Food Sovereignty: Possible Solutions by Aléxis Légère National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-17 | Panel 2: Maritime Food SovereigntyThis panel shares and celebrates unique, creative and exciting Maritime leadership in food sovereignty. We’ll hear stories from and about farmers, educators and workers and the ways they are make our food system and communities stronger.Alexis Légère is a market gardener, entrepreneur, and innovator in agricultural education. Holding bachelor’s degrees in both biology and marketing, Alexis combines scientific knowledge with business acumen to create thriving, sustainable food systems. Alexis has over 8 years of experience in market gardening including 4 years as the owner of Les Racines Légère. Beyond the farm, Alexis is recognized as a pioneer in New Brunswick’s agricultural education sector. He leads a primary school farm project that inspires the next generation and is currently building a farm school program to train new farmers in his region.Watch the other presentations from this panel: Robert Sheidow: Adriana Yunes:
La souveraineté alimentaire aux Maritimes avec Adriana Yunes National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-16 | Panel 2 : La souveraineté alimentaire aux Maritimes Ce panel partage et célèbre le leadership unique, créatif et passionnant des Maritimes en matière de souveraineté alimentaire. Nous entendrons des histoires de fermières, d’éducateurs et de travailleurs, et les façons dont ils rendent notre système alimentaire et nos communautés plus forts.Forte de plus de 15 ans d’expérience dans l’élaboration de programmes, l’engagement communautaire et les relations avec les parties prenantes, Adriana Yunes a commencé sa carrière dans l’industrie de l’hôtellerie et de l’alimentation. Auparavant, elle a coordonné les programmes pour les enfants et les jeunes à l’Association multiculturelle de Fredericton, dirigeant les services d’établissement scolaire et les initiatives de leadership des jeunes pour les familles de nouveaux arrivants.Aujourd’hui, en tant que coordonnatrice du programme de main-d’œuvre partagée, Adriana se concentre sur la mise en relation des fermières du Nouveau-Brunswick avec les travailleurs saisonniers, sur le renforcement du développement de la main-d’œuvre et sur la contribution au succès à long terme de l’industrie agricole de la province. Elle est passionnée par la collaboration, le développement de la communauté et la création de solutions pratiques qui soutiennent à la fois les fermiers et les travailleurs.Regarder les autres présentations du panel : Aléxis Légère: Robert Sheidow:
La souveraineté alimentaire aux Maritimes avec Robert Sheidow National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-16 | Panel 2: La souveraineté alimentaire aux MaritimesCe panel partage et célèbre le leadership unique, créatif et passionnant des Maritimes en matière de souveraineté alimentaire. Nous entendrons des histoires de fermières, d’éducateurs et de travailleurs, et les façons dont ils rendent notre système alimentaire et nos communautés plus forts.Robert a grandi dans une région rurale de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard et, dans sa jeunesse, il a travaillé dans une ferme produisant des pommes de terre et des produits laitiers, ainsi que dans un élevage de moules. Au cours des cinq dernières années, il s'est engagé dans le bénévolat et a travaillé pour « NB Community Harvest Gardens inc. », une organisation à but non lucratif située à Fredericton, au Nouveau-Brunswick, qui fournit une aide alimentaire à des organisations locales et gère deux jardins communautaires. Le projet phare de NBCHG est Hayes Farm, une ferme urbaine qui propose des ateliers éducatifs et des visites guidées aux membres de la communauté selon un modèle de « payer ce que vous pouvez ». Voir les autres présentations du panel : Aléxis Légère: Adriana Yunes:
Land Back Learning Circle National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-16 | This Learning Circle discusses the Land Back movement and is co-facilitated by the NFU Indigenous Solidarity Working Group with collaborators from the Yellowhead Institute. It will offer an exploration of the history of Land Back, what it means for us as farmers, and how you can support Land Back as part of our collective effort to build food sovereignty and fight climate change in Turtle Island/Canada. The NFU’s Deer Hide Protocol— our on-going commitment to building relationships will provide the foundation for this Learning Circle.Riley Yesno is a queer Anishinaabe scholar, writer, and commentator from Eabametoong First Nation. She is highly sought after for her words and analysis— called an ‘Indigenous powerhouse’ by the Toronto Star— she has been a contributor and commentator for some of the largest media outlets in Canada and the world, including the New York Times, BBC World News, The Globe and Mail, and CBC National News. Riley has also travelled the globe speaking at internationally renowned institutions and events, including the UN climate negotiations, the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality, TEDx stages, and many others. Riley is a frequent lecturer at the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto, where she studies Indigenous/Canadian politics and is a Vanier Scholar.
