Ontario Grain Farmer - September 2021

One example he pointed to is the increasing demand for bio-fuels coupled with the decreasing production of palm oil, creating better market opportunities for soybeans, canola, and vegetable oils. The counter side to this will be the impact of increased prices for oilseeds as demand continues to climb, and the need for investment in yield enhancements, or the conversion of acres from other crops to these oilseeds, Nicholson said. Rabobank data predicts that by 2024 the U.S. expansion of renewable diesel production will require an additional 51 million acres of soybeans, which would be a 59 per cent increase from current planted U.S. acres. Expansion in canola crushing capacity in Canada is a 72 per cent increase and will also result in higher demand and nearly 7.5 million additional acres of canola. While this means opportunities for farmers will continue to thrive, Nicholson cautions that there are other pieces to this puzzle that need to be considered. Different oilseed crops have different measures for their carbon impact, and indirect land use changes and those variables need to be understood, along with the potential increased demand for plant protein and feed for increased meat consumption and how that will impact acreage available for bio-fuels. Nicholson also predicted that attractive prices and land availability will continue to drive soybean production growth in Brazil. GLOBAL INNOVATION With so much focus on the environment, sustainability, and the place that agricultural innovation has in production, the IOPD XXIII welcomed Szabolcs Rethner, regulatory affairs manager, International Seed Federation, Gord Kurbis, vice-president, trade policy — crop protection, Canada Grains Council, and Graham Brookes, agricultural economist, PG Economics Ltd, to discuss the state of innovation. Rethner focused on plant breeding innovation and its importance in creating variability and the need for consistent regulations that are science-based and facilitate innovation and collaboration. He noted that agriculture needs to avoid creating another system of patchwork regulations that have contributed to the confusion and grey areas around regulating genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Stakeholders will need to advocate for consistent policies and the groups interested in the future of plant breeding and genetics is growing, so it is vital that producer groups come together before fragmented policies take place. Kurbis spoke to the IOPD XXIII attendees about the increased use of non-tariff measures or barriers, such as maximum residue limits (MRLs), as a mechanism for domestic market protection. According to Kurbis, there is more than $1.1 trillion of agricultural trade in the world today and almost every economy is reliant on trade to fill its food needs. As increase in farmland plateaus, while population increases, Kurbis noted that market access problems that impact technology are a growing concern. The food system needs to be more resilient to address new pressures from climate change, the spread of invasive species, and more — trade policies need to reduce barriers on the technology we need to meet these new pressures, says Kurbis. There is, he says, a Codex on MRLs that countries could use, but more and more countries are using their own created MRL lists. In general, many MRL-related trade issues would be solved with more use of international standards for trade, such as the Codex. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 29 SEPTEMBER 2021 This article features an international event co-hosted by Grain Farmers of Ontario. Brookes joined the discussion to talk about glyphosate specifically and international bans on this tool. Currently, total use of glyphosate is about 450 - 500million kilograms of active ingredient with the benefits of on-farm income gains, improved yield, better weed control, and in some areas allowing a second crop of soybeans after wheat. Brookes listed loss of low till practices, increase in volume of substitute herbicides, increase in soil damage by other herbicides, and increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fuel use in application of substitutes as some of the implications of glyphosate bans. Brookes noted, to the agreement of many attendees, that there is a whiff of hypocrisy in politicians who are favouring non-science- based regulatory approaches for agricultural innovation, but embrace and promote science- based regulations for vaccine development and use. Each year at the end of the IOPD, the group comes together to create a common message for government communications. In keeping with the theme of the discussions of the day, the IOPD XXIII communique focuses on consistent, fair practices and regulatory environments that will help mitigate some trade issues, and a commitment from governments to embrace science-based decision-making around agriculture — ensuring the sustainability of food production, the sustainability of the earth, and the sustainability of all communities. Read an expanded version of this article online at www.ontariograinfarmer.ca for details on the IOPD XXIII’s discussions around the global public-agriculture disconnect, the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, and the UN Food Systems Summit. Victoria Berry is the manager of communications for Grain Farmers of Ontario. l