Issuu

21st Century Agriculture

Promoting Eco-Conscious Farming Products to Enhance Bio-diversity Aiding

Start-Ups to Revolutionize The Farming Industry

Delving into the Critical Benefits of Tech in Agriculture

Analyzing How Consumer Savings Stimulate Economic Growth

Exploring The Political Aspects of Climate Change

How the Former President of The Canadian Federation of Agriculture MARY ROBINSON Commits to Improving Farmers’ Lives Worldwide

Summer 2023

Enjoy Tax Efficient Income from Real Assets. The Starlight Global Real Assets Mutual Funds & ETFs are for investors who: Are seeking a regular source of tax-efficient income Are seeking the potential for long-term capital appreciation Are seeking to add global diversification to their investment portfolio Are planning to hold their investments for the long term

• • • •

Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund – ETF (NEO:SCGI) Inception Date: October, 2018

The Fund aims to provide regular current income by investing globally in companies with either direct or indirect exposure to Infrastructure.

Distribution Frequency: Target 5% annual distribution paid monthly; 6% distribution available 2022 Tax treatment 79.10% return of capital 30 Distribution increases averaging 10.2%

Asset Allocation

Sector Allocation

Starlight Global Real Estate Fund – ETF (NEO:SCGR) The Fund aims is to provide regular current income by investing globally in companies with either direct or indirect exposure to Real Estate. Asset Allocation

Inception Date: October, 2018 Distribution Frequency: Target 5% annual distribution paid monthly; 6% distribution available 2022 Tax treatment 65.61% return of capital 31 Distribution increases averaging 12.7%

Sector Allocation

Equity

79.6%

Utilities

25.6%

Equity

72.4%

Residential REITs

Private Investments

12.2%

Industrials

18.5%

Cash

16.9%

Specialized REITs

18.7 %

Cash

8.3%

Information Technology

13.4%

Private Investments

10.6%

Industrial REITs

18.3 %

Private Investments

12.2%

Cash and Cash Equivalents

16.9 %

Real Estate

11.3%

Private Investments

10.6 %

Cash and Cash Equivalents

8.3%

Retail REITs

5.0 %

Energy

5.0%

Communication Services

3.0%

Asset Management & Custody Banks

2.8 %

Geographical Allocation* United States

39.6%

Canada

37.6%

France

5.4%

Italy

3.3%

Spain

3.1%

Asset Management & Custody Banks

2.6%

Germany

2.8%

Financials

0.2%

Geographical Allocation* United States

49.6%

Canada

33.5%

*Excludes cash and cash equivalents. Source: Starlight Capital. March 31, 2023

22.0 %

Single-Family Residential REIT

2.5 %

Office REITs

2.2 %

Multi-Family Residential REITs

1.0 %

*Excludes cash and cash equivalents. Source: Starlight Capital. March 31, 2023

Access Global Real Assets with Starlight Capital today.

Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund - ETF (NEO: SCGI) Starlight Global Real Estate Fund - ETF (NEO: SCGR)

Visit starlightcapital.com or speak to your advisor

1. Barclays, Bloomberg, Dow Jones, FTSE, S&P, Refinitiv Datastream, Cohen & Steers. As of March 31, 2022. 2. (Left Chart): Cohen & Steers calculations, Bloomberg, and Federal Reserve. As of August 31, 2022; (Right Chart): Bloomberg, Morningstar, Cohen & Steers proprietary analysis. As of April 30, 2022. Starlight Capital is an independent Canadian asset management firm with over $1 billion in assets under management. We manage Global and North American diversified private and public equity investments across traditional and alternative asset classes, including real estate, infrastructure and private equity. Our goal is to deliver superior risk adjusted, total returns to investor through a disciplined investment approach: Focused Business Investing. Starlight Capital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Starlight Investments. Starlight Investments is a leading global real estate investment and asset management firm with over 360 employees and $25B in AUM. A privately held owner, developer and asset manager of over 77,000 multiresidential suites and over 8 million square feet of commercial property space. Learn more at www.starlightcapital.com and connect with us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/starlightcapital/ Starlight Investments Capital LP (“Starlight Capital”) is the manager of the Starlight Capital Funds. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment funds. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Please read the prospectus before investing. The content of this document (including facts, views, opinions, recommendations, descriptions of or references to, products or securities) is not to be used or construed as investment advice, as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, or an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any entity or security cited. Although we endeavour to ensure its accuracy and completeness, we assume no responsibility for any reliance upon it. Starlight Investments, Starlight Capital and all other related Starlight logos are trademarks of Starlight Group Property Holdings Inc. – May 2023

the EDGE Summer 2023

Starlight Capital Real Assets bring Canadian Retail Investors the opportunity for institutional-style portfolio asset allocation Over the past four decades, investors have enjoyed strong returns from traditional assets. Investors

owning a conventional 60/40 portfolio of stocks and bonds have benefited from this allocation — up until 2022. The world has changed as inflation and borrowing costs have risen while global growth has slowed. Retail investors must rethink their asset allocation to include more Alternatives to build an institutional-style portfolio.

Canadian Pension Plans are increasing their exposure to Alternatives. If you’re not yet familiar with Alternatives, now is an opportune time to discover and integrate them into your portfolio. These investment options offer valuable benefits including diversification, downside protection, liquidity premium, and inflation hedging, so you can position yourself to reduce volatility, support income growth, and maximize riskadjusted returns.

Canadian Pension Plans – Increasing Exposure to Alternatives Canadian Pension Plan Real Asset Allocations Plan

Year

Assets (miilions)

Real Estate

Infrastructure

Real Assets

Private Equity

CPPIB

2021

$497,300.0

8.6%

10.3%

19.0%

25.2%

44.1%

Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec

2021

$419,800.0

10.1%

10.8%

20.9%

19.7%

40.6%

Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan

2021

$239,000.0

11.0%

10.9%

21.9%

23.1%

45.0%

Public Service Pension Plan

2022

$230,500.0

13.5%

10.2%

23.7%

15.3%

39.0%

Alternatives

BC Investment Management Corporation

2021

$199,600.0

14.3%

10.0%

24.3%

10.4%

34.7%

OMERS

2022

$119,500.0

17.0%

20.0%

37.0%

17.0%

54.0%

AIMCO

2021

$138,139.0

13.2%

9.0%

22.2%

5.9%

28.2%

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan

2021

$114,179.0

15.7%

2.3%

18.0%

13.5%

31.5%

Ontario Pension Board

2021

$33,793.0

15.1%

8.4%

23.5%

10.4%

33.9%

OP Trust

2021

$25,913.0

15.4%

13.0%

28.4%

15.9%

44.3%

$2,017,724.0

13.4%

10.5%

23.9%

15.6%

39.5%

Source: Pension Plan Annual Reports

In environments characterized by rising interest rates and inflation, investing in Real Assets such as Infrastructure and Real Estate can preserve purchasing power. Real Assets Outperform in Inflationary Environments. Real Assets have a track record of delivering higher average annual returns in periods of rising and unexpected inflation compared to equities and US treasuries, making them a strategic choice for investors looking to hedge against inflation.

Real Assets Outperformance in Inflationary Environments1

Real Assets Outperform after Rate Hike Cycles. Real Assets have historically outperformed broader equities following Fed rate hikes, making them a strategic choice for investors looking to hedge against uncertainty.

Real Assets Outperformance after Rate Hike Cycles2

Average Annual Real Returns in Periods of Rising and Unexpected Inflation (June 1991 - March 2022) 12.5% 11.9%

Rising inflation Unexpected inflation

13.4%

10.6% 10.3%

11.3%

Real estate

Infrastructure

7.3% 4.7% 0.5%

-0.6%

U.S. Treasuries

Global equities Real assets blend

Real Assets have Historically Outperformed Broader Equities Following Fed Rate Hikes U.S. REITs

Global equities

Returns six months after initial rate hike

6.3%

4.7%

8.7% 8.3%

Returns during hiking cycle

10.1%

8.6%

18.5%

17.1% 6.9%

16.4%

Infrastructure

34.8%

U.S. equities

2.8%

Returns six months after end of hikes

3 months after rate increase

As Canadian Pension Plans look beyond traditional investments and increasingly turn towards Alternatives, it’s clear that these investments offer unique benefits that would also benefit retail investors. Dennis Mitchell, CEO & CIO, Starlight Capital

6 months after rate increase

12 months after rate increase

Dennis is an investment industry veteran with over 20 years of experience and lead Portfolio Manager for Starlight Capital Mutual Funds, ETFs and Private Pools.

OVERVIEW SUMMER 2023

FROM THE EDITOR The Challenges and Rewards of Farming

COVER STORY Mary Robinson: Advocating for Humanity

18 21 23 24 25 26 28 31 32 33 37 38

10 Sustainable Farming Products How Online Grocery Shopping Has Changed The E-Commerce Landscape How to Control Your Financial Destiny Interview: Brittany Charlton Interview: Morley Ivers and Michael Baruch ECONOMICS 9 Ways Consumer Savings Stimulate Economic Growth How Agricultural Expansion Causes Biodiversity Loss Interview: Sam Yang Interview: Ellen Sparry Infographic: Farming and Food Stats of the Last 3 Years POLICIES The Political Aspects of Climate Change The Federal Impact on International Trade in 2022

Interview: Rawlson King

Interview: Roya Rahmani

the EDGE Summer 2023

POLICIE S

BUSINESS

OVERVIEW START-UP 8 Start-Ups Revolutionizing the Farming Industry Should You Start A Food Co-Op Business? Interview: Chantelle Quow

45 47 49 50

Interview: Malik Williams

Interview: Nicole Havdra

Interview: Tareq Hadhad

E R S' C I RC N N L

Interview: Jerry Abraham

LEADERSHIP Leaders Paving The Way in The Food Industry Succession Planning and Leadership Development Interview: Curtis Carmichael Interview: Shannon Katschilo TECH & INNOVATION Critical Benefits of Technology in Agriculture The Movement Toward Plant-Based Foods

58 60 62 63 65 66

Interview: Tania Humphrey

Interview: Bashir Khan

TEC

NNOVATI O I &

SUMMER 2023

Summer 2023

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Summer 2023 F OUNDER & E DITOR - IN -C HIEF | J ENNIFER M. W ILLIAMS P RESIDENT C URTIS E LLIS P UBLISHER J ORGE M ARSHALL

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from the editor

The Challenges and Rewards of Farming Looking Back As I began writing this article, I thought of the period when I lived briefly on a farm with my maternal grandparents. While taking a brisk walk each morning, my grandaddy would call it "smelling the roses," and required that we, the children get up early to start our day. Yet, with my dog, Danger, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the natural landscape -- green grass, fresh air, and farmland. He was always ready to go when I got up in the mornings. Although my siblings, cousins, and I had access to public transportation and a dedicated school bus, we had to walk a mile to and from school daily. We packed leftovers from Saturday and Sunday dinners into our lunches to get us through the five-day school week. We were not allowed to purchase lunch from the local vendors or restaurants to avoid unhealthy eating or spending too much money on food. However, the practice demonstrates how a little effort and good planning can promote healthier eating habits, even at a young age. My grandparents had full-time jobs in the suburbs. But, despite a hectic work life, they made time to cultivate various vegetables, fruits, and other staples to provide for the family... and even some neighbouring communities. We mainly ate organic foods and often visited the busy Coronation Market to buy other staples and legumes (which helped to support some of the neighbourhood farmers). My siblings and I were often referred to fondly as "the little soldiers." We helped to remove weeds, tilled the soil with miniature pitchforks, planted food seeds, and made rows of flower beds. The soil was rich, brown, and pesticide-free, but was pungent with droppings from the one horse, three donkeys, and other animals on the farm. We also had to feed the animals on weekends, and sometimes assist with the general cleanup. I have felt a re-connection with agriculture and the great outdoors in the past three years: there's a deep meaning in what I once thought were just too many chores while growing up. Of the many lessons I learned on the farm, one was that exposure to a more sustainable and natural way of living is precious and inspires others to promote these values to future generations. The experience instilled valuable skills such as teamwork, responsibility, and self-reliance, all essential for personal growth and development. In addition, it also highlights the importance of hands-on experiences and grassroots education.

the EDGE Summer 2023

"Agriculture underscores the importance of sustainable and organic farming practices, which prioritize environmental health and the well-being of communities."

from the editor

Looking Ahead We see how climate change affects agriculture worldwide: from more frequent extreme-weather incidents to changes in rainfall patterns and growing seasons. Many farmers are adapting to these challenges, but may need more policy changes from the federal and provincial governments. There is also a growing need for subsidies and tariffs to manage environmental regulations and trade agreements to support a thriving and viable agricultural sector. Other challenges in agriculture lie in ﬁnding and retaining skilled workers. This issue has become a global crisis, and the availability and cost of labour heavily impact farm productivity and proﬁtability. In some cases, workers may be subject to exploitation, poor living conditions, or other forms of abuse. Governments and advocacy groups are working to improve labour conditions in agriculture, but progress can be slow. Ensuring fair and safe working conditions for all agricultural workers is critical. In addition, supporting the education and training of skilled workers are essential steps toward building a more vital, sustainable and equitable agricultural sector. On another serious note: while animal-welfare standards advocate for the treatment of animals in agriculture, they sometimes do not go far enough toward protecting them from needless antagonism, pain, and suffering. We must explore the ethical implications of factory farming and the potential consequences for animal welfare, human health, and the environment. The role of education and moral awareness of animal treatment is fundamental to all cultures across the globe. I recently re-visited some old photos of my siblings and me, standing at the front of our barn with some former farm animals, looking healthy, friendly, and spunky. Although very young, we were undoubtedly socially responsible -- with our family's guidance -- which helped shape our perspective in today's agricultural industry.

