Emerging Global Issues Affecting Alberta Agriculture
Agriculture today is not the same as it was centuries ago, nor should it remain the same. Industrialization and globalization have connected the world. With the expanded global market, the quality of life and buying power of consumers have increased greatly. Consumers are buying more quantities and varieties of food than ever before, calling for careful management of the water required to produce all this food. The growing population depends on agriculture to sustain its food needs over time. Each level of the food supply chain plays a crucial role in keeping food abundant and affordable. Global events and trends create a ripple effect in the agricultural industry, which is constantly adapting to challenges such as [1]:
- Climate change and increased extreme weather events
- Consumer tastes and preferences changing
- Increased demand for food of higher quality
- Food insecurity
- Farm productivity challenges
- Varying water availability
- Encouraging young people to pursue ag careers
Click a topic to view discussions of some of the emerging challenges faced by the ag sector.
References
[1] (2019). Modern agriculture has many complex challenges. Syngenta Global. https://www.syngenta.com/en/innovation-agriculture/challenges-modern-agriculture
Thank you to our generous sponsors for the Water Connections Project
This phase of the project has been made possible by Nutrien, Enbridge, and Manulife Financial, along with the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