New Brunswick Shared Workforce Program by Adriana Yunes National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-12 | Panel 2: Maritime Food Sovereignty This panel shares and celebrates unique, creative and exciting Maritime leadership in food sovereignty. We’ll hear stories from and about farmers, educators and workers and the ways they are make our food system and communities stronger. Bringing over 15 years of experience in program development, community engagement, and stakeholder relations, Adriana Yunes began her career in the hospitality and food industry. Previously, she coordinated Children and Youth Programs at the Multicultural Association of Fredericton, leading school settlement services and youth leadership initiatives for newcomer families.Now, as the Shared Workforce Program Coordinator, Adriana focuses on connecting New Brunswick farmers with seasonal workers, strengthening workforce development, and contributing to the long-term success of the province’s agriculture industry. She is passionate about collaboration, community-building, and creating practical solutions that support both farmers and workers.Learn more about the workforce and opportunities: fermenbfarm.ca/shared-workforce-program-renewed-and-expanded-to-meet-new-brunswicks-agricultural-labor-needsWatch the other presentations from this panel: Aléxis Légère: youtu.be/saBf4W8_6UQ?si=FkBqScFymkUSAvzy (French)Robert Sheidow: youtu.be/-VowxskFfVU?si=0x-5ctf9CaOYG5wX
Souverainteté alimentaire dans les maritimes des pistes de solutions par Aléxis Légère National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-12 | Ce panel partage et célèbre le leadership unique, créatif et passionnant des Maritimes en matière de souveraineté alimentaire. Nous entendrons des histoires de fermières, d’éducateurs et de travailleurs, et les façons dont ils rendent notre système alimentaire et nos communautés plus forts.Alexis Légère est maraîcher, entrepreneur et innovateur dans le domaine de l’enseignement agricole. Titulaire d’un baccalauréat en biologie et en marketing, Alexis combine les connaissances scientifiques et le sens des affaires pour créer des systèmes alimentaires prospères et durables. Alexis a plus de 8 ans d’expérience en maraîchage, dont 4 ans en tant que propriétaire des Racines Légère. Au-delà de la ferme, Alexis est reconnu comme un pionnier dans le secteur de l’éducation agricole au Nouveau-Brunswick. Il dirige un projet de ferme dans une école primaire qui inspire la prochaine génération et il est en train de mettre sur pied un programme de ferme-école pour former de nouveaux fermiers dans sa région.Trouvez les autres présentations du panel :Robert Sheidow: youtu.be/-VowxskFfVU?si=0x-5ctf9CaOYG5wXAdriana Yunes: youtu.be/P7fcDgDKkqg
Maritime Food Sovereignty by Robert Sheidow National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-12 | Panel 2: Maritime Food SovereigntyThis panel shares and celebrates unique, creative and exciting Maritime leadership in food sovereignty. We’ll hear stories from and about farmers, educators and workers and the ways they are make our food system and communities stronger.Robert grew up in rural PEI and worked on a potato and dairy farm as a young man and also farmed mussels. Over the past five years, he has been involved in volunteering and working at NB Community Harvest Gardens Inc. a not-for-profit in Fredericton, NB, that provides food relief to local organizations and manages two community gardens. NBCHG’s keystone project is Hayes Farm, an urban farm that provides educational workshops and tours to community members on a Pay-What-You-Can model.Watch the other presentations from this panel: Aléxis Légère: youtu.be/saBf4W8_6UQ?si=jFnl4kvA_KY3Dhyt (French)Adriana Yunes: youtu.be/P7fcDgDKkqg?si=vKRdATJI4vqQ7M--
Building power, growing our movements by Robin Tress National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-11 | Grassroots organizing. We have – or can create – more power than you might think! Robin will share her experiences and insights in an inspiring and thought-provoking talk to kick off our afternoon discussions.Robin Tress lives in Punamu’kwati’jk in Mi’kma’ki, currently known as Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She was politicized by former PM Harper’s multiple assaults on democracy, climate justice, women’s rights, and Indigenous peoples, and has been fighting for a more just and sustainable future ever since. She worked with Mi’kmaq water protectors in the fight to stop Alton Gas in Nova Scotia for several years, and this deeply shaped her understanding and approach to solidarity, relationship to land, and social movement strategy. She can often be found picking slugs off her tomatoes between zoom meetings.
About the National Farmers Foundation National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-11 | The NFU is excited to be working with the NFF on The World We Want project that is building capacity for community organizing activities and further engagement to support farmer-centred food and farm systems that advance rural development. Half of the money donated goes towards the NFU region of your choice for the projects they are working on, the other half, is dedicated to the NFU national office, which supports national issue activities and policy advocacy.The majority of the Foundation’s donations are received from NFU members, and we are deeply grateful for that support. We could not do this work without you.The National Farmers Foundation is a Registered Canadian Charity (# 882622368 RR0001) and official tax receipts are issued for all contributions of $10.00 or more. If you are in a position to give, please consider making an online (one-time or monthly) donation at: www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/national-farmers-foundation/.You can also donate by cheque or e-transfer. In addition, the NFF gratefully accepts charitable bequests (instructions in a will leaving either a percentage of one’s estate or a stated dollar amount.. For more information or to discuss other ways to support our work, please get in touch with the NFF Coordinator, Glen Koroluk at glen@nationalfarmersfoundation.ca.Cheques can be sent to: National Farmers Foundation c/o Glen Koroluk 595 Goulding St Winnipeg, MB R3G 2S3If your cheque donation is designated towards The World We Want ensure that your memo indicates what region to invest in.