We salute Mary Robinson, our cover star, a trailblazing ﬁgure in the agricultural industry, having made history as the ﬁrst female president during its 84-year history and a prominent advocate for the sector. Robinson's contributions to the industry has been substantial, and her leadership has inspired many others to follow in her footsteps. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), women comprise nearly half of the world's agricultural workforce. Despite this, they often face unequal access to land, credit, and training resources. But, organizations and government bodies have implemented numerous programs to support women. In short, you can also do your part by getting involved through volunteering, having conversations about the role of agriculture in society and the environment, supporting local farmers, or starting your garden to grow basic staples. As always, thanks for reading and for the ongoing opportunity to serve.

Jennifer Williams jennifer@theedgeleaders.com

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With the development of food production and distribution systems, agriculture continues to evolve and innovate to meet the demands of a rapidly increasing global population. Agriculture underscores the importance of sustainable and organic farming practices, which prioritize environmental health and the well-being of communities.

Summer 2023

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Photos courtesy of Mary Robinson

the EDGE Summer 2023

cover story

MARY ROBINSON Advocating for Humanity by Jennifer M. Williams

Mary Robinson is a prominent Canadian agricultural industry figure and a managing partner of Eric C. Robinson Inc. and Island Lime. She is involved in various aspects of the potato industry, including agronomy, food processing, and production. In addition to her work on the family farm, Robinson has taken an active role in industry politics and governance. Robinson's involvement in industry politics began in 2008 when she joined the PEI Federation of Agriculture board. She served as President of the Federation from 2015 to 2017, leading efforts to advance the interests of farmers and agricultural businesses in the province. Robinson's leadership and advocacy for the industry did not go unnoticed, and she was appointed the first female chair of the Canadian Ag HR Council in 2017. In 2019, she was appointed president of the Canadian Federation of Farmers and the first female president of the federation's 84 yr history. She has also served on various government advisory councils. For example, from 2015 to 2017, two Ministers of Agriculture and AgriFood Canada selected her to serve on AAFC's National Program Advisory Council, guiding agricultural programs and policies. In addition, the Federal Minister of Environment appointed her to serve on the Sustainable Development Advisory Committee, where she provided expert advice on environmental sustainability issues. Robinson's extensive experience in executive and governance roles and her expertise in the potato industry makes her a valuable asset to the Canadian agricultural industry. In addition, her dedication and commitment to advancing the interests of farmers and agricultural businesses have made her a respected leader in the industry. In her role, she serves on the Board of The World Farmers' Association (WFA), an international organization that represents the interests of farmers and their organizations globally. The Edge chatted with Robinson about her ongoing commitment to helping improve farmers' lives worldwide.

Summer 2023

the EDGE

cover story

You served as the President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for four years and the first female President throughout the organization's 84-year history. How did your agricultural experience prepare you for the role? I was raised in a relatively agricultural community in Canada (Prince Edward Island), where women's role in Agriculture is not a complete rarity. My mother was a trailblazer, especially in improving our woodlands, watercourses, roads, and bridges. Don't get me wrong -- we still need to work to remove barriers for women to take on leadership roles in Agriculture advocacy, and I'm proud to see that work gaining much-needed momentum across the country. I'm one member of the 6th generation in my family to farm. We've been farming in the same area since 1810. Over the years, we have diversiﬁed within agriculture, having businesses that offer agricultural inputs, custom applications, potato packaging, potato dealership, and more. Through my family's agriculture businesses, I assisted in managing operations by sitting on several boards and learning how governance works. My parents raised their children with the mantra that 'if you want things to improve, get involved'; that is what I did when our second child was only two years old. So I reached out to my local Federation of Agriculture for an opportunity to take on a role, and it all seemed to come together quite quickly. I moved from county rep to executive member, elected as the third female President of the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture, and to national organizations such as the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC). -- of which I became the ﬁrst female chair -- and the board of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). After completing my term as Chair of CAHRC, I was elected President of CFA. While on the CFA board, they appointed me as the World Farmers' Organization Board member for

the EDGE Summer 2023

North America. I continue to sit on this board and ﬁnd it incredibly exciting.

Would you consider climate change, land degradation, and water scarcity as primary factors in the sector? Without a doubt, these are significant factors that impact Agriculture. As farmers, we face the impacts of climate change first. Our crops, land, waterways, forests, buildings, and more have nowhere to hide from significant weather events. We have challenges making investments and preparing for weather incidents that may or may not ever happen. These investments also benefit the general public through enhanced ecological goods and services. I can't elaborate enough on how the general attitude of farmers is to improve our soil and water -- it is the basis for each of us in what we grow and market; the health of our resources determines our farms' long-term viability. And I would also make the challenge to think of an industry that can do what agriculture can do: grow food, fibre, fuel, ornaments while simultaneously being one of the only industries that can boast of providing climate-change mitigation deliverables. What other industry can sustainably produce essential goods, continue improving carbon sequestration, and reduce emissions? We need the non-agricultural community to start recognizing and rewarding the potential agriculture represents to Canada in the fight against climate change.

Have you implemented any policies to manage risk in your agricultural operations, and what steps do you take to mitigate potential hazards or losses? My grandfather was a true entrepreneur, and with my grandmother's and their children's help, he started diversifying our business in the 1940s. We have been taught long ago not to put all our eggs in one basket and, while

cover story

not straying far from agriculture, have tried to become involved in many components of our food chain. Speaking strictly on our farm side, we are committed to managing our wood lots (approximately 400 acres of woodlands) with a long-term view of sustainability. We work with local silviculturists (growers of forest trees) to cultivate biodiversity in our woodlands with no expectations to harvest trees. Again, this is an investment on our part, with very little direct return to our bottom line. Unlike many businesses, not many farms are in a position to pass along the increased costs they incur. Farmers are price-takers and are, for the most part, at the whim of the commodity markets they sell in. These two examples I list (woodlot and extended rotation) will hopefully put our land and forests in a solid position for future weather occurrences.

How do you prioritize and manage your workload when faced with multiple demands or deadlines in your agricultural work? I experience that people involved in advocacy work that takes them away from their families and agriculture businesses must set some hard lines. For example, I must say 'no' to all 'off-farm' work from late April to early June. Spring is a hectic time of the year, and in the agriculture business I manage (a custom application business), we do about 65% of our annual business in the 6-week window. Outside of spring, my priorities are family, an agriculture business, and advocacy. It can be a challenge, as it is unavoidable to get caught up in the passion of advocating for agriculture. However, I am incredibly appreciative of my supportive and encouraging husband; and a farm family supporting the work I do that takes me away from home and work at home.

Can you elaborate on some of the biggest challenges facing the agriculture industry today and how you see this playing out in the future? Two of the more considerable challenges are climate change and labour. COVID indeed highlighted the fragility of our food supply chain. And the illegal war in Ukraine stressed how dependent Eastern Canada is on the nitrogen supply from Russia. Regarding climate change, I see no other option than for Canada to start to do more to position farmers to invest in increased technology to improve our opportunity to deliver more EGS (and carbon sequestration) and produce more food efﬁciently. It means ﬁnancial rewards to enable farmers to invest in new technologies to get us there as a nation. With labour, the CAHR Council, working with CFA and food and beverage manufacturers, is working on tangible deliverables to address the chronic labour shortages. In 2021, on-farm vacancies cost primary production over $2.9 billion. Consider all the additional losses down the value stream for agriculture products. That is staggering! CAHRC will identify these strategies, combined with a greater understanding that the value of the Temporary Foreign Worker programs used by farmers and processors will be primary components in addressing this chronic and concerning issue.

Do you use specific communication techniques to engage with stakeholders, suppliers, customers, or regulatory agencies, and how has it helped you build and maintain positive relationships? It is always best to approach any engagement by developing a relationship. Over my tenure as CFA president, I spent much time and energy developing relationships with parties who, previously, would have been considered strange allies for CFA. I ﬁrmly believe that all the players in primary Agriculture have more than 90% in common. Unfortunately, it's been our approach historically to focus on the less than 5% we disagree on and thereby let that prevent us from realizing our true potential in advocacy work. My strategies are somewhat cliché. I try my best to listen hard, to learn and understand. I also do my utmost to build trust and never abuse that trust. From there, we are more likely to be able to move forward together. These foundational components in a relationship lay the groundwork to tackle some complex, sensitive issues.

Have there been any significant efforts to increase women's involvement in agriculture in recent years? In conjunction with the PEIFA, CFA is conducting a pilot project, "Leveling the Field," to identify pathways to removing barriers to increasing women's involvement in agriculture leadership roles. I can say that I've lost track of the many women who have quietly taken me aside to say 'thank you.' Honestly, it always shocks me, but the message is consistent -- it means so much for women to see other women in these roles. "If you can see it, you can be it." Also, CAHRC long ago identiﬁed women as an under-utilized group of farm workers and has been helping identify and address barriers (such as childcare access in Rural Canada) that prevent some women from becoming involved in agriculture. Also, Agriculture in the classroom encourages 'all walks of life' to consider a career in agriculture. The stats of graduates from Agriculture programs in Canada show high numbers of women training for work in Agriculture - scientists, crop advisors, plant breeders, agriculture input advisors, and so on.

It's been three years since COVID-19. How is the recovery in the agricultural industry, and what type of additional support do farmers need to continue their livelihoods? COVID highlighted the fragility of our food supply chain. COVID showed us all that farms could not stop. You still have to pack those perishable crops, milk the cows, send the cattle to be processed, grade and pack the eggs -- and then send it all to market. So it is not just because of perishability or the timeliness of an animal's life; but because the world needs to keep eating, even in a pandemic. The impact of COVID on farm labour set back some farms. It takes months or years to plan a crop or livestock. When you have an interruption like COVID, it takes a long time to recover, build momentum and get back on track.

Summer 2023

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Farmers need everyday Canadians to recognize how much agriculture contributes to our food, economics, and environmental security; and how much more we can do with greater conﬁdence. We need to push Canadians outside agriculture to tell their MPs just how important agriculture is to our country to them; push our government to step up how much our nation invests in farmers. We are the ﬁfth-largest exporting nation in the world. However, with climate change impacting production in other parts of the world, it is time for Canada to step up and make agriculture one of the more critical portfolios of our government -- through direct investment and by making Canada an attractive country for investment in value-added capacity. I am always amazed that many Canadians seem oblivious to what a global sterling brand our Canadian- produced food has. We have one of the world's most unique foodsafety systems that deliver nutritious, healthy and (by global standards) affordable food. Generally, we are the envy of the world when it comes to food production.

Can you tell us some specific examples of successful agricultural projects or initiatives you have participated in and how you contributed to their success? During my tenure as President of CFA, we undertook the most extensive campaign in the history of CFA, called "Food for Thought." The project launched in response to the many pressures Canadian Agriculture faced in the early days of COVID. We saw an opportunity where Canadians, many for the first time in their lives, were facing food scarcity. It also piqued an interest for everyday Canadians in Canadian agriculture and food production that we rarely see. For example, in agriculture, there is a bit of a joke that because food production usually goes without a hitch, people never have to consider where their food comes from; or what are some of the challenges and areas of concern that producers might face. Our goal with "Food for Thought" was to move the needle on the level of federal government investment in our Business Risk Management (BRM)suite of programs. Most, if not all, developed nations have programs that protect farmers when extenuating circumstances challenge their financial ability to stay in business. Unfortunately, the Canadian government gutted our BRM programs in 2014. Not only was the support level dropped, but from that moment, the program had not even kept up with the pace of inflation. Our "Food for Thought" campaign was a fantastic success. It resulted in an increased level of investment by the government. It also changed some of the triggers that made the programs relatively ineffective. Still, the campaign brought together some unlikely groups and, in my opinion, created an awareness of the impact of a more prominent, united voice for Canadian Agriculture.

The NCFA will host the annual A/EU Farm Leaders Conference in beautiful Prince Edward Island, September

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12-14. What are some of the benefits it will provide farmers -- local and international? The NAEU offers a venue to share and learn of some of the challenges and successes other jurisdictions have experienced. Attending the last of these conferences (Copenhagen 2019) gave us insight into some challenges farmers in the EU faced and how they responded. It is probably fair to say that many of the pressures agriculture experiences in the EU are a bit of a portal into what we may experience soon in North America. And it is always an excellent experience to come together with our industry members, network and learn, which goes for any industry, not just Agriculture. The NAEU in PEI this September will also offer a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase many of the practices we employ in local agriculture. For example, I recently took part in the United Nations Water Conference. As a result, some European groups informed me that legislated practices designed to protect soil health and watersheds in PEI are years ahead of what they employ in parts of Europe.

