Vision Of Canada As The World's Greatest Food Producer

Another great - and as usual, positive - Ralph Goodale Weekly Message:

CANADA HAS WORLD’S BEST FOOD PRODUCTION POTENTIAL

Last week, I reported on some of the goals that Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff would want Canada to achieve by this country’s 150th anniversary – eight years from now in 2017. 

Canadians should be the best educated and healthiest people in the world. 

We should be the smartest developers of our valuable natural resources, and particularly savvy in how we produce and consume energy. 

And we should lead the world in fiscal responsibility, productivity growth, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

All these goals are essential if Canadians are to maintain a top-notch standard of living in the knowledge-based, technology-driven and highly-skilled global economy into which we’ll emerge after the current recession.

I would add another – one for which Canada is uniquely suited.

This country should aim to become the world’s pre-eminent producer of food.

Food is going to become an increasingly serious global issue.  Already, 800 million people in this world are severely malnourished.  By the year 2050, global population will jump by 50-percent.  Before everyone became pre-occupied with the onset of the recession, food shortages were a major international concern.

That problem hasn’t gone away.  The recession may have obscured it, but the trouble is only getting worse.

Turbulence, conflict and uncertainty affect big portions of the globe.  Vast tracts of arable farmland are disappearing due to urbanization, pollution and erosion (desertification) brought on by climate change.  World-wide supplies of fresh water are seriously limited.  So there are only a few nations with the capacity to undertake a major expansion in food production.

Canada is probably the best placed, especially given our precious soil and water resources, the skill and expertise of Canadian farmers, and our access to new science and technology.

Being the world’s greatest food producer would be a high Canadian calling.

VICTORY FUND