The NFU putting policy into action by Cathy Holtslander National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-11 | Panel 3: The NFU putting policy into actionBuilding collective strategies to promote the dignity, prosperity and sustainable future of farmers, farm families and their communities is a year-round occupation at the NFU! Our panelists will recount this year’s campaigns, projects andinitiatives and their impacts.Cathy is the Director of Research and Policy at the National Farmers Union where she does policy research, analysis and writing articles and briefs on NFU policy issues, and works with NFU committees to support members addressing policy issues. Prior to joining the NFU staff in 2011 she worked in several education and environmental and farm advocacy positions, and earned an M.A. in adult education as well as B.A. degrees in Sociology and Regional and Urban Development. She and her partner have operated a certified organic grain farm near Mont Nebo, SK since 2009.Watch other presentations from this panel: Jess Tong: youtu.be/eLZDbpOOQ0kPhil Mount: youtu.be/CvkdhvWceTE?si=i24uidNf2mICtPtV
Land Access by Jess Tong National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-11 | Panel 3: The NFU putting policy into actionBuilding collective strategies to promote the dignity, prosperity and sustainable future of farmers, farm families and their communities is a year-round occupation at the NFU! Our panelists will recount this year’s campaigns, projects and initiatives and their impacts.Jess (she/they) is a first-generation, young, queer farmer. She has familial roots in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Scarborough, ON. She is the Land Access Coordinator with the NFU-Ontario. After studying agriculture, Jess worked on several farms throughout Ontario. Alongside her partner, she started and operated a small market-garden that sold at Farmers’ Markets, a Food Co-op and through a CSA program. She has experience leasing land, growing via incubatorships as well as purchasing/stewarding (and losing) farmland. Jess comes into this work with the intention of building meaningful relationships with the land, nourishing community connections and uplifting intersectional food sovereignty movements. These intentions are grounded by the past and present work already being done by amazing communities beyond her.Watch the other presentations from this panel: Phil Mount: youtu.be/CvkdhvWceTECathy Holtslander: youtu.be/eKWNXZE-vWA?si=sJtrj7jPcAkWOgDa
Food Sovereignty – Fair Trade and Trade Policy by Gavin Fridell National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-11 | Panel 1: What do we mean by food sovereignty? Our panelists will share the story of how the idea of food sovereignty was developed in resistance to globalization, how it is being developed and put into action here in Canada and internationally, and how food sovereignty and Canadian sovereignty are connected in today’s political milieu.Gavin Fridell is a University Research Professor in the Department of Political Science and Global Development Studies at Saint Mary’s University. His research focuses on fair trade and free trade, global political economy, and critical social theory. He has published widely, including co-authoring, with Ilan Kapoor, Rethinking Development Politics (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024), and co-editing, with Zack Gross and Sean McHugh, The Fair Trade Handbook: Building a Better World, Together (Fernwood Press 2021). He is a member of the Trade and Investment Research Project of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Watch the other presentations from this panel:Nettie Wiebe: youtu.be/KbZY5knmY_s?si=qloY5_xHE7OZ0RhmRav Singh and Madeline Marmor: youtu.be/Us9PIlgdvj4?si=iOsPWZtxqgx1i8Or
Framing Food Sovereignty — Nyéléni by Madeline Marmor and Rav Singh National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-11 | Panel 1: What do we mean by food sovereignty? Our panelists will share the story of how the idea of food sovereignty was developed in resistance to globalization, how it is being developed and put into action here in Canada and internationally, and how food sovereignty and Canadian sovereignty are connected in today’s political milieu.Rav Singh (she/her) is a young and new farmer in southern Ontario. She runs Shade of Miti, an ecological farm that specializes in growing South Asian vegetables, such as okra and bitter melon. Before farming, Rav was an environmental educator working with youth in the city on climate advocacy projects. She believes in the power of collective action, and in recent years has focused on the development of climate education materials for newcomers, farmland protection, and supporting youth entering agriculture. Madeline “Maddie” Marmor (she/her) is a first generation, landless farmer, facilitator, consultant and Circle keeper. Her practices are rooted in the relational legacies between Native and Non-native restorative justice practitioners. Madeline’s experience grows out of food system spaces like La Vía Campesina, the Nyéléni Global Movement for Food Sovereignty, and the National Farmers Union – Canada. Agroecological organizing, food sovereignty principles and popular education are fundamental to her process and offerings. She is a graduate of the Conflict Management and Mediation Certificate Program at Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo University, and holds a B.A. in Media & the Public Interest from Western University. Madeline loves everything floral, growing fruits (trellising tomato plants makes her blood sing!) and earnestly holds space, together with her community, for the emergence of a just, and more equitable food future. A future she thinks is completely possible, if not inevitable!Watch the other presentations from the panel: Nettie Wiebe: youtu.be/KbZY5knmY_s?si=6Z3X77lobCIbFS6VGavin Fridell: youtu.be/HsIWvgmpkBY?si=-bDjx09H21EE91Mm