You recently started a new role at the World Farmers Association. Can you tell us more about it? I started this role in June 2020. The WFO (World Farmers Organization) is the farmers' voice on the global stage. WFO is based in Rome and is mandated to represent and advocate for the world's farmers in all relevant international processes affecting farmers' present and future, covering the global dialogue on agriculture nutrition and sustainability. Sitting at the WFO table is incredibly interesting, as we have board members from Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and North America. Taking farm-level issues from each constituency to the international stage is challenging. Although, at ﬁrst glance, you might wonder what a farmer in Saskatchewan has in common with one from Cambodia, a deeper dive changes your perspective, and you realize a rising tide lifts all boats.

Finally, how can citizens and other sponsors become more involved in shaping the future of the agriculture sector in Canada, and what opportunities are available for engagement and collaboration? My suggestions are to please speak to your MP to emphasize your concerns about our Canadian farm families, food security, and sustainability. Get informed -- challenge the information you read on Agriculture. Make sure it is science-oriented, not fear-mongering. Embrace science and realize we would have a global food crisis without science. I mean plant breeding, gene editing, crop protectants (why should we be able to use medicine to keep our bodies well but deny farmers using similar products to keep plants healthy when they face disease or insect pressure?) and more. Food production is such an exciting and fast-paced world: seek out and get more info on it, and reach out to a local federation of agriculture. And I would strongly recommend subscribing to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture's "Food for Thought" newsletter. It's a fantastic resource for Canadians wanting better visibility into Agriculture in Canada. //

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10 PRODUCTS AND PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING by Joshua Cooper

S 18

ustainable agriculture helps keep the world balanced, the way it was given to us, while still providing the necessary quantities of food for people to eat. Today's practices of monocropping, excessive pesticide use, and land clearing for agriculture exacerbates habitat and biodiversity loss, which in turn causes as much upcoming instability as climate change. Regenerative agriculture, intercropping, and polycultures are just a few of the ways we hope to combat instability and fight food insecurity. Here are ten sustainable farming products and practices to help fight soil erosion and climate change, while maximizing economic and environmental stability for businesses and families.

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Let the Sunshine In

Microbes and Metabolites

Seed Strategies

Solar energy can provide farmers with an ongoing energy source, thus reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and providing a long-term reduction in cost to growers. Covered greenhouses and renewable energy are part of the winning formula for both farmers and the planet. They help lower carbon emissions and create more self-reliance, thereby cutting the ongoing costs of food production.

For healthier and more productive soil, additives for farms and gardens are a must. They offer a big boost to soil and plant health with a patented blend of beneficial microbes, as well as their biofermented metabolites. They also help build long-term soil quality and support larger, stronger roots.

Getting power through underground cables or overhead powerlines can be expensive. Solar power, on the other hand, can be easily accessible and installed close to crops, reducing the need for costly grid-connected setups.

A multi-purpose, organic cleaner that cuts through grease and stains without the need for harsher chemicals is the place to go for chemicals these days. It is a product that often needs to be diluted, but it is non-corrosive and non-volatile. For those looking for a safe alternative to traditional chemicals, organic cleaners are the solution.

Seed treatments are substances that include biological, physical, and chemical components. They are applied to seeds before they are planted, and serve to protect and provide them with the best possible germination of the crop. It can help reduce abiotic and biotic stresses that will impact the plant as it grows. Using a seed treatment on a planted crop means that yields are increased without spending more on expanding land or planting more seeds.

Pest Your Prime Integrated pest management is the usage of control techniques to identify and observe pests before they become a problem. Recognize that not all pests are harmful; it makes sense to leave them alone in many cases. Targeted spraying works best to remove specific pests and protects other wildlife from being affected. Targeted spray technology helps farmers reduce their non-residual herbicide use by more than two-thirds.

Irrigation Innovation Certain pumps are designed for highhead, lower-volume applications. They may be able to be self-installed, but generally with deep wells, it is recommended to use a local installer who has the equipment to lower the equipment safely. Farmers can also easily switch between solar and another 220V backup power source when the sun isn't shining, like a generator or grid power.

Weeds Out, Crops In Keeping the weeds out of crops has always been a pain for amateurs and commercial growers alike. That’s why a strong, permeable material is ideal for helping keep crops safe. A landscape cover is a great option for those looking to get the coverage they need in order to protect their land from weeds. The garden fabric allows the soil to breathe and retain humidity at the same time.

Keep It Clean

Fertilizer Au Naturel Chemical fertilizers can lead to soil degradation. Guano is a natural phosphorous granule that contains a living microbial flora that enhances organic matter, encouraging microbial activity that improves nutrient uptake, plant health, and soil moisture levels. Guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients for plant growth. Fun fact, it is better known as bat excrement.

Crop Protection Crop protection is at the top of farmers’ minds. To avoid problems such as root rot and stem rot, crops can be treated with endophytic trichoderma. Trichoderma species are soil organisms that sometimes form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots. They help to avoid problems like clubroot, blackleg, and sclerotinia. This treatment has an average return on investment of 39:1. In short, farmers get their money’s worth while also being environmentally conscious.

Yield to Farmers Certain companies are beginning to use advanced science techniques to disrupt the relationship among crops and find new interactions that benefit the plant and the grower. With more precise farming has come higher yields, better water quality, and better soil health. This has led to more and more farmers utilizing advanced science to help maximize the potential of every plant. In a struggling economy, where there is a consistent squeeze on the profit margins of the farm, increasing yields to get closer to the genetic potential of the crop has become the end game. With new technologies being created all the time, farming is becoming more of a technical skill. Along with these technologies come the ability to combat climate change while halting the negative effect on soil erosion and environmental degradation. Solar energy, organic soil covers, and natural fertilizers are just some of the ways that today’s farmer can keep up with the demands of the job, while still being environmentally conscious. //

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business

HOW ONLINE GROCERY AFFECTS E-COMMERCE

by Helen Jacob ost people have gotten a taste of online grocery shopping during the pandemic. Shopify became a go-to platform because of its convenience, and it saw unprecedented growth during lockdowns. In the third quarter of 2020, it grew 96 per cent, compared to the previous year, although it suffered in 2022.

The online shopping craze started in the late ‘90s. People started ordering things online, and the retail industry saw this as something that would completely revolutionize the business. Offering this method of shopping for the grocery sector meant increased convenience and time saved for consumers who didn’t really like in-person grocery shopping. There were a few online-only markets that emerged, such as HomeGrocer. com, but soon after, these online grocers crashed. Online-only grocers tended to be more expensive than traditional grocery stores. The margins were low, and they didn’t have the infrastructure to stay competitive. The companies also overestimated the profitability of online orders. Despite these early failures, the hybrid model of online shopping with traditional grocery stores, like Walmart or Whole Foods, was much more successful. People preferred the familiarity and the option to pick up groceries from a physical store, rather than have them delivered. Services like Instacart, founded in 2012, partnered with grocers to bring customers food from the stores they were familiar with. It was also flexible in that it allowed third-party contractors to pick up and deliver products to peoples’ homes. In both these cases, it worked because the grocery stores already had the infrastructure in place that online grocers lacked. During the COVID pandemic, things really took off for online grocery shopping. At this point, pick-up and delivery was no longer just a bonus, it was a necessity. Grocery stores were expected to have delivery and online shopping platforms

A new study from Juniper Research forecasted that the value of global e-commerce payment transactions will exceed $7.5 trillion globally by 2026, up from $4.9 trillion in 2021 — a growth rate of 55 per cent. Juniper Research predicts that this growth will be driven by “retailers offering compelling omnichannel retail experiences that increase user e-commerce spend,” and that online, mobile, and physical retail locations will all be instrumental to retailers’ future success.

that were up-to-date and user-friendly. Many businesses put more effort into making delivery a prominent part of their service. They also had to meet customer needs. This meant that they had to offer as many varieties online as they did in-store.

have an advantage because their inventory is already near their local customers, unlike online-only sellers. The online grocery shopping has revamped the food supply chain by creating a demand for end-consumer delivery of perishable foods.

In 2021, Sobeys said that its e-commerce sales rose by 241 per cent compared to 2019. In the U.S., more than 40 per cent of Americans who ordered grocery delivery in March were doing it for the first time in 2020. According to a study by Mercatus/Incisiv, 90 per cent of e-grocery customers are expected to continue shopping online.

There was also a shift in where people shopped. Consumers put an emphasis on minority-owned small businesses, especially after the events of the pandemic. The younger demographic is more mindful of what brands they support and purchase from. There’s been more interest in women- and BIPOC-owned brands, and 4 out of 10 online shoppers say that less than satisfactory environmental records affect their decision to purchase.

There are a few factors that a customer will consider before buying groceries online. The first is how user-friendly it is. As mentioned above, the online shopping portion of grocery stores was not just a bonus anymore. It became a necessity almost overnight. In turn, websites and apps had to be designed to make the experience convenient and easy for everyone. The cost, as well as availability of supplies, also plays a big role in where people get their groceries from. Online retail giants like Amazon can offer lower prices because of their size and stock. It also reviews its prices for millions of its SKUs every 10 minutes to offer the best prices. Amazon also offers the advantage for users being able to buy bread and a side table at the same time. While other specialty e-retailers such as Good Food Box cannot compete with major retailers’ prices, they offer niche products that may not be available at bigger online stores. Other than being affordable, reliability is also important. Brick-and-mortar stores

There are many pros to online shopping, but there are a few cons as well. It’s convenient, and you don’t have to waste time in the stores; however, it may not be convenient when something is missing, you receive the wrong item, or the produce is a little wilted. Some people also like the experience of inspecting produce or discovering new products in the stores. With the widespread use of online services and smartphone apps, as well as the availability of virtual payment methods, the convenience of online shopping led to an increase in demand for the grocery sector. It’s grown rapidly over the last few years and will continue to do so. Eco-conscious packaging and carbonneutral delivery are also at the forefront of the industry’s growth. Companies may soon try to gain a competitive edge and expand into new geographical regions and upgrade their technology to keep up with consumer demand. //

Summer 2023

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business

CONTROLLING YOUR FINANCIAL DESTINY

by Luke Miles he number one way to control your financial destiny is to achieve a high level of success in a carefully selected career field. However, this is not always an option for everyone. Many people hit roadblocks on the destination to financial freedom. The opportunities they hope for don’t come, life gets in the way, the economy crashes, and priorities don’t always align with huge paycheques. When you’re not getting to that point where you’re making drastically more than you’re required to spend, it’s an anxiety-inducing experience. You wish you could make enough money to cover your monthly expenses while still having plenty left over to save toward major financial goals, like buying your first home, getting a better car, and creating an untouchable nest egg.

While we can’t evaporate many of the potential hurdles between you and financial liberty, we can offer some tips for feeling a little more in control of your financial situation, whatever it may be. By taking back some of your control, you may be able to reduce a portion of the anxiety money causes you. Here are some ways you can stay in charge of your finances.

1. Don’t Take Risks Know what you have to do with your money and stick to it. Only spend on what’s critical to you and leave yourself with enough money to meet specific financial goals. What that means is rent, utilities, food, transportation, and savings come first then you see what’s left to splurge.

2. Learn About Budgeting Budgeting is the simple process of subtracting what you spend each month from what you earn, and then planning to adjust until your leftover earnings exceed spending. Budgeting is a wise idea for anyone because it takes the guesswork out of your personal ﬁnances. When you’re certain of your ﬁnancial situation, you’re likely to feel like you’re in control of your money.

3. Try Automatic Payments You can open your banking app or online bank account and set bills to automatically pay each month. Minimal effort on your part. The money will automatically go to your landlord, internet provider, or credit card companies on set dates every month. Setting up auto payments eliminates the monthly scramble to pay bills on time. You don’t have to remember to

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send the cheques out, you don’t have to think about your money. A computer does all that for you. That puts less pressure on you, and deductions won’t hurt as much when they’re happening behind the scenes.

4. Pay Yourself First You might be terriﬁed about putting money into a savings account, assuming it’ll set you far back, but do it anyway. You don’t have to put a lot of money into savings each month. Determine the highest amount you can put aside on a consistent basis—and your highest amount doesn’t have to be someone else’s highest amount. Maybe you can only save $10 each month once expenses are covered. You might feel $10 (or any other low rate of your spare money isn’t worth saving), seeing as it isn’t a whole lot, but save it anyway. Even try auto transferring your chosen amount of savings each month. That way, you won’t be able to talk yourself out of storing any perceived insigniﬁcant sum of money.

5. Cheap Thrills and Side Gigs You don’t need to spend a lot to have a pleasant time; and if you’re trying to bring in supplementary money, you can always check out freelancing opportunities.

Neither of these options may seem like lifestyle choices you want to adopt, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If money is tight, you may have no other choice but to opt for a walk in the park (free) or a scavenger hunt at the dollar store (cheap) rather than an extravagant dinner at the best restaurant in town. Or you may have no other choice except to use your weekends and after-work hours to pick up short-term gigs for extra money.

