Canadian agriculture and food

More food will be eaten over the next half century than has been eaten by human beings since the dawn of history. The combination of increasing population and incomes, decreasing poverty, and increased non-food use for many food staples (e.g. bio-fuels) has resulted in an explosion of food demand for the foreseeable future. Indeed, by almost every measure the world will transition to a period of food shortages rather than the surpluses that have characterized recent history. Canada should be poised to capitalize on this opportunity to feed the world. We are uniquely positioned due to our vast tracts of arable land, abundant water, infrastructure, and long experience in the sector. These advantages should result in more and better employment, investment, and opportunities. And yet despite this unprecedented opportunity for Canada to again become a global food superpower, the Canadian agriculture and agri-food business is not even keeping pace. Our share of world markets is falling, not rising, our agricultural productivity is falling, not rising, our influence in world trade talks about agriculture is falling, not rising. As a result, our rural communities are foregoing greater prosperity, our food processors are losing out on export opportunities and our economy is missing out on potential growth. That is a missed opportunity for Canada. But it is also far more: at a moment when it is not clear that the world can meet the growing demand for food, it is a potential humanitarian tragedy for the globe. Canada faces both an economic and a moral imperative to do better.