Why Canada must treat its food system as a matter of national defence
Why Canada must treat its food system as a matter of national defence
Faced with both a trade war and annexation threats, Canada must confront whether its domestic food systems can feed its population in a crisis.
Authors:
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Karen Foster | Associate Professor, Sociology and Social Anthropology and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures for Atlantic Canada, Dalhousie University
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Alicia Martin | Postdoctoral Fellow, Common Ground Canada Network, Dalhousie University
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Gavin Fridell | Professor of Political Science and Global Development Studies, Saint Mary’s University
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Kathleen Kevany | Professor, Sustainable Food Systems, Dalhousie University
Rising tensions between Canada and the United States have made increased military investment and a renewed focus on national defence all but inevitable.
A recent Angus Reid poll found three in four Canadians want to see the country’s military strengthened in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada as the 51st state. In early March, former prime minister Justin Trudeau committed publicly to increasing military spending.
While it makes sense for a country feeling vulnerable to invasion to look at recruiting new soldiers and increasing its arsenal, there is an additional facet of national defence that is too often overlooked: food preparedness.
Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs are already “stoking a new nationalism” in Canadians and sparking interest in buying local, but food should be part of the national defence conversation, too.
This is something I find weird about how farming works in the UK. The notion that it should be profitable is nuts to me. Food is so ridiculously important - surely we should be putting money in to get food out. The food is the profit!
Canada also needs stronger Right to Repair laws.
Our fighter jets aren’t the only vehicles with DRM controlled by a US company.
Yup. If you can't fix it yourself, ** you don't own it.**
This conversation already came up during the pandemic. It's super clear why countries should have some level of ability to produce essentials for its people.
It was also the time when conservatives started to doubled down on pretending to be libertarians and told their supporters the mega corps will take care of everything as long as we give them enough power.
Every country should. The problem is this runs straight against the neoliberal economic model. I hope neolibralism gets taken down a few notches. Ideally buried altogether.
Plants are food. Animal products are harmful luxury goods that consume many times more calories and nutrients than they produce.