6. Talk to Someone When you don’t understand your finances and struggle to see how you could make the most of your paycheques, it’s okay to be honest about how stressed you feel over money. The smartest decision is to talk to an expert, like a financial adviser at your bank, but you could also let friends and family know how much grief your money is causing you. Friends and family may not be financial gurus; however, they can at least reassure you that you’re not alone or cheer you on as you make changes. //

business

BRITTANY CHARLTON Innovating Nutritious Snacks Brittany Charlton, Founder and CEO of Ohh! Foods established it with the mission of creating delicious nutrient-dense snacks that are free from the common allergens. Charlton has grown the business to a household name, with her products now sold across Canada. Interestingly, Ohh! Foods began as a response to a health scare experienced by Ms. Charlton herself. Read on to find out what this inspiration behind Ohh! Foods is, and of course, how the business achieved its success. Photo courtesy of Brittany Charlton

by Chinenye Emezie Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind Ohh! Foods? The experience that inspired the creation of Ohh! Foods was a severe allergic reaction I had while having a family movie night. I was having my favourite snack when all of a sudden, my throat closed, and it was hard to breathe. As a result of my allergy, I began to create my own snacks and was encouraged by my mother to launch them into retail locations. After months of recipe testing and attending a few accelerators, I was able to innovate our snack bites that contain five natural ingredients. From there, I founded Ohh! Foods with the mission of creating delicious nutrientdense snacks that are free from the common allergens. Our products are now sold across Canada.

What products does Ohh! Foods offer, and what goes into their production? Ohh! Foods innovates snacks that are vegan, gluten-free, and allergenfriendly. We have our snacking bites in two flavours: Apple Pie and Coconut Brownie, and our Edible Cookie Dough: Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake, and Sunflower Buttercup. All our products are made through our co-manufacturer that is certified gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan. We test all our ingredients and finished products for glutens and other common allergens to ensure that they meet our strict standards.

What are the goals of Ohh! Foods, and are they being met? The goal of Ohh! Foods is to provide delicious, nutrient-dense snacks that are gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free. “Our mission is to make the world a little

safer and a lot sweeter through inclusive snacking.” We believe that everyone should have access to snacks that are delicious and nutritious, regardless of their dietary restrictions. We strive to innovate snacks that are not only safe for those with food allergies and sensitivities, but also enjoyable for everyone to eat. In terms of meeting our goals, we believe that our products have received amazing reviews from customers who appreciate our convenience and deliciousness. We are constantly innovating and improving our products to better meet the needs and preferences of our customers.

What are some of the products that were inspired by your eating habits and taste? As the founder of Ohh! Foods, my personal eating habits and taste preferences have heavily influenced the products we offer. After my severe allergic reaction during a movie night, I eliminated a few products from my diet. My favourite product that we created is our Edible Cookie Dough; the Birthday Cake flavour tastes like a party in a cup. All our products are innovated to use natural ingredients and minimum ingredients.

Can you tell us about some challenges you faced in setting up Ohh! Foods? Setting up Ohh! Foods has definitely been a challenging journey, but one that has been incredibly rewarding. Our top two challenges have been...

Scaling production: As we have grown, we had to figure out how to scale production while maintaining the quality and consistency of our products.

Starting a business is not an easy feat, more so for a young woman of colour. How are you ensuring that you stay relevant in the industry? As a young woman of colour, I recognize the unique challenges that come with starting and growing a business in a predominantly male-dominated industry. To ensure that Ohh! Foods stays relevant and competitive; we are taking several steps including: Innovating, Branding, Inclusivity.

How are you making an impact both inside and outside the community? What advice do you have for other young women like yourself wanting to become entrepreneurs? At Ohh! Foods, we are committed to making a positive impact both inside and outside of our community. There have been so many individuals who have made an impact on me and aided in my growth; I have also given my time to those who are just getting started. My advice for anyone who would like to start a business is to work on your emotional intelligence. A quote I love is, “The quality of your life is the quality of your emotions.” Once you can master your emotions, you will be able to weather the storm that entrepreneurship can sometimes bring with grit and resilience. //

Finding the correct supplier: All our products are allergen-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free. Finding ingredients that match this profile has been challenging.

Summer 2023

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business

MORLEY IVERS AND MICHAEL BARUCH Sharing Their Passion for Cookin Cookin is a newly launched, homemade food delivery marketplace by long-time friends and business partners, Morley Ivers and Michael Baruch. The platform allows emerging and established cooks and chefs to turn their home kitchens into virtual restaurants to create community through their unique meal offerings. The passionate, Toronto-born co-founders spoke about their exciting launch and vision. Photo courtesy of Morley Ivers and Michael Baruch

by Rose Ho What makes Cookin different from other food delivery apps or services that have dominated the market in the last few years? Michael: I think when you think about people within our society today, and the choices that they have as it relates to feeding and nourishing their families, they have [many options to cook or order food]. What we do is empower amazing, talented food creators trying to reinvent themselves after the upheaval of the restaurant industry [which] — through COVID and even before then — [was] an environment where these food creators really weren’t living the type of lives that they wanted to — working 14-hour shifts, not paid that well, in conditions that weren’t ideal. We’re providing a platform where folks that are looking to nourish their families or feed themselves can go onto the Cookin app and find a local food creator in their community, learn about that person’s background, their inspirations for cooking, and order an on-demand, hot, fresh, ready-to-eat, exquisite meal delivered to their door. That’s something you can’t really get anywhere else. The difference with what we’re offering is that personal connection with a chef, a food creator, a baker, or just a cook who is trying to share their passion for feeding and nourishing others. It’s a powerful tool that we think is a big differentiator.

The recently Michelin-starred Toronto chef Patrick Kriss is part of Cookin’s advisory board. Can you share about

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how he became part of Cookin’s development? Morley: When I originally moved back to Toronto, part of the conversation with Michael was, “Hey, I think it would be lovely to partner with the best, most renowned restaurateur and chef in Toronto, and see what they thought about [Cookin].” I said, “Michael, I haven’t lived here in 13 years. Who would that be?” Michael didn’t hesitate. This is way before we even knew that Michelin was reviewing restaurants in Toronto. We ended up meeting with Patrick. We shared a bit about what our vision was for Cookin, what the technology is, and how we want to use this platform as an empowerment tool to enable people to start their own small businesses and [for] unbelievable food creators to [express themselves through] food. Michael: It was also great to hear from Patrick when we talked about Cookin. He said, “I wish this was around when I was starting my career.” He knows firsthand of friends and colleagues that really struggled to find themselves and the challenges in starting a restaurant today — even before COVID hit hard — and the cost associated with starting one — all the things that chefs have to be good at to run a successful restaurant.

Please talk about one of the chefs who have signed up to Cookin’s platform and how they represent the diversity of Toronto’s food scene. Morley: Inclusiveness and diversity are

two of the pillars upon which we pride ourselves here at Cookin, both in our team, but also in the cooks at large. There’s been nearly 600 food creators to date that have expressed some interest in joining Cookin. We’re excited to onboard many of them. Some of my favourites are newcomers to Canada, who brought with them their cultures and recipes. Through their food, they have an opportunity to tell the story of where they came from. One of my other favorites for delivery is Thai food. The first time I ordered from Chutikarn on Cookin was the first time I realized that I probably have never had authentic Thai food in my life. This is a woman who emigrated from Thailand to Toronto, and when I tasted her food, I tasted flavors of her home. This was not a dish made with a ton of oil by someone just trying to put out a meal quickly on the line in the back of a restaurant; it was a meal made with love and care. When I read that card [that came with the food], it said, “Dear Morley, thanks for ordering for me at Cookin. These are the recipes of my childhood,” I realized that my kids, my wife, and I were fortunate to experience Chutikarn’s food in our home. There was this relationship that was created and that goes back to the very vision that I was speaking about earlier — this notion that Cookin can enable us to unite people together with food. That’s our dream. That’s our desire. And we just happen to have a wonderful business model around that, too. //

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leadership

by Susan Gebrezgie

n Canada, consumer savings can stimulate economic growth in several ways. Disposable income leads to more spending, which naturally leads to economic growth. When consumers have disposable income, they are more likely to spend it on goods and services, which drives demand and contributes to economic development.

On the other hand, consumer savings can also have an inverse relation with economic growth as a high savings rate could mean less consumption, which may lead to a lower gross domestic product (GDP). For example, if consumers save too much, it can lead to a decrease in demand for goods and services, which can slow economic growth. A balance between savings and consumption is essential to ensure a healthy and stable economy. The pandemic is a prime example of such financial instability caused by less spending.

1. Consumer savings can help governments have a more stable financial position A high savings rate can help governments have a more stable financial position, which can stimulate the economy during a downturn. When consumers save, they are less reliant on government safety net programs, which reduces government spending and stabilizes the country's fiscal position. This provides governments with more flexibility to stimulate the economy during downturns through tax cuts or increased spending on infrastructure projects. Additionally, a stable financial position and a stable currency are both factors that can help attract foreign investors and promote economic growth.

2. Consumer savings can attract foreign investment A high savings rate and a stable fiscal position can attract foreign investors because investments represent a strong, stable, and resilient economy. It’s also important to note that countries whose national savings rates are high may not be dependent on foreign direct investment (FDI); consequently, the risk arising from volatile FDI decreases significantly as the country's economy

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While some individuals and households may have saved more due to reduced spending on travel, dining out, and other non-essential expenses, the effects of the pandemic on the economy have been severe, with many businesses shutting down and unemployment rates rising significantly. The Canadian government has implemented several measures such as government stimulus payments and increased employment insurance benefits to help mitigate the economic impact, but it's still uncertain how long it will take for the economy to fully recover. There is hope for an economic upturn, as some experts believe that a high savings rate during the pandemic could be useful in the long-term recovery process because it provides funds for investment and consumption once the economy starts to recover.

is less affected by changes in global economic conditions or the decisions of foreign investors. Such countries have a large domestic pool of savings that can be used for investment; therefore, with a high savings rate, these countries can finance their investments and develop projects to reduce the need to rely on foreign capital. A country with a high savings rate may still choose to attract FDI to supplement its savings, access new technology, or gain access to new markets. The U.S., France, and China are examples of developed countries with relatively high savings rates; however, they are not completely “self-sufficient” as they still depend on other factors such as trade, tourism, and remittances.

3. Consumer savings can reduce inflation A high savings rate can reduce the pressure on the economy by reducing the demand for goods and services, which keeps inflation in check. When consumers are not spending as much, it can reduce the pressure on prices to increase. Additionally, a high savings rate can reduce the pressure on the central bank to increase interest rates to curb inflation — as witnessed in the housing market — which keeps inflation in check.

Consumer savings can also promote competition among businesses by providing funds for new businesses to enter the market and compete with existing businesses, which keeps prices in check. Finally, consumer savings can reduce speculation in asset markets, such as real estate and stocks, by providing a stable source of funds for investments. This can reduce the volatility in such markets and keep prices stable.

4. Consumer savings can promote business growth and innovation Consumer savings promote business growth and innovation by providing businesses with access to capital that they can use to expand and grow. This can include funds for new product development, marketing, hiring new employees, and investing in new equipment or technology. This investment in productive assets leads to job creation and economic growth. Consumer savings can also provide funds for investment in productivity-enhancing technologies, equipment, and training, which increases output and keeps prices low. This makes businesses more efficient and increases their competitiveness.

5. Consumer savings can promote social welfare Some people may not trust that consumer savings can promote social welfare. Many argue that savings alone are not sufficient to address social welfare issues, and other factors such as government policies and programs, access to education and healthcare, and economic conditions are also important. Additionally, some believe that savings are not accessible to everyone, especially those in lowincome households or who are struggling financially. However, a high savings rate can provide governments with the resources they need to invest in social welfare programs by creating a reduced dependence on government assistance and promoting financial stability. This stability allows Canadians to be more resilient in economic downturns. Having a higher level of savings assists Canadians withstand unexpected expenses such as unemployment, health issues, and other emergencies. After all, savings help people become financially secure, which plays an important role in promoting overall social welfare

6. Increase in consumer spending An increase in discretionary income is as a result of consumer savings. This helps boost demand, support business growth and investments, and drive consumer spending. Investments such as mutual funds, stocks, and bonds can be channelled directly from savings, to provide businesses with capital to fuel innovation, job creation, and expansion.

7. Education and skill development Investment in education and skill development can be powered by savings. This will allow the enhancement of qualifications and skillset towards the contribution of economic productivity. Savings can support continuous learning throughout one's life, encouraging individuals to stay updated with industry trends, technological advancements, and emerging fields. Investing in things like entrepreneurial education, and training programs/ skill enhancement programs, such as vocational training, or professional development courses, empowers individuals to develop the knowledge

and skills necessary to start and manage their own businesses; and to acquire new skills or upgrade existing ones.

8. Retirement security Savings directed towards retirement plans or pensions contribute to the overall financial security of individuals, reducing dependence on government support, and allowing for continued economic activity in retirement. When retirees have a secure and stable source of income from their retirement savings, they are more likely to engage in discretionary spending. This increased consumer spending contributes to the growth of various industries and businesses (i.e. travel, leisure activities, etc) boosting economic activity. Further, this increased spending creates demand for retirement-specific goods and services, such as healthcare services and senior housing. The demand for these goods and services drives growth in relevant industries, leading to job creation and economic expansion. Retirement security enables retirees to pass on their accumulated wealth to the next generation. This intergenerational transfer of assets can provide financial stability to the younger generation, enabling them to invest in education, entrepreneurship, homeownership, or other productive endeavors, fueling economic growth.