Food Sovereignty – the political dimensions of our struggle by Nettie Wiebe National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-11 | Panel 1: Food Sovereignty – the political dimensions of our struggleWhat do we mean by food sovereignty? Our panelists will share the story of how the idea of food sovereignty was developed in resistance to globalization, how it is being developed and put into action here in Canada and internationally, and how food sovereignty and Canadian sovereignty are connected in today’s political milieu.Nettie Wiebe farms near Delisle, Saskatchewan, growing organic grains and pulse crops. She served in elected leadership positions of the National Farmers Union for ten years and was the first woman to lead a national farm organization in Canada. The NFU was a founding member of the global Via Campesina movement where Nettie played a leadership role as a member of the International Coordinating Committee from 1996-2004. She is currently a member of IPES-Food – the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems.Watch the other presentations from this panel: Rav Singh and Madeline Marmor: youtu.be/Us9PIlgdvj4Gavin Fridell: youtu.be/HsIWvgmpkBY?si=9q1Jez3lP9UQ4_D2
Explaining Sovereignty in a Post Sovereign World by Phil Mount National Farmers Union Canada 2025-12-10 | Panel 3: The NFU putting policy into actionBuilding collective strategies to promote the dignity, prosperity and sustainable future of farmers, farm families and their communities is a year-round occupation at the NFU! Our panelists will recount this year’s campaigns, projects and initiatives and their impacts.Born and raised on a dairy farm in eastern Ontario, Phil is NFU’s Vice-President for Policy. Phil has a research background in political economy and sustainable regional food systems and, along with his partner, Denise, is currently developing joint food and farm enterprises—expanding both a mixed Katahdin flock at Flat Earth Farm, and a processing and food service enterprise at The Sheepdog Grill.Watch the other presentations from this panel: Jess Tong: youtu.be/eLZDbpOOQ0k?si=oJXBXNcig0_JXEx3Cathy Holtslander: youtu.be/eKWNXZE-vWA?si=1IBYA1wDnWN5frfz
Exploring Small Water Cycles: Expanding the Climate Conversation National Farmers Union Canada 2025-06-02 | Didi Pershouse presents an entirely new view of water, soils, and climate. You will learn how the living matrix of a “soil sponge” is foundational to making life on earth possible, and how the work of other species creates our climate and weather.We can address many of our major challenges in the agricultural sector through simple changes in land management, in collaboration with the essential workforce of plants, animals, insects, fungi, and microbes. Managing land in ways that restore nature’s soil sponge and diverse vegetation can provide many interrelated benefits such as: increased resilience to flood and drought, reduction of wildfire risk, and increased habitat and biodiversity. It can also result in healthier crops, animals, and humans, and thriving local economies.*****Didi Pershouse is the author of The Ecology of Care: Medicine, Agriculture, Money, and the Quiet Power of Human and Microbial Communities and Understanding Soil Health and Watershed Function. She teaches participatory workshops both in person and online, helping to show the nested relationships between soil health, human health, water cycles, and climate resiliency. She is the founder of the Land and Leadership Initiative and the Center for Sustainable Medicine, and a co-founder of the “Can we Rehydrate California?” Initiative. She is an independent trainer and curriculum developer for the UN-FAO Farmer Field School Program and the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming Initiative in India. She was one of five speakers at the United Nations-FAO World Soil Day in 2017.*****The Ecology of Care: Medicine, Agriculture, Money, and the Quiet Power of Human and Microbial Communities: amazon.com/Ecology-Care-Agriculture-Microbial-Communities/dp/069261303XUnderstanding Soil Health and Watershed Function: http://soilcarboncoalition.org/learnLand and Leadership Initiative: landandleadership.org“Can we Rehydrate California?” Initiative: http://www.rehydratecalifornia.org2017 United Nations-FAO World Soil Day: soilcarboncoalition.org/UN-presentation
Food Price Inflation and Farmer Livelihood: The Declining Farmers’ Share National Farmers Union Canada 2025-06-02 | Canadian farmers have seen no benefit from rising grocery store prices since 2020. Instead, they are being squeezed by corporate profiteering on all sides. For years, corporate concentration in Canada’s food system has kept farm gate prices chronically low, while retail prices rise steadily for consumers. Farmers are forced to accept prices that are decided by large, multinational commodity traders and processors. At the same time, they face prohibitively high costs for inputs from oligopolistic suppliers.The system is stacked against farmers and consumers alike. It’s time to confront corporate power in the food system. Join the NFU on May 22nd at 3PM EST for a panel webinar on the farmers’ share of food prices and an examination of how corporate concentration in the Canadian food system harms both farmers and consumers featuring Keldon Bester of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project; Alex Purdye former Broadbent Institute Fellow; and Alyssa Gerhardt, PhD student at Dalhousie University.
A better world is possible! Utopia in Thought and Action National Farmers Union Canada 2025-04-29 | Utopia is usually considered to be an ideal that exists only in thought but is unable to change our everyday lives. However, William Paris believes utopia in fact helps us develop our creative capacities and reshape ordinary life. Utopia is not an ideal created by philosophers– it is the real struggle in our everyday lives to organize the spaces of our lives around freedom, flourishing, and solidarity instead of accumulation, alienation, and domination. Imagining a better world for farmers, farming and agriculture is an essential tool for change. Bringing together the space of thought and the space of life is the most important task of utopia.William Paris is an Assistant Professor in Philosophy at the University of Toronto. He is also an Associate Editor for the journal Critical Philosophy of Race and one of the co-hosts of the podcast What’s Left of Philosophy? His research focuses on History of African American philosophy, critical theory, 20th century continental philosophy, and political philosophy. He is also the author of Race, Time, and Utopia: Critical Theory and the Process of Emancipation.
