Global insights
FROM THE CEO'S DESK
IN JUNE, JEFF HARRISON AND I TRAVELLED TO WISMAR, GERMANY, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 26TH INTERNATIONAL OILSEED PRODUCERS
DIALOGUE (IOPD). Hosted by Germany’s Union for the Protection of Oil and Protein Crops, the IOPD included representatives from grains and oilseed organizations in the U.S., Brazil, Paraguay, Australia, and France. Grain Farmers of Ontario was joined by colleagues from the Canadian Canola Growers Association.
The IOPD is just one of the many international events that Grain Farmers of Ontario participates in each year. The opportunity to connect with and talk to farmers, industry leaders, politicians, scientists, end-users, and consumers beyond our borders brings tremendous benefits to our organization; our industry is truly a global one, and the knowledge and perspective we glean from these trips are invaluable in shaping the work we do.
The IOPD is unique in that it is truly a ‘farmers talking to farmers’ event — looking at the big picture of oilseed production and how we can all work together to address global impacts on the industry. Topics at the top of the agenda included European Union policies that impact trade, including the planned implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation in late 2024, which will add significant financial and red tape burdens on international oilseed producers. The future of biofuels in a changing energy market, food security, sustainability, plant breeding, government policy, and research — all important issues that we deal with daily in Canada — were discussed in the four-day meeting.
While Jeff and I were in Germany, the Grain Farmers of Ontario Market Development team was back home preparing for an incoming trade mission. In mid-June, a delegation of 13 wheat milling customers from seven Latin American countries visited the Richardson grain terminal, toured Ontario farms, and was hosted at a reception in partnership with Cereals Canada. Grain Farmers of Ontario staff and Board love nothing more than showing our global partners how Ontario farmers are producing high-quality, sustainably grown grains and oilseeds.
The IOPD and the incoming trade mission are just two examples of how Grain Farmers of Ontario engages with international partners — and how we can benefit. In this issue of the Ontario Grain Farmer, you can read more about how U.K. farmers have benefited from participating in the ADAS Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) — the inspiration behind our very own Great Lakes YEN project; a dispatch from an Ontario farmer participating in the Nuffield Scholar program; and cross-border research on soil health. Last year, when I was in Argentina, I learned more about the first GM-modified wheat variety; read more about that in this issue and its potential impacts on the global industry.
One of the common refrains of farmers around the world is the unpredictability of the weather and its impact on growing crops — and we have seen that firsthand in Ontario this year. At the time of writing in late June, the erratic spring weather had resulted in late planting, unseeded acres, and last-minute changes of plans as farmers switched out hybrids or planted different crops. As we wrap up the cereals harvest in August and look ahead to the corn and soybean harvest in the fall, Grain Farmers of Ontario will continue to work on your behalf to make sure you have the tools and resources to mitigate the impacts of weather, pests, disease — whatever comes your way. •