9. Wealth creation and intergenerational transfers Consumer savings can accumulate wealth over time, providing a foundation for intergenerational transfers, entrepreneurship, and investment. Financial security for future generations enables individuals to provide financial security for their children and grandchildren. By building wealth, individuals can support their family members' education, entrepreneurship, homeownership, or other aspirations, thereby empowering future generations to achieve economic stability and success. Overall, consumer savings serve as a catalyst for wealth creation and facilitate intergenerational transfers, allowing individuals to build financial security, support their loved ones, and contribute to the overall economic growth and prosperity of future generations. //

RAHIM MOHAMMADI Mortgage Broker M12001193 Managing Partner

Licence# M15000307 | Fisco# K-137068

Cell: 647.389.5955

3601 Highway #7 E. Suite 210 Markham, ON L3R 0M3 P: 905.305.8771 F: 905.305.8122 E: ramo200055@yahoo.ca Summer 2023

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economics

HOW AGRICULTURAL EXPANSION CAUSES BIODIVERSITY LOSS by David Messiha

or thousands of years, humans have toiled in cultivating the earth to harvest it for food. Nevertheless, this has taken a toll on our environment and the species. For example, slash-and-burn is a widely used agricultural method to clear wild or forested land, to remove trees, and burn the remaining vegetation. The resulting ash provides the newly-cleared land with a rich supply of nutrients to fertilize the crops. This method of growing crops results in deforestation, and cutting down the trees causes the loss of several natural habitats and species. A nature sustainability report noted that if left unchecked, agricultural expansion would increase biodiversity loss by 38-52 per cent by 2023.

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economics

Biodiversity Loss and The Food System

efﬁcient land zoning and planning can reduce the fragmentation of the remaining natural lands. It protects farming activities and farmland by preserving the land, fostering growth in rural areas, and prevents conﬂicts with urban agricultural land.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal species on our planet. Biodiversity loss occurs when plant and animal species become extinct or are reduced in number. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), our global food system is the primary cause of biodiversity loss. A report by Chatham House, a worldleading policy institute that supports sustainability, mentions that agriculture alone is an identiﬁed threat to 24,000 of the 28,000 species at risk of extinction. The report highlights that the rate of species at risk of extinction today is higher than it has ever been before.

How to Preserve Global Biodiversity Agricultural expansion affects the variety of plant and animal species on our planet, which results in biodiversity loss. If we do not act now, this could impact our ecosystem, health, planet, species, and the climate. Plants, for example, are harvested for both modern and alternative medicine. These medicines play a pivotal role in saving lives; with the effects of biodiversity loss, half of these plants could be lost by 2050, according to the WHO. The impact of climate change also endangers bees and other migratory pollinators; if bees are lost, that would affect the food supply chain. Bees play an important role in pollinating plants; if the plants die, we will have less diversity, and our ecosystem will collapse. A study by The Royal Society of London, an independent scientiﬁc institution dedicated to promoting excellence in science for the beneﬁt of humanity, highlighted three food system strategies to preserve global biodiversity. 1.

Growing more crops in more land-efficient and inputefficient ways Growing more crops efficiently requires employing environmentally efficient and sustainable methods for increasing crop yields, which involves using integrated farming methods on certain types of soil. Integrated farming fosters enhanced productivity per unit area, proper waste management, fights against deforestation, and overall environmental safety.

Decreasing the growth in global crop demand via reduced waste and healthier diets The pressure on our ecosystems can be reduced by relying less on agricultural crops and reducing the demand for it. This can be achieved by opting for alternative food choices like seafood, which is healthier than red meats and has more animal protein. Educational programs can also reduce the global demand for food by raising awareness when it comes to food waste practices. For example, the study disclosed that improving storage and refrigeration procedures reduces product loss between harvest and retail.

Can The Food System be Reformed? We must admit that our food choices signiﬁcantly impact the environment, health, society, and even the climate. The 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit concluded that we should recognize that the food systems we built and established over the years are unsustainable. Governments must enact feasible strategies and policies to understand the link between food production, and its impact on the environment and our diets to make it more sustainable. By setting practical science-based goals, governments can decrease the effects of biodiversity loss. Working collaboratively with farmers, they can unlock enhanced solutions to create sustainable and equitable agricultural practices that will reshape the food system to work better for our society and the planet. We too can play a role by adapting our diet. Embracing a plant-based diet, for example, can impact animal agriculture, biodiversity, land use, and the environment by remarkably reducing waste and pressure on the land. The greatest gain for biodiversity occurs when we preserve our ecosystem. In doing so, we will have cleaner water, maintain our soil, regulate the climate, and most importantly, provide an environment where plants and wildlife can thrive. //

Wisely planning land clearing to minimize habitat fragmentation Increased agricultural yields require converting more natural habitats into croplands and pastures; nevertheless,

Summer 2023

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economics

SAM YANG

Driving the Innovative Mindset Sam Yang is a serial tech entrepreneur with a warm and vibrant personality. Growing up, Yang’s family moved around a lot. He was born in Korea and grew up in the Philippines, where he attended an American boarding school. In 1996, the family immigrated to New Brunswick, and the next year, they found themselves in Toronto. All throughout his childhood, Yang was fascinated by technology. Photo courtesy of Sam Yang

by Josephine Mwanvua As an ambitious 17-year-old, Yang created a portfolio of websites built from scratch. He started knocking on doors, asking businesses if they needed one. “I walked down from Yonge and Steeles, all the way to Bay. It took me a day and a half,” Sam recalls. He built over one hundred company websites and began consulting for big brands like GE and Compaq Canada. The tech mogul shares his entrepreneurial knowledge and the diverse future of radar technology.

You’ve co-founded a couple of tech startups. What sparks your innovative imagination? I think for a lot of tech entrepreneurs, like myself, especially the serial entrepreneurs, it’s not just one idea that drives that passion. It’s about working on a common problem that human beings or the world is facing and how to disrupt that. That drives that innovation mindset because you’re always thinking differently. I'm going to quote a friend of mine who said, “If you always do what you have always done, you get what you always got.” So, you’ve got to do something different. Number one, identify the problem, and number two, come up with the innovative way to solve it that is greater than anyone else has done in the past. With tech, the challenge is also building a technology that no one has done. You can't do it yourself. You’ve got to have a team. Fortunately for me, the reason why I was able to be innovative is not just because of me — I'm the visionary, planting a seed out there and saying, “Hey guys, here's the problem we all face. I think this is a solution, but I need your help.”

At Xandar Kardian, you use radar technology to sense motion, vital signs, and occupancy in a space. What prompted you to build such a product? I came in after the tech was somewhat established. I brought in the vision to move this forward into a consumer product that can be commercialized. My co-founder is Professor James Cho — I met him in 2016, and it was quite mesmerizing. The technology’s very small [and] simple. The first time I was exposed to it, I was standing somewhere on a wall and [Professor Cho] told me my breathing rate. I thought, “What do you mean? I'm not wearing anything.” What we have done from 2011 as a research group was to challenge what you can possibly do with radar, other than measure distance. When you think about radar, a lot of the radars now are in vehicles to measure the distance of the car in front of you, behind you, and beside you in real time. But Professor Cho and his team thought they could do more than that. We focused on a different type of radar, and we were able to get micro- and nano-vibrations from the body, such as reading motion and heartbeat from the skin.

[companies] really need now? Everyone knows they can reduce the space, but by how much, and which department, and who? You’ve got to get accurate dwell time and occupancy counting information. On the Kardian side, COVID-19 also had an impact with hospitals, long-term care [facilities], and people at home. There's a need for automatic, continuous, noncontact monitoring. If you have [patients] wear [gadgets], you're going to face compliance issues. After a couple days, patients may stop remembering to wear and do things, and that means you're not getting any health data. Health systems start getting overwhelmed because they're always reacting to something. So, if you fall down or have a heart attack, you're reacting to that — emergency rooms and ICUs are going to be overwhelmed again. That was already a problem before COVID-19. So, our goal is to monitor health 10,000-plus times a day, automatically. We're getting micro levels of change in your health to see change indicators. If you have a heart attack, for example, we could potentially predict it days in advance. We believe to be solving two major problems. //

What do you envision for Xandar Kardian’s future? The future is super bright for us, mainly because we have, over the past five years, been able to identify and fine tune exactly why and where our solution fits. On the Xander side, we're seeing a huge increase of interest in our solution because of COVID-19; companies around the world [adopted] hybrid working, but then, that means how much space do

Summer 2023

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economics

ELLEN SPARRY

Championing the cause of Canadian Agriculture Ellen Sparry has farming in her blood. It’s something the C&M Seeds’ General Manager says is a common trait among people in agriculture. It’s that hematogenic passion that has earned Sparry the 2018 Honorary Life Recipient Award from the Canadian Seed Grower’s Association. In February 2021, Sparry collaborated with others to form Seeds Canada, an amalgamation of four organizations that represents seed growers, analysts, breeders, and others in the agricultural industry. The Edge, A Leader’s Magazine spoke to Sparry about the challenges facing the Canadian agriculture industry. Photo courtesy of Ellen Sparry

by Kenny Hedges What qualities would you say one must possess to be an influential leader in Canadian agriculture? It takes passion, I suppose, for what you are doing and the topic you're in. It doesn't necessarily have to be agriculture. I think any career where you're looking at leaders and those that are inﬂuencing it takes passion, I think, for that topic and that industry and that career. Dedication. I like to refer to it as work-life integration now, not work-life balance, where we're trying to blend everything together. Good people behind you, backing you up, whether it's at work or colleagues or even your own mentors as you go through things. It's funny, I never think of myself necessarily that way. I'm just kind of doing what I do because I'm passionate about agriculture, so I like to make sure there's progress for us also.

Since its founding, what has been Seeds Canada's biggest challenge? What do you see for the future? I tend to think about the challenges of that amalgamation process and going through COVID. We had to do it all virtually, where our members were used to getting together face-to-face. I am the current president, but the challenges again are just bringing the organization together from a staff perspective, bringing members back into the room. There's never a lack of challenges going forward. It probably will be different ones than what we are facing today.

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Currently, 5.8 million Canadians are living with food insecurity. What can be done agriculturally to address this? There are other things that obviously need to be addressed, making sure that we are helping farmers and helping our businesses to be successful. Technology is going to play a big part in making sure we can grow enough food for our growing population, for accessibility. I think there's some challenges coming on how we do that. Something else of concern, particularly in Eastern Canada for us and in Ontario and Quebec, is maintaining farmland. But, I think Agriculture’s role is to ensure we are growing an abundant crop of healthy nutritious food to feed into that food insecurity.

Your passion is rooted in your family. Forty per cent of the nation's farmers are retiring in the next 10 years, few of them have succession plans. Do you find that that family connection is something we are losing? I'm from a family farm and have a family as well. I think for a lot of people in agriculture, it seems a bit to say it's in your blood. I think if you dig a little deeper into those stats—the older generation moving on—I think what we are seeing now are larger family farms. And those family farms are a business, like any business. So, I know there's lots of dialogue about concern on corporate farms. Ninety per cent are considered family farms. They may just be running under a title. So, I think that's still from a family perspective, I think it's still there. It's just there larger.

In 2021, 30 per cent of Canada’s farms were female-operated, up from 28 per cent in 2016. Despite this continuing rise, some have noted stereotypes are still rampant. What’s the best way to address them? I think in the family farms, you know, the women play an integral role with the men, and they always have. For women, my favorite quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” I think as women become more conﬁdent in their own selves and their own businesses, we'll see that become even more evident. From an industry perspective, I think where the challenge comes in is for women who are working off the farm. I think we have a long way to go in childcare and making it more affordable. But I’m seeing lots of women in corporate roles within agriculture industry, too. We've come a long way. //

economics

FARMING AND FOOD STATISTICS OF THE LAST 3 YEARS

by David Messiha he COVID-19 pandemic led to worldwide disruptions in trade and export. Nevertheless, the food and agricultural industries proved more resilient than other sectors. As food and agricultural markets expand, so do consumers’ choices, creating more incentives for farmers. Agricultural markets are essential to improving the livelihoods of millions, contributing to food security and ensuring food moves from surplus to deficit areas. Monitoring the ever-changing landscape of the agricultural market is essential. The following infographics give you a brief glimpse of average yields, staple crops, and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change.

2022 Farm Product Exports $177B

$56B

$51.3M

$20.2M

Number of Farms Canada 189,874 farms

USA

CAN

2,000,000 farms

USDA’S Agriculture Service trade data, published by the Department of Commerce, shows that exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world totaled $177 billion, topping the 2020 total by 18 per cent and eclipsing the previous record, set in 2014, by 14.6 per cent. Canada exports $56 billion worth of farm products every year. Indonesia produced 51.3 million tonnes of palm oil in 2022 and exported 33.7 million GAPKI estimated. In 2023, palm oil output is expected at 50.82 million tonnes and exports 26.42 million tonnes.