Trop, c’est trop ! Faire face au dépassement écologique National Farmers Union Canada 2025-04-15 | La communauté mondiale fait une fixation sur le changement climatique, qu’elle considère comme la menace existentielle à laquelle la civilisation est confrontée. Selon Bill Rees, cette focalisation passe totalement à côté de l’essentiel. Le réchauffement planétaire n’est que le symptôme d’un méta-problème primordial : le dépassement écologique (où les impacts sociétaux dépassent désormais la capacité de récupération de la Terre). Le dépassement est le résultat inévitable d’une croissance matérielle excessive sur une planète finie, sous l’impulsion du capitalisme industriel et de son serviteur, l’économie néolibérale. Les solutions politiquement acceptables au réchauffement planétaire ne règlent pas le problème du climat, causent des dommages environnementaux supplémentaires considérables et aggravent le dépassement. Si l’on n’y prend garde, le dépassement est une condition terminale. Que peuvent faire les communautés pour accroître leur autonomie, renforcer leur sécurité alimentaire et se prémunir contre la contraction à venir ?UNF Rick Munroe, membre du comité sur le climat, apportera un contexte supplémentaire à cette conversation sur le dépassement et la croissance en présentant sa recherche sur la sensibilisation des gouvernements à cette question. Rick présentera le niveau de sensibilisation des recherches du gouvernement du Canada sur ce sujet et indiquera si notre gouvernement fédéral a déjà analysé la contradiction entre deux objectifs concurrents : la croissance économique constante contre la santé écologique et les besoins en ressources à long terme.
Too much IS too much! Confronting ecological overshoot National Farmers Union Canada 2025-04-15 | The global community is fixated on climate change as the existential threat facing civilization. Bill Rees argues that this focus misses the point entirely. Global heating is only one symptom of an over-riding meta-problem: ecological overshoot (where societal impacts now exceed the Earth’s capacity to recover) . Overshoot is the inevitable result of excessive material growth on a finite planet driven by industrial capitalism and its hand-maiden, neoliberal economics. Politically acceptable solutions to global heating are not fixing the climate, are causing considerable additional environmental damage and are worsening overshoot. Unattended, overshoot is a terminal condition. What can communities do to increase self-reliance, enhance food security and otherwise cushion themselves against the coming contraction?NFU climate committee member, Rick Munroe, will provide extra context to this conversation about overshoot and growth by presenting on his research on government awareness of this issue. Rick will present about the level of awareness among Government of Canada’s research on this topic and whether or not our federal government has ever analyzed the contradiction between two competing goals: constant economic growth versus ecological health & long-term resource requirements
《生之土地》：加拿大华裔农业历史纪录片放映暨专题讨论会 National Farmers Union Canada 2025-04-10 | 加拿大华裔移民，尤其是他们在加拿大食品体系中的角色，一直以来缺乏系统性的记录。这段历史包括华人移民在种族主义政策下的生存斗争——这些政策曾禁止他们获取农田，而种族歧视的态度至今仍然存在。在当前反移民和反华情绪上升的背景下，回顾这些历史，特别是华裔农民和农业工人如何在困境中坚韧前行、自主开拓空间，具有重要意义。农业在中华文化中已有四千年的历史。华裔移民农民带来了世代相传的与自然共生的智慧，包括“药食同源”的理念和“身土不二”的信仰。这些传统不仅塑造了可持续的耕作方式，也赋予了他们在面对制度性障碍时的韧性。这种深植于文化中的适应力、坚韧和创新精神，使华裔农民的贡献成为加拿大农业历史中不可忽视的一部分。加入加拿大全国农民联盟（NFU）和加中农业促进会（CCADC），于3月6日参加线上放映活动！时间：太平洋时间 4PM / 山地时间 5PM / 中部时间 6PM / 东部时间 7PM / 大西洋时间 8PM本次活动将放映张侨勇 (Yung Chang) 导演的纪录片《生之土地》(Earth to Mouth)。该片拍摄于安大略省的永丰农场（Wing Fong Farm），记录了亚洲蔬菜的耕种、播种和收获，农场的蔬菜供华人超市和餐馆。在80英亩的土地上，母亲Lau King-Fai与她的儿子，以及六名来自墨西哥的移民劳工，共同打理农场作物。对主角母亲的儿子Yeung Kwan而言，农场意味着个人和经济上的独立；对Lau King-Fai来说，这里是一片宁静的心灵绿洲；而对墨西哥劳工而言，这份工作为他们的家人提供了经济支持。 放映结束后，我们将举办专家讨论会及问答环节，与会嘉宾包括： 张侨勇 Yung Chang —— 获奖导演、《生之土地》导演 姚静姝 —— 多伦多大学信息学院在读博士 付超德（David Fu）——加中农业促进会（CCADC）理事长 孙姗（Sun Shan）——加拿大全国农联（NFU）及 CCADC 理事本次活动提供普通话翻译服务。翻译Arthur Wan也是CCADC和NFU会员。Simultaneous translation is provided as a volunteer contribution by Arthur Wan, NFU and CCADC member, ATIO/CTTIC certified translator (ENG-CHI).欢迎大家报名参与，共同探索华裔农民的故事及其对加拿大农业的贡献！报名链接 nfu.ca/event/earth-to-mouth-a-film-screening-and-panel-discussion-of-chinese-canadian-agriculture-history
