News on Energy and Environment from Canada

Innate Potatoes, a newly-approved, genetically modified potato variety, will not be grown commercially in Canada this year, says Simplot.

This week (April 17th to 23rd) is National Soil Conservation Week in Canada, and as potato farmers across Prince Edward Island are gearing up for spring planting, they are making soil conservation a priority on their farms.

La agencia de salud pública de Canadá, Health Canada, y la Agencia Canadiense de Inspección de Alimentos (CFIA) han aprobado una papa genéticamente modificada (GM) para su comercialización, afirmó este lunes la empresa estadounidense Simplot al anunciar que sus papas GM resistentes al pardeamiento podrían estar en los supermercados canadienses para el Día de Acción de Gracias.

Two potato farmers from Prince Edward Island (Canada) that were convicted of planting potatoes on a slope that was too steep were granted a partial victory from the P.E.I. Court of Appeal.

BCfresh, a British Columbia-based provider of locally-grown vegetables, announced the introduction of Farmer’s Keepers™ Potatoes. Farmer’s Keepers™ Potatoes come in a variety of non-uniform shapes and sizes with minor blemishes or minor mechanical damage.

Local and Federal Government (Manitoba, Canada) have announced an investment of nearly $380,000 for the McCain Foods potato processing plant in Carberry to increase efficiency, reduce waste and support the sustainable growth of Manitoba’s potato industry. The governments’ investment represents half of the total equipment cost.

Researchers of the University of Alberta offer a green alternative to petroleum-based plastics used in food packaging by turning potato byproducts into eco-friendly plastic films

A Prince Edward Island (Canada) farm operation has pleaded guilty to failing to properly rotate its potato crop in one of their fields.

According to the Canadian Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report, consumers place an increasingly high priority on health, and more are seeking healthy options away-from-home, but their behaviour and attitudes towards healthy eating are evolving.

Through a partnership with Cavendish Farms, the Province of Prince Edward Island is purchasing 96 acres of agricultural land in the Barclay Brook area to help protect Island rivers and fish habitat.

The red fields of Prince Edward Island are renowned for growing potatoes. Fred Dollar’s decision to grow organic potatoes is built on that reputation.

Concerns over the quality of the waste water from a potato wash facility has resulted in the P.E.I. Department of Environment shutting down the operation.

Russet House - the third largest sweet potato processor in North America - announces the launch of Organic White Fries in early fall of 2014.

Two of the most powerful voices in P.E.I.s billion dollar potato industry appeared before the Legislature's agriculture committee Thursday in Charlottetown.

The third largest manufacturer of Sweet Potato Fries in North America - Russet House, has launched Organic Sweet Potato Fries.

The manufacturer of Hardbite Potato Chips announced today that it has initiated an aggressive waste reduction and sustainability initiative with its manufacturing operation. The company has partnered with Fraser Valley Biogas, and FortisBC to recycle organic waste from the company’s food processing plant into a renewable natural gas.

BMO released the results of a survey which found that supporting regional economies, farmers and jobs, along with fresh food and taste, all trump the cost of food for people choosing to buy local.

Irving Oil announced last week that it has signed an agreement with McCain Foods, making it Irving Oil’s newest natural gas industrial customer, and the first in New Brunswick to receive compressed natural gas (CNG) delivered by trucks.