Family farms produce around 80% of the world’s food.

During 2022-2023, Thailand is expected to produce around 20.2 million tonnes of rice, up from 19 million tonnes in the previous season. Domestic consumption will account for 12 million tonnes, with the remainder earmarked for export.

List of Countries with the highest Proportion of farmers Bhutan Burkina Faso Nepal Burundi Rwanda

942,000 5,062,000 10,109,000 3,022,000

Farming plays an important role in agriculture. The agriculture industry requires farmhands to support farmers to complete time consuming tasks that a farm requires. In addition, farmers rely on many other professions to run their farms successfully. At left is a list of countries with the highest proportion of farmers.

3,734,000

Summer 2023

the EDGE

economics

What Do Farms Grow Most? The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that there are roughly a quarter-million plant varieties for agriculture. Wheat, rice, and maize provide over 50% of the world’s plant-derived food energy. Canada

USA Canola 99.2%

Wheat 97.6%

Barley 96.2%

Countries with the Most Arable Land Arable land is land ploughed or regularly under a system of crop rotation. India and the United States account for roughly 22% of the world’s arable land. India has the most arable land in the world, followed by the United States, Russia, China, and Brazil, and the other countries listed at right.

Top Agricultural Exporters in the World Food drives the world. Besides clean water, access to adequate food is of primary concern to the world’s population. This makes agriculture one of the largest and most significant industries in the world. Agricultural productivity is important to balance trade and the health and security of a population. Below is the list of countries with the largest agricultural exports.

the EDGE Summer 2023

Corn The United States is by far the world’s largest producer and exporter of corn, with production in the 2019–2020 season pegged at 346.0 million metric tonnes. Soybean The second largest crop grown in the United States is soybeans. Potatoes The most produced vegetable in the US is potatoes. The United States produced more than 42 billion pounds of potatoes in 2020.

economics

Agricultural Facts: Countries That Produce the Most Food

The World’s Top Agricultural Staples/ The World’s Most Produced Crops

Food is a major economic commodity. Agriculture products require a lot of land. Below is a list of countries that produce the most food.

Cereals

Indonesia Indonesia is one of the leading agricultural exports by country in 2022. It is the largest producer and exporter of palm oil. It produces about 46 million metric tonnes of palm oil and exports oil worth $17 billion every financial year. The country can export such large quantities of palm oil because more than 90% of the world's palm oil trees are found in Indonesia and Malaysia. United States The United States is arguably a superpower in every sector, including the agricultural export industry. The country is a top exporter of soybeans. That's because the United States is the leading producer of soybeans globally. The nation is expected to ship about 2.15 billion bushels of soybeans outside its borders in 2022. China

2.3 Billion Tonnes

China is the largest producer and exporter of garlic. Garlic production in the Asian country contributes to more than 80% of global production. China produces more than 23 million tonnes of garlic every year. It mainly exports garlic to the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Vietnam, and Indonesia. India India is the largest rice exporter globally and has maintained the lead for more than five years now. In 2019 alone, the country exported 18.75 million tonnes of rice to other nations. India exports its nonbasmati rice to African and Asian countries. In contrast, its premium basmati rice is exported to the United States, the Middle East, and other nations in Europe and Australia. Nigeria Situated in western Africa, Nigeria is a top exporter of cocoa beans. The country produces about 270 thousand tonnes of cocoa beans every year. The main importers of Nigeria's cocoa beans are the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Belgium.

600 Million Tonnes

Iran Iran is one of the biggest exporters of watermelon. By March 2022, Iran had already exported more than half a million metric tonnes of watermelon. Iran's large watermelon production is due to its warm weather, which is favorable for planting and harvesting the fruit. The leading importers of the Iranian watermelons are Armenia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, and Oman. Russia When it comes to wheat, Russia is the largest exporter. The nation exports about 18% of all wheat in the international market. Wheat production in Russia peaked after the fall of the USSR. The new government promoted individual farming and allowed people to start large-scale wheat production. Brazil Brazil is known for its vast production of sugarcane. It is the largest exporter of sugarcane to the international market. It supplies more than 60% of the world's sugarcane every year. Large sugarcane production in the Latin country is promoted by mechanization, availability of many varieties, and government support through the issuance of incentives and farm products.

7.4 Million Tonnes

Cereal account for more than half of the world’s harvested area. Cereals are grainproducing grasses, such as wheat, rice, maize, and millet. Of the 2.3 billion tonnes of cereal produced, about a billion tonnes are destined for food use, 750 million tonnes, and the remaining 500 million tonnes, is either processed for industrial use, used as seed, or wasted. Rice Rice is the primary crop and food staple of more than half of the world’s population. Asia is the world’s largest riceproducing and rice-consuming region. The annual global production of rice amounts to over 600 million tonnes of paddy rice (the whole grain before milling), 90% of which is in Asia, where the largest producing countries are China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand. Plantains and Bananas Plantains and bananas belong to the same genus; the primary difference between the plants is that plantains tend to be cooked or processed prior to consumption, whereas bananas are often eaten raw. Plantains, which fruit yearround, are a major staple in West and Central Africa, the Caribbean, and coastal South America. Uganda is the world's largest producer of plantains. According to the FAO, Uganda produced around 7,401,579 tonnes. Geographically, the production of plantains in Uganda is concentrated in the Western regions. India is the top country of banana production in the world. As of 2021, banana production in India was 33.1 million tonnes.

Summer 2023

the EDGE

economics

Canada and America’s Largest Agricultural Exports Canada Canada is the world’s leading producer and exporter of maple products, accounting for 75% of the global market. In 2020, Canadian producers exported over 61 million kg of maple products, with a value of $515 million. The province of Quebec is by far the largest producer, representing 96.4% of Canadian product exports. United States In 2021, the biggest agricultural export in the United States overall was soybeans, resulting in $27.37 billion in export value. The U.S.'s biggest exports in the agricultural sector are soybeans: $27.37 billion; and Corn: $18.72 billion.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Agriculture currently contributes to 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Soil tillage, crop and livestock transportation, manure management generate more than 17 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gases a year through current agricultural practices Animal-based foods account for 57% of the emissions and plant-based ones make up 29%. (14% is other).

29%

33%

14%

$17B SOURCES

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/16-201-x/2009000/part-partie1-eng.htm

https://scienceagri.com/10-worlds-biggest-plantain-producers/

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https://commodity.com/soft-agricultural/canola/

asp

https://www.agweb.com/markets/world-markets/who-produces-what-key-agriculture-

https://farmflavor.com/lifestyle/farm-facts-the-united-states-farmer/

stats-around-globe#:~:text=Corn%20is%20the%20most%20produced,rice%20with%20

https://ourworldindata.org/smallholder-food-production

756.7%20million%20tons.

https://www.fb.org/newsroom/fast-facts

https://worldmapper.org/maps/barley-production-2016/

https://reviewlution.ca/resources/canada-agriculture-statistics/

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/potatoes-production-by-country

https://farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2022/02/u-s-agricultural-exports-set-record-in-2021/

https://www.world-grain.com/articles/17968-brazil-on-track-for-record-soybean-

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Agriculture/Thai-rice-exports-to-Philippines-set-

crop#:~:text=The%20FAS%20estimate%20for%20the,of%2093%20million%2C%20

to-double-as-Vietnam-cuts-back#:~:text=During%20the%202022%2D2023%20

Abiove%20said.

season,the%20remainder%20earmarked%20for%20export.

https://knoema.com/atlas/topics/Agriculture/Crops-Production-Quantity-tonnes/

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/indonesia-palm-oil-export-curbs-

Bananas-production#:~:text=India%20is%20the%20top%20country,account%20for%20

biodiesel-plans-hit-world-vegoil-supplies-2023-01-13/#:~:text=Indonesia%20

53.79%25%20of%20it.

produced%2051.3%20million%20tonnes,exports%2026.42%20million%2C%20it%20said

https://www.statista.com/statistics/681740/asia-pacific-rice-paddy-production-by-

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220615/dq220615a-eng.htm

country/

https://www.alberta.ca/us-crops-where-are-they-grown.aspx#:~:text=from%20

https://beef2live.com/story-countries-arable-land-world-0-108929#:~:text=(Arable%20

market%20noise.-,Corn%2C%20soybeans%2C%20barley%20and%20oats,the%20

land%20is%20land%20ploughed,of%20the%20world's%20arable%20land

United%20States%20is%20soybeans

https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0712/top-agricultural-producing-countries.

https://beef2live.com/story-ranking-produced-vegetables-united-states-0-

aspx

213873#:~:text=The%20United%20States-,Potatoes%20are%20the%20most%20

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/maple-sugar-industry

produced%20vegetable%20in%20the%20United%20States,pounds%20of%20potato

https://www.howtocook.recipes/the-biggest-agricultural-export-of-every-u-s-

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220615/dq220615a-eng.htm

state/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20the%20biggest%20agricultural,Corn%3A%20

https://www.statista.com/statistics/196103/number-of-farms-in-the-us-since-2000/

%2418.72%20billion

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/fnlo0222.pdf

https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions-food

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/agricultural-exports-by-country

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-how-much-food-contributes-to-

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wbt-staple-food-crops-world

climate-change/

https://agritrop.cirad.fr/559930/1/document_559930.pdf

https://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-highest-proportion-of-

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wbt-staple-food-crops-world

farmers.html

https://www.mappr.co/largest-banana-producing-countries/

the EDGE Summer 2023

policies

THE POLITICAL ASPECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE by Nick Dauk

limate change is a controversial topic, particularly in the realm of politics. The connotations of action and advocacy differ when discussed in political, scientific, and social contexts. For some, championing climate change means adding it to a political agenda; for others, no amount of action will be enough until global warming ceases. According to the Canadian government, the country as a whole is being impacted by climate change at twice the global rate. The Canadian Arctic is even more so, at a warming rate three times higher than the rest of the planet. Scientific evidence projects that this rate will continue, if not worsen, over the coming years. Calls to address climate change are coming from both local communities and global organizations, though policy-making and impactful political action remain limited.

Limitations of Belief Despite unequivocal scientific evidence that the planet is warming at a dangerously unprecedented rate, there are large portions of society who do not take these facts as truth. A poll released by Abacus Data in 2018 cited that nearly one-third of Canadians were not convinced that human and industrial activity was causing climate change. It’s important to note that the study of science is inherently focused on both proving and disproving the “facts” of the past. To entirely discredit the notion that current evidence may be incorrect is irresponsible; history features countless examples of theories and evidence that have either been disproven or revised in favour of contemporary knowledge. Regardless of what is presented as factual, political decision-making will rely on what individuals in society believe is truth. No matter the science, belief will always have the most powerful influence action.

Limitations of Action Factual evidence and collective belief aren’t enough to spur change, even if they encourage action. Politics are an ever-changing concept; even when laws or policies are written in black and white, proponents and opponents of climate change advocacy will still leverage the grey area to benefit their cause.

Policy-makers remain limited by their official abilities, partnerships with constituents, and ability to actionably enforce their stance. Though it is up to our elected leaders to pave the way for reversing climate change, it’s also society’s responsibility to create and sustain change outside of the political arena. People and businesses both contribute to and are impacted by Canada’s climate change; without their collective action, irrespective of political agenda, it’s unlikely that necessary improvements will occur.

Where Does Canada Stand? According to the Clean Energy Canada report from June of 2021, the country has already taken urgent action to address the climate crisis over the last five years, thanks in part to the PanCanadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change that was adopted in 2016.

The reality is that climate change is having a negative and measurable impact on Canada, an impact that each and every citizen and visitor will feel in one way or another. Our residents and tourists of the future will be affected by the political aspects surrounding climate change advocacy and action. Regardless of how science and societal belief influence future political aspects, it’s vital to remember that climate change is currently occurring. The action — or inaction — of today’s political response to climate change will only serve to either strengthen or undermine the potential solutions of tomorrow. //

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, highlighted areas throughout the country where these changes are happening in real-time: from the Halifax-based CarbonCure Technologies, developing tech that injects carbon dioxide into fresh concrete, to Saskatchewan’s Covenant Energy, which is building a renewal diesel facility while also recycling the hydrogen it’s producing.

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2022'S FEDERAL IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE by Peter Campbell

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n statements on successive days, Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, expressed concerns over how the so-called Freedom Convoy might affect trade relations with the United States. However, a legion of noisy truckers on a chilly month in Ottawa were only a part of the ongoing trade issues that Canada faced — and continues to face.

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A country’s balance of trade is defined by its net exports (i.e. its exports minus its imports) and is influenced by any and all factors that affect international trade, including exchange rates, trade policy, foreign currency reserves, factor endowments and productivity, inflation, and demand.

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One of the primary reasons that the federal government involves itself in international trade is to strengthen the competitiveness of its industry, to promote investment and trade, and to ensure fair trade takes place through the enforcement of trade laws and agreements. International trade not only allows countries to expand their markets, but it also allows access to goods and services that might not otherwise be available domestically. This results in the market being more competitive, which, in turn, creates more competitive pricing and a less expensive product for the consumer. Import tariffs are one of the most common ways in which a government can intervene in international trade. Governments can also affect trade globally by creating subsidies, taxing the public and giving the money to an industry, adding taxes to foreign products in order to lift prices, and making products that are produced domestically more appealing. However, should the government choose to stop an international trade — whether protectionist or retaliatory — there are a number of tools available in the government toolbox to create an international regulatory trade barrier, from tariffs and quotas, to subsidies, standardization, licensing, and a number of non-tariff barriers. As pointed out by the Canadian Association for Business Economics (CABE) in their report “Global Affairs – Canada’s State of Trade 2022,” Canada’s trade with the world has faced multiple challenges over the past several years, including pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions and travel restrictions, shortages of critical components to production, as well as contending with inflation and other disruptions that were a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. As CABE notes, through all of this, Canadian exporters have been remarkably resilient, and exports have surged to record highs. Late in 2022, the Government of Canada reported that economic activity was “slowing globally, and more sharply than expected, with inflation higher than it has been in decades.”

Budgeting for the Future In April of 2022, the Government of Canada released its Federal Budget, titled “Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable.” The budget sets the fundamental groundwork of the federal government’s goals for national economic development, promising continued investment in economic growth and innovation in Canada. In the budget’s section “Strengthening Canada’s Trade Remedy and Revenue Systems,” three key points were noted:

• The announcement of the government’s intention to introduce amendments to the Special Import Measures Act and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act to strengthen Canada’s trade remedy system by better ensuring that unfairly traded goods are subject to duties, and increasing the participation of workers. • A proposal to provide $4.7 million over five years — starting in 2022/2023 — and $1.1 million ongoing to the Canada Border Services Agency to create a Trade Remedy Counselling Unit that will assist companies, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. • A proposal to introduce amendments to the Customs Act to implement electronic payments and clarify importer responsibility for duties and taxes. The budget went on to note, “The Canadian economy has staged a strong recovery from the pandemic. Our workers and businesses have displayed remarkable resilience as the world endured multiple waves of COVID-19. Real GDP returned to pre-pandemic levels earlier than expected. Canada’s jobs recovery has outperformed its G7 peers, and surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. Economic scarring from the pandemic has largely been avoided.” A month after the release of the budget, the Bennett Jones International Trade Group released its insight into “Canada’s Federal Budget 2022 and Canadian Sanctions Implications.” Since the amendments proposed in the 2022 Budget Implementation Act have “the potential to affect the operations of Canadian businesses that trade with, provide services to, or engage in financial transactions with organizations and individuals associated with sanctioned persons, including those who have interests in property that is also owned, held, or controlled — directly or indirectly — by entities and individuals subject to sanctions,” Bennett Jones advises that businesses should evaluate their current exposure in sanctioned regions and closely monitor developments. What lies ahead for the rest of 2023? No one can possibly know for sure, but Canada and its international partners are committed to supporting global trade and investment by keeping the supply and trade links open. As stated in the 2022 Canadian Budget: “A strong and accessible trade remedy system protects Canadian workers and businesses, while effective revenue systems ensure that trade flows are effectively enforced.” //

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS THAT ADD VALUE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

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RAWLSON KING

Prioritizing Affordable Housing and Healthy Communities It’s likely that Councilor Rawlson King walked through the Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward he represents to his office in downtown Ottawa this morning. The city’s first black councilor doesn’t take his relationship with his constituency lightly and considers that kind of outreach just another part of his role. King was elected in a historic by-election in 2019 and re-elected in 2022. A long believer in community and volunteer work, King has used his position to create the city’s first anti-racism office and strategy. King spoke to The Edge, A Leader’s Magazine about the importance of volunteering and establishing safe neighbourhoods. Photo courtesy of Rawlson King

by Kenny Hedges As someone with a long history of community volunteer work, can you speak a little about the importance of having that background?

With rising unionization, and several notable labour conflicts, where do you see this going in the coming years? What’s important to remember?

lost children to violence. They actually want to work with the police to ensure that there can be the pursuit of justice for their unimaginable loss.

It's helpful to volunteer at different community organizations that give you a sense of what the needs, expectations and aspirations of the community are. So, I just think it's very important that people volunteer just generally to really assist the community and ensure that the community needs are being met.

It's difﬁcult at the municipal level, [but] we do regulate land use, and we need to pursue the development of more affordable housing, both deeply affordable and affordable housing for million-dollar income people, through non-private housing mechanisms. The key is ensuring that we provide homes for people, especially the indigent, and people who are chronically homeless who have issues with substance abuse or mental health. When people are healthy, then they can contribute better to society.

I think it requires a cultural change there as well. And the only way that you can level cultural changes with meaningful input is from within the community. My concern is that the new board might not be as reform-minded as the old board was.

You cited Rideau-Rockcliffe as an especially economically diverse crosssection of Canada. How do you best serve such a complex constituency? You bring everybody. There’re some people with needs and I guess everybody has desires. Everybody desires the best place to live. So, I think what you do is you try to bring ranks across the entire community with one another to make improvement. In an amazing example, Rockcliffe Park is one of the most afﬂuent neighborhoods— not in Ottawa, but in Canada. The community association there while entering COVID, said food bank use increased by 30 per cent. They said, “We want to ensure that we are contributing to help communities in need.” So, they raised over $100,000 to buy food from local businesses and provided that to residents in lower areas. That's something that we should be doing, and it will now be a part of our overall safety and well-being plan.

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You see the impact more acutely when you are in a crisis. I think after seeing that challenge from the pandemic, there's unanimity around the council table that we need to move forward, and to really address some of these challenges, especially around affordable housing.

You left your position on the police board because you didn't want public safety to be a “wedge” issue. How do you feel the relationship between the public and police is, particularly the BIPOC community? Regular residents want to know, if their kids interact with the police, that the outcome will be safe and productive. One of the things I didn't expect as an elected ofﬁcial is the number of times that I had to console parents who have

You said you used to walk through the neighbourhood to your job. What’s an average day like for you now? Oh, I walked to work today! [laughs] Whenever I get an opportunity to do that. I mean, I'm a downtown councilor, I live near downtown. I don't think that we should always consider ourselves with a lot of ego in the position of city councilor. You're not that important. You should be representing the people who sent you to City Hall. No day is typical because sometimes you are dealing with a crisis. It's not a job, it's a role. It's a role and you're just trying to represent your constituents the best as possible. The best way to do that is to be very accessible. //

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ROYA RAHMANI Trailblazer Diplomat And Women’s Rights Activist Roya Rahmani’s story is one of inspiration – from growing up in war-torn Afghanistan, to making strides in her many diplomatic roles. She’s been an agent of change for two decades, including in the capacity as Afghanistan’s first female ambassador to the United States, from 2018 to 2021. She is well-admired in diplomatic circles, and was recently a guest at the 2023 US State of the Union address, her third one to date.

by Dave Gordon Currently, she works as a distinguished fellow at the School of Foreign Service Institute for Women Peace and Security. In addition, she’s Chair of Delphos International, where she’s been “active in connecting clients to enterprise capital, and financial advisory services, all over emerging markets.” Rahmani was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1978. Some six years later, the Soviets invaded, and by the time they left in 1989, civil war erupted, and schools were closed for months due to safety concerns. Out of safety concerns, her family fled to Pakistan in 1993, where she attended a school for refugees. After winning a World University Service of Canada scholarship in 1999, she attended McGill University, where she earned a Bachelor’s in software engineering. She would later attend Columbia University, completing a Master’s in public administration and international law. Afterward, Rahmani worked as the Country Director of the International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development organization in Kabul, between 2004 and 2007. For her work on a marriage document that secured equitable rights for the family, she was awarded the Best Human Rights Activist Award by Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission. Between 2009 to 2011, she managed a program adopted in eleven countries that promoted women’s empowerment. She also worked for two years as a subject matter expert with the NATO Joint Forces Training Center, and as a consultant with

Photo courtesy of Roya Rahmina

the New York Department of Education, the United Nations Secretariat in New York, the Department of Trade and International Affairs of Canada, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, and other NGOs. Rahmani served as Afghanistan’s first female ambassador to Indonesia, from 2016 to 2018, where she solidified relations between the two countries, culminating in economic and cultural cooperation. As ambassador to the US, she held meetings on security issues, and updated the White House on policy positions. In the middle of her tenure, she was featured on Time Magazine’s “100 Next List” as a “fierce advocate of peace on Afghan terms” in 2019. Afterward, she continued to advocate for women’s rights. “As far back as I can remember, I was obsessed with the view of the norms and rules that discriminated against the genders - the limitations for women and girls. I remember as young as five years old, really questioning these roles and norms. It has shadowed my career, all around my resume.” Her homeland is “particularly, a country where the violation of women’s rights is happening, not comparable to anywhere else in the world.” She spoke out on this issue during her last visit to Afghanistan in 2020, as the Doha Talks had just concluded between the Taliban and the US government. She said “that agreement was very worrisome” as there was no representation or protection for women. “It was a complete handover

of Afghanistan back to the Taliban.” In contrast, Canada, to its great credit, has played a role in improving international women’s rights, she believes. “All the efforts that were made had good results. When Canada funded education programs, all the women benefitted from that. That’s going to stay with them for the rest of their lives. They are educated, for generations to come,” she said. “The one suggestion is: they shouldn’t be discouraged when they don’t see media coverage or stories of great things happening as a result of their work. You just have to trust and know you are empowering young girls and women. It has an impact.” Of critical importance is that women in the developing world need to be taught about tech and finance, and provided economic capital. “That’s going to be a game-changer. Until we address that, nothing will change.” Meanwhile, she hopes others will take examples from her achievements, and help move the needle for women’s success. “As you’ve noticed or can see, almost every job that I’ve ever held, I have been the first one to do it – or at least the first woman to do it. I hope that would be seen by young girls. I want to show young girls that it’s possible, and maybe help contribute to their confidence – because the ride hasn’t been an easy one.”//

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EIGHT START-UPS REVOLUTIONIZING THE FARMING INDUSTRY

by Rob Shapiro

griculture is an industry that feels like it hasn’t experienced much change over the decades. It’s as if farmers are impervious to time, simply going about their business the way they always have. We picture them as rugged, hard-working people who wake up at the crack of dawn and work until sundown to turn a profit. But is this perception or reality? Farming has undergone quite the revolution to modernize and streamline its operations while minimizing its environmental impact. This “revolution” has been brought about by the spirited innovation of start-ups, many of which are employing cutting-edge technologies to ease the burden of farming and help farmers become more efficient and profitable. While many companies have enhanced the efficiency and productivity of the agriculture sector, eight start-ups have ushered it into the 21st century. Each has elevated the agricultural sector and tackled many of the industry’s environmental concerns head-on.

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SOSBio: Developer of Organic Fertilizer The chemicals associated with farming are often harmful to the environment and the health of consumers. SOSBio is the manufacturer of a microbial-based, organic fertilizer designed to make organic farming more affordable for the average person. Anyone who has visited a banana stand at a grocery store and noticed the price difference between bananas and organic bananas can appreciate this mission. Their fertilizer is made of organic pellets and proprietary bacteria. It can be used on a wide variety of plants, and is known to improve the health of soil and is beneﬁcial to the environment. All of this comes at an affordable price.

IRRIOT: Eliminating Water Scarcity Through Wireless Irrigation IRRIOT launched an IoT wireless irrigation solution to remove expensive in-ﬁeld wiring. It utilizes solar powered watering stations that are environmentally conscious and require no maintenance. This system combats water scarcity — which affects 33 per cent of the global population — helps feed more people, and takes care of the planet through water-saving measures.

Dahlia Robotics: Removing the Need for Herbicides

The technology will provide much needed relief to farmers who constantly worry about their yield and the efﬁciency of their operations.

Artemis: A Platform to Manage Farming Operations Artemis offers farmers a Cultivation Management Platform (CMP) to manage plants, people, operations, processes, and compliance, all in one place. Artemis also benefits the sector by expanding traditionally thin margins and giving farmers greater control over their productivity. This allows them to simplify, streamline, and find gaps in their productivity. It even provides the option to monitor and manage remotely, delivering flexibility to a sector that has long been considered too rigid to evolve.

Apeel Sciences: Technology to Create Abundance Apeel Sciences’ goal is to reduce food waste to create an abundance of food for everyone. This might sound far-fetched; however, Apeel uses nature’s technology to grow produce that can last longer. This can lower food waste across the entire chain that ranges from growers to retail stores and even includes consumers.

The autonomous robots engineered by Dahlia Robotics patrol ﬁelds to identify and remove weeds. This seems to have a practical residential purpose — who wouldn’t want this for their backyard? — nonetheless, this technology has pushed the farming industry forward in exciting ways.

The long-term reward of the work done by Apeel is farreaching, and its beneﬁts are incalculable. Less food waste can lessen the burden placed on the environment to produce the amount of food needed to feed the global population.

The robots are equipped with artiﬁcial intelligence to ensure they don’t damage the crops. The start-up’s true beneﬁt to farming and consumers is the elimination of herbicides while providing access to more sustainable farming practices. Dahlia’s goal is to evolve their robotic technology so that it can detect pests, diseases, lack of nutrients, weather damage, and much more.