(ENGLISH) Earth to Mouth: A Panel Discussion of Chinese Canadian Agricultural History National Farmers Union Canada 2025-04-10 | The stories of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Canadians, especially of their roles in Canada’s food system, have gone largely undocumented. This history includes survival of Chinese migrants under racist policies that prevented them from acquiring farmland, and racist attitudes that still persist today. Examining these histories, especially the resilience of Chinese Canadian farmers and farmworkers to carve out spaces of their own, are important today in a climate of rising anti-immigrant and anti-Chinese racism.Farming is a forty-century tradition in Chinese culture. Chinese immigrant farmers bring with them generations of wisdom about working with nature, including the philosophy of “food as medicine” (药食同源) and the belief that “land and people are one” (身土不二). These traditions not only guide sustainable farming practices but also shape resilience in the face of systemic barriers. The ability to adapt, persevere, and thrive is deeply rooted in these cultural principles, making the contributions of Chinese Canadian farmers an essential yet often overlooked part of Canada’s agricultural history.On March 6th, 2025, the National Farmers Union (NFU) and Chinese Canadian Agricultural Development Council (CCADC) hosted a virtual screening of Yung Chang’s Earth to Mouth. Filmed at the Wing Fong Farm in Ontario, Earth to Mouth follows the tilling, planting and harvesting of Asian vegetables destined for Chinese markets and restaurants. On 80 acres of land, Lau King-Fai, her son and a half-dozen migrant Mexican workers care for the plants. For Yeung Kwan, her son, the farm represents personal and financial independence. For his mother, it is an oasis of peace. For the Mexican workers, it provides jobs that help support their children back home.This video features the panel discussion that followed the film screening.
Do we have the Right to Repair in Canada? National Farmers Union Canada 2025-04-01 | What happens when our toaster breaks? What can we do with a broken cellphone? Why don’t we have access to repair information for farm machinery? Should equipment manufacturers really be allowed to charge the rates that they do to fix tractors? The right to repair goes beyond the ability for consumers to repair electronics, appliances, and machinery. The right to repair is about independence and freedom from major manufacturers in order to have access to timely and inexpensive repairs, as well as operability between products that suit the needs of consumers and farm businesses. It is also about affordability and sustainability – repairability and durability of products ensure that Canadians do not have to re-buy products that were intentionally designed to be replaced with newer products – also known as planned obsolescence.Dr. Alissa Centivany presents on the current state of the right to repair in Canada, including legislation on repairability, interoperability, and durability. We will hear about recent changes to the Copyright and Competition Acts that have made a substantial right to repair more achievable in Canada. Dr. Centivany will also talk about the values of the right to repair and argue that a right to repair reflects deeper values about how we take care of the tools we use, ourselves, and our relationships.
Laccaparement vert et le Rapport du Groupe IPES-Food sur l’inégalité foncière National Farmers Union Canada 2025-03-24 | Les pressions sans précédent exercées sur les terres agricoles mondiales par les initiatives « vertes » telles que les compensations carbone, les plantations d'arbres et les cultures destinées à la production de biocarburants s'accélèrent et convergent vers un resserrement des terres qui entraîne une augmentation de l'inégalité foncière, de la pauvreté rurale et de l'insécurité alimentaire – et qui risque de faire basculer l'agriculture des petits exploitants.Le Rapport sur l’inégalité foncière, (EN, FR, ES, PT) publié par le Groupe international d'experts sur les systèmes alimentaires durables (IPES-Food) décrit la dépossession continue des terres, alors que de nouvelles formes d'accaparement des terres prolifèrent.Lisez le rapport : ipes-food.org/fr/rapport/inegalite-fonciere-2Sofía Monsalve Suárez mettra en lumière les problèmes et discutera des solutions proposées par IPES-Food. Nous verrons également comment des pays comme la Colombie travaillent actuellement à la mise en place de ces solutions.
Green Grabbing & IPES-Food Land Squeeze Report National Farmers Union Canada 2025-03-18 | Unprecedented pressures on global farmland from “green” initiatives like carbon offsets, tree plantations, and biofuel crops are accelerating and converging in a land squeeze that is driving a surge in land inequality, rural poverty, and food insecurity – and risking a tipping point for smallholder agriculture.The Land Squeeze Report published by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) details ongoing land dispossession as new forms of land grabs proliferate. Sofía Monsalve Suárez highlights the problems and discuss the solutions that IPES-Food proposes. We also hear how countries like Colombia are currently working towards such solutions.Read the report: ipes-food.org/report/land-squeeze
Atteindre la sécurité et la justice par laction collective et la solidarité National Farmers Union Canada 2025-03-04 | Dans sa série de conférences dans le cadre des « CBC Massey Lectures 2023 », Astra Taylor a soutenu que « l'insécurité est vraiment au cœur du fonctionnement de notre système politique et économique ». L'augmentation des dettes agricoles, la transformation de la terre en instrument financier et notre dépendance à l'égard du marché pour satisfaire les besoins fondamentaux ont créé de l'insécurité et vidé les communautés rurales de leur substance.Nous vivons dans l'ère la plus prospère de l'histoire de l'humanité, mais c'est aussi une ère d'insécurité profonde. En fin de compte, cependant, nous dépendons les uns des autres pour notre existence collective, et c'est cette interdépendance qui nous aidera à résister à l'insécurité fabriquée à laquelle nous sommes confrontés aujourd'hui.Astra soutien que l'interdépendance nécessaire se manifestera sous la forme de la solidarité. La solidarité doit être considérée à la fois comme un principe et comme une pratique susceptible de répondre à la polycrise à laquelle nous sommes confrontés en cette ère d'insécurité manufacturée.Resource de vidéo (Your Debt is Someone Else's Asset) : youtube.com/watch?v=Bhn3jsBHKg4&t=8s
Achieving Security and Justice through Collective Action and Solidarity National Farmers Union Canada 2025-03-04 | In her 2023 CBC Massey Lecture series, Astra Taylor argued “Insecurity is really central to the functioning of our political and economic system.” Rising farm debts, the transformation of land into a financial instrument, and our reliance on the market to fulfill basic needs has created insecurity and hollowed out rural communities. We live in the most prosperous era in human history, but it’s also an era of profound insecurity. Ultimately, however, we are reliant on each other for our collective existence, and it is this interdependence that will help us to resist the manufactured insecurity that we face today.Astra argues that the interdependence that is needed will manifest in the form of solidarity. Solidarity must be seen both as a principle and as practice that can address the polycrisis that we face in this age of manufactured insecurity.Your Debt Is Someone Else’s Asset: youtube.com/watch?v=Bhn3jsBHKg4&t=8sAstra Taylor is a writer, filmmaker, and activist. She is a co-founder of The Debt Collective, the first union of debtors, which aims to abolish debts and advocate for a transformation in the way public goods and services are distributed. In 2023 Astra Taylor presented CBC’s Massey Lecture’s series, speaking on the “age of insecurity”arguing that “Insecurity is really central to the functioning of our political and economic system.” She says we can resist insecurity with solidarity – that solidarity is both a principle and a practice that must be cultivated and institutionalized so that care for the common good becomes the central aim of politics and social life.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): The NFU’s recent report National Farmers Union Canada 2025-02-20 | Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are lower-emission, non-fossil-fuel energy sources for the world’s aircraft fleet—“drop-in” fuels that require no modifications to aircraft or engines. The proposal is to make SAFs largely from biological sources: corn, soybeans, and canola now and over the next decade or so, and then increasingly from straw and other “agricultural residues” and from purpose-grown energy crops such as grasses or fast-growing trees (with a minor portion from forestry residues).Why should citizens and policymakers be concerned about SAFs? Because the immense scale of the global SAF project creates significant potential to move us away from many of our food systems, climate, decarbonization, sustainability, and social justice goals. At the same time, the huge, global SAF project may fail in its stated intent: to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and warming effects from a rapidly expanding aviation sector.Darrin Qualman, NFU Director of Climate Crisis Policy and Action, explains SAFs and why the megaproject may be among the largest factors shaping agriculture and food systems this century.Darrin Qualman is the Director of Climate Crisis Policy and Action at the National Farmers Union, and the author of the NFU’s SAF report. Darrin’s research, writing, and educational pursuits over the past 25 years have all aimed at creating a long-term, big-picture view of food, farming, and energy systems. He is active in social justice and food system struggles and has helped organize many campaigns, including the successful struggle to prevent the introduction of genetically modified wheat into Canada. He has academic degrees in history, biology, and political studies.
Lives and Experiences of South Asian Migrant Agricultural Workers in British Columbia National Farmers Union Canada 2025-01-29 | In the late 1970s, a group of young South Asian men in BC recognized the need for farmworkers to organize, which led to the creation of the Canadian Farmworkers Union (CFU). A documentary about the CFU, celebrated images of its members and showed how women joined the struggle for better working conditions. While the CFU seemed to be a success story, when conducting interviews in rural Abbotsford this past year, it became clear to Dr. Anushay Malik that the conditions the CFU fought against are still very much alive and well in rural BC.In this NFUniversity session Dr. Malik chronicles the formation of the CFU, its successes, and why those successes were short-lived. This exploration of the history of the CFU helps answer key questions about labour organizing, including: what motivates workers to come together to form a union at some points, and at other times, resist unionizing efforts? How did the CFU manage to involve so many migrant women in the union? Why didn’t the CFU lead to lasting change? What are the current conditions for South Asian farmworker women in BC today?Dr. Anushay Malik is a social historian who works on labour, migration and global anti-colonial movements at Simon Fraser University. She explores archival sources to find out how people make meaning from stories they have access to and that power has hidden. Recently she co-curated two exhibitions which both highlight cross-border narratives of migration and resistance that states are not invested in telling. Kaghazi Kashtiyan (Paper Boats) focuses on Bengali migrants in Pakistan who have been rendered stateless, and Truths Not Often Told that focuses on South Asian migration to Canada. She also co-wrote Union Zindabad!, saclp.southasiancanadianheritage.ca/union-zindabad-labour-history a book chronicling the history of South Asian labour action in British Columbia, which included a section on the Canadian Farmworkers Union and their struggles.
LEAP! – Leveraging Ecosystems to transform Agriculture on the Prairies National Farmers Union Canada 2025-01-17 | The NFU is a partner in the Leveraging Ecosystems to transform Agriculture on the Prairies (LEAP) Project at the University of Manitoba. The LEAP Project explores agricultural intensification strategies and farming system designs that use technology and nature-based tools to reduce GHG emissions, capture carbon, support biodiversity, and help agriculture mitigate and adapt to climate change through Farmer Engagement, First Nations Self-Determined Farming Systems, Landscape Analyses, Net-Zero Farming Systems, and Future Farm Scenarios activities.This NFUniversity session focuses on Landscape Analyses evaluation of perennialization strategies in the eastern Prairie region and Future Farm Scenarios using AAFC’s Holos model to answer “what if?” questions regarding land management decisions that affect a farm’s GHG emissions.Dr. Joanne Thiessen Martens is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba, and is the activity leader of the Landscape Analyses activity of the LEAP Project. Dr. Thiessen Martens’ research focuses on nutrient flows and dynamics in agroecosystems, specifically on closing nutrient cycles at the local and regional level, and improving soil fertility management in diversified cropping systems.Dr. Marcos Cunha Cordeiro is an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Manitoba, and the activity leader of the Future Farm Scenarios activity of the LEAP Project. Dr. Cordeiro’s research is focused on using cutting-edge data analysis and modelling tools to enhance productivity and sustainability of agroecosystems.Dr. Michelle Carkner is the Director of Research and Partnerships for the LEAP Project and a research associate at the University of Manitoba’s Department of Plant Science.Her past work as the coordinator for Canada’s first nationwide Participatory Plant Breeding program was integral to her PhD research in crop physiology and agronomy. Her current research projects are related to diversified cropping systems and crop adaptation to low-input and high stress environments.
Jim Handy—History of Inequality in Agriculture National Farmers Union Canada 2024-12-13 | Dr. Jim Handy highlights historical research from around the world that demonstrates the benefits of very small scale (peasant) production and lifestyles. These benefits include the most efficient food production, reduced poverty, and vibrant communities. The reverse has also been true; policies designed to take land away from peasants, to impose large farms and to benefit those with capital to invest, have led to increased poverty, less robust rural communities, and food scarcity. Listeners are encouraged to think about how this historical research has relevance in the current (and future) Canadian context.Jim Handy is a Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Saskatchewan, where he has taught for 38 years. He has written four books (and one Detective novel) and more than thirty articles, mostly focused on peasant livelihoods around the world and the ways these livelihoods have been attacked. His most recent books are Apostles of Inequality: Rural Poverty, Political Economy and the Economist, 1760-1860 Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2022 and Tiny Engines of Abundance: A History of Peasant Productivity and Repression Halifax: Fernwood Press, 2022.
Trista Pewapisconias Strengthening Indigenous Communities through Agriculture Cooperatives National Farmers Union Canada 2024-12-13 | Trista explores the intersection of community, tradition, and sustainable agriculture within Indigenous co- operatives, highlighting their role in building a robust food system. She examines how these co-operatives serve as more than agricultural entities; they are crucial in maintaining cultural traditions, increasing food independence, and practicing environmentally sustainable farming methods inherited through generations.Trista Pewapisconias was born and raised on the Little Pine First Nation in Saskatchewan and currently resides in Saskatoon as the Director of Indigenous Relations for Co-operatives First. In her role with Co-operatives First, Trista works alongside community members to form new businesses based on the co-operative model. Her support with business development and planning helps guide groups through starting a successful business. Trista’s professional experience includes various marketing roles and writing business plans for Indigenous start-up companies. She holds an MBA from Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan.
Gabriel Allahdua—Challenges faced by migrant workers in low-wage sectors National Farmers Union Canada 2024-12-13 | Gabriel Allahdua is a former migrant farm worker from St Lucia, an island in the Eastern Caribbean. He has been an organizer with the collective, Justice for Migrant Workers (J4MW) for almost a decade. He is currently an Outreach Worker working with migrant workers across Ontario. He was the first person to hold the position of Activist in Residence (AIR) at the University of Guelph, which brought activists and researchers together. Gabriel is the author of the book Harvesting Freedom published by “Between the Lines”. In this singular firsthand account, he reveals a disturbing system of exploitation at the heart of Canada’s farm labour system.
Eat Think Vote - Food Secure Canada National Farmers Union Canada 2024-12-13 | Eat Think Vote brings together community members from coast-to-coast-to-coast to speak with their federal candidates about food sovereignty, food security, and other issues that matter to them. It’s up to you to make food an election issue!eatthinkvote.ca