Urban farms might sound like an oxymoron, but they are a big part of farming’s future. Urban farms are excellent for the environment and keep consumers close to their food, fostering more appreciation for what we eat. Infarm is a rapidly growing urban farm network that grows a variety of produce year-round with no chemical pesticides.

CropX: Soil Data in Real-Time Historically, agriculture has had its fair share of shortcomings. One such shortcoming is accurate soil data that can be compiled in real time. Enter CropX, a start-up which has brought to the market a platform equipped with a proprietary soil sensor that provides farmers with relevant data. This precision agricultural technology is designed to safeguard crops, improve their yield, reduce the amount of water needed, and, generally, keep a farm running smoothly.

Farmwise: A System for Greater Food Production Farmwise develops systems and processes to help farmers enhance and streamline their operations and, in effect, create greater efﬁciencies for food production. Farmwise’s data-driven solutions leverage plant-level data to dictate ﬁeld actions with greater precision. This is important for vegetable farmers whose costs, regulatory pressure, and

associated environmental concerns have all increased over the years.

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Infarm: A Network of Urban Farms

Essentially, these farms are climate machines, each with an ideal climate based on the crop. They also collect realtime data to show how the farms respond to the smallest environmental change.

More Changes Coming to Modern Farming The image of a farmer with a big hat and till is long gone. Start-ups have taken the industry by storm and made an indelible mark on the farming industry. Through technologies, many of which are only scratching the surface of their potential applications, these companies are upending the old agricultural systems to create a more efﬁcient, user-friendly, environmentally conscious, and, ultimately, more productive industrial farming method. It’s safe to assume that this is only the start of the agricultural revolution. More gains can be made to lower the environmental impact of the farming industry to increase overall operations and ensure that healthier and affordable food can be served in every home around the world. //

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SHOULD YOU START A FOOD CO-OP BUSINESS? by Josephine Mwanvua

ome entrepreneurs want to do right by their communities. For those who do, applying human-centered or communitydriven approaches to business is important. The cooperative business model —with various types applicable to all industries — is usually found in the food industry. These companies want to provide local quality food to neighborhoods. The advantage of a co-op is that customers can own a share of the company while contributing to its operations. A group of people get to join forces and shape their community by implementing what they want.

In this post-pandemic era, community has become increasingly valued. In a highly individualistic society such as the West, we’re beginning to recognize that real changes happen when we come together. In fact, community is now a marketing trend in 2022, and is set to grow in 2023. Since the pandemic started, a community-driven model has increasingly been adopted in businesses, according to GUILD.

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What kind of business is a co-op? A cooperative is owned by its members, who are shareholders. Members vote on products and services they want to see, and a board gives opinions that influence the final decision. There are at least two kinds of individuals: producer-members and customer-members. Producers are the ones who provide the goods. Customers become members when they acquire a membership. Typically, non-members can purchase goods as well. The goal of the co-op is to respond to one or more of its community’s needs. For instance, an underserved neighbourhood lacks access to quality foods, and someone may feel inspired to help. In a wealthier part of town, someone may still see a gap that can be filled.

What kind of goods should I focus on? You might want to make it as niche as possible so that the business has more chances of being successful. For example, Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram ran Rawfully Organic for 11 years, providing fresh produce to people in Houston, Texas. CarilloBucaram eats a fully raw vegan diet, and the goal of her co-op was to promote a raw vegan lifestyle. Even if some customers weren’t fully eating raw diets, at least her community could access more organic produce.

Does my food co-op have to be a grocery store? Grocery store co-ops often close their doors. Before the popularity of organic and fair-trade produce, grocery coops had a leg up because many of them provided these uncommon options. Now that big chains have adopted this trend with competitive pricing, grocery co-ops must do more to retain customers. Vancouver’s last grocery co-op, The Commercial Drive, closed its doors in 2022 after 50 years because they couldn’t compete, according to CTV News Vancouver. But with a little innovation and adaptability, it’s possible to make your co-op dreams a longstanding reality. Consider being a community hub. Co-ops can organize events. They can also collaborate with other businesses, rent out their space, and more. If it’s a store you want, why not fully operate online? Or you can act as a medium between consumers and producers instead, so that customers get goods directly from farmers. It’s an alternative to stocking predicted inventory that may expire before it sells. A food co-op business can also be a restaurant delivery service! Delivery Co-op, based in Kentucky, is owned by restaurants, delivery drivers, and customers. The company has zero delivery fees. Instead, customer-members subscribe to a monthly membership that covers an hourly wage for delivery drivers. This way, the co-op makes compensation possible for drivers, who also get benefits.

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UberEATS, SkipTheDishes, and DoorDash are known for exploiting their delivery drivers. Since the pandemic, food delivery services have skyrocketed in sales. According to Routific News, “Uber’s delivery revenue grew 81 per cent between 2018 and 2019… but from 2019 to 2020, that rate pole-vaulted to 179 per cent as more people ordered takeout amid COVID-19… Uber Eats’ revenue now exceeds that of its ride-hailing arm, reaching $8.3 billion in 2021, a 72 per cent year-over-year increase.” Delivery giants increased their fees and added more charges. Restaurants pay a percentage of delivery fees per order, and steep charges also hurt consumer pockets. Some of these fees are quite frankly uncalled for — such as a tax for the service fee. According to Smiley Pete Publishing, restaurant-members of Delivery Co-op pay a flat fee every quarter or month, and they keep all of the money they make from orders.

How will shareholders benefit? In a cooperative, the net income generated by members is called a “surplus.” On the other hand, a “profit” is the net income generated from non-members. Profit needs to return to the co-op’s reserves, but the surplus may be distributed to members. The amount and way it’s distributed must be outlined in the bylaws, according to The Cooperative Development Institute. Surplus distribution can be as cash dividends. Part of the surplus can go into a reserve that allows members to benefit from discounts, or it can go back to the company. According to the Institute, there are also “class B shares,” which are passive equity options that “offer an innovative way for co-ops to raise capital without ceding too much control.”

How are employees compensated? Many co-operatives make use of volunteers, who are members. But just like Delivery Co-op, you can think of ways to make compensation possible for employees. Otherwise, they get paid through dividends or any other way you choose to pay your members. A cooperative is for those who are more interested in building community wealth and health rather than maximizing profits for shareholders. To make sure this is the best avenue, hand out a consumer survey in the community to see if people are interested in the idea, including what products they would want to buy, and if they’d like to join the board. Before starting a co-op, you should have a couple of solid potential members. There are several free and detailed resources online to help you get started that outline everything you need to know. //

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CHANTELLE QUOW The Compass for Your Company

While she was running her own entrepreneurial venture, Chantelle Quow had a revelation: she could have used a business mentor. Things would have been less challenging, she said, and she would have experienced fewer pitfalls, if she had one. But the good news for everyone else? It was what inspired her to eventually help others build their businesses.

Photo courtesy of Chantelle Quow

by Dave Gordon It began when Quow, who had worked with entrepreneurs and bookkeeping, came to realize that many clients didn’t have a business plan. “They were just doing the day-to-day in order to survive. They weren’t thinking about where they wanted to take their business.” She stepped up to the plate to help them, and the work became lucrative and meaningful enough to develop into a side gig, and soon, it replaced her old job. “I was helping people realize their dreams,” she said. “I haven’t looked back since.” Today, she’s President and CEO of CQ Business Consulting Inc, which provides a wide range of business growth and mentoring services – from coaching and strategic planning on an individual level, to executive level training and development. “It’s about really listening ... and helping clients reach the goal that they set for themselves,” she said. “We help untangle things...and help you figure out how your business can run more efficiently and effectively.” One of the most common mistakes made by entrepreneurs is focusing first on things like branding, rather than demographics

and audience, she cautioned. “It’s not the fun stuff, but it is the important stuff.” She wants every entrepreneur to know the importance of a good strategy, and she cautions against being a solo. “A team is everything. You can only get so far alone. Having a solid team in place can take your business to a place you never even realized.” In that respect, she takes her own advice, and coralled her own “A-Team,” with specialties in marketing/communications, business strategy, adult learning, and tech. “We all put our brains together and come up with well-rounded solutions to help organizations with a full capacity of things within their business.” In recent news, she’s worked with non-profit organizations, and created programs for the black community, where she said many do not have access to consultants “to help them be more efficient and get larger grants and funding.” In 2021, she was part of a research study called Foundhers, where they examined black female entrepreneurs in the for-profit and not-for-profit space. “It highlighted that there are a lot of significant barriers

for them to access capital. A lot of them said that it was business upscaling, mentorship, networking, confidence building, things like that that inhibited them from getting funding,” she said. “Having those mentors and people like myself in those spaces to help them streamline, or people willing to donate those funds, is something that they are lacking.” To help mitigate the problem, her team created an online platform to highlight black female entrepreneurs in Canada, who are actively seeking funding. As a final word of advice for any entrepreneur, she underscored that, just like knowing the importance of a plan, a plan cannot be executed without a team leader that knows what it takes to lead. “Great leadership is leading by example, not being afraid of getting down and dirty with your team, and also providing opportunities for them to learn and grow,” she said. “I ask clients and my own team: ‘what are areas of growth you want to see in yourself and how can we help you achieve that?’” //

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JERRY ABRAHAM Insight from a Veteran

It’s likely you’ve seen Nutribar, the popular meal replacement bar, on supermarket and grocery store shelves. Launched in 1979, it was also the first nutrition bar sold in Canada. It remains a bestseller in its food category to this day, and a quick, healthy supplement for our busier-than-ever lives. Photo courtesy of Jerry Abraham

by David Solomon The man who oversees the operations, Jerry Abraham, isn’t merely a business executive. As the CEO of Stella Pharmaceutical, he also comes with medical knowledge – a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Master’s in Pharmacy Administration – which has afforded him insight to human dietary needs required to fine-tune the product. On top of which, he received sales and marketing training at The Thompson Medical Company in New York. This afforded him the opportunity in 1967 to oversee Stella Pharmaceutical Company in Canada, the U.K., Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. Since 1994, Jerry Abraham and his family have been owners of Stella, a onetime subsidiary of Thompson Medical Company. Stella currently runs such brands as Minard’s Liniment, Dodds Muscle Pain Relief, and Nutribar. Lately, developments on Nutribar have included removing artificial sweeteners, and this year, the brand is launching a low-carb formula, keto diet, and a vegan bar. He spoke with The Edge, A Leader's Magazine about management, success, and more.

How would you describe your management style? My approach was about how to integrate family business values in managing a business more than focus strictly on the profit side. In some ways, that compromised the perfect business model. They would never teach this in Harvard Business School. My son is a graduate of Harvard Business School, and he’s always looking over my shoulder like, “Why are you doing this?”

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In the long term, it is a benefit to the family. Originally, we started out representing products from U.S. companies. Over time, we bought other products and expanded organically. We were always very close to suppliers and customers. That, I think, plays an important role in the ongoing wealth of the business. That is critical to success: You have to be close to your customers and suppliers.

Can you describe your own role in the company? It’s a funny thing. I like to delegate to people who have competence. If you think it’s a good idea, go ahead and run with it. If you are not successful, we won’t do that again. Next time will be better. My role is to see that other people are being as effective as they can in their assignments and giving them a lot of responsibility and authority to do what they have to do. I want them to do, and know, that if they make a mistake, it is okay – as long as you don’t bankrupt us. Do what makes sense, if you are competent.

Are there people who influenced you? I think the biggest influence for our company in Canada was one individual – Don Forbes of the Drug Trading Company. He was a very important mentor for us, a very savvy and understanding individual. For years, he would guide us through the management of the business. Other people who we met through the years, later on – like Murray Koffler and David Bloom from Shoppers Drug Mart – were very important people.

How do you promote a new product? There is a very big change in terms of marketing. It used to be newspaper, magazine, television, and radio. Today, it’s the internet. The consumers are consumed by the internet and their attention span is limited, because there is so much going on. You can catch them through Facebook, or however they communicate. I think this is a revolution in how marketing is going to happen. It’s started already, but I think it’s going to be a bigger, more important trend in terms of how to market a product. Also, we are starting to go to consumer shows. We haven’t done that in a long time. We now offer a product called Nutribar Type 2, directed to consumers with diabetic issues. We can market that to either the doctors who talk to the patients with diabetes, or the consumers, if they go to shows that deal with this issue.

What differentiates a good manager from a great manager? That’s a really good question. A person who wants to mentor people and see them grow is going to be a great manager. A person who wants to just manage, get in and get out, is not going to be a great manager. //

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winners' circle

MALIK WILLIAMS Fast Agility and Reﬂexes

For Malik Williams, the sky is the limit; the 23-year-old professional baseball player has a wealth of achievements. Apart from being named among the most notable players in the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference American baseball championships, he received the National Collegiate Association Team Award, one of the most prestigious awards in college athletics, in 2022. Most recently, he was offered a contract with the Ottawa Titans baseball team and was traded to the Evansville Otters team in Indiana. The Edge spoke to Williams about his goals for the future, what inspires him, and what makes a good baseball player. Photo courtesy of Malik Williams

by David Messiha Can you tell us more about yourself? Where did you grow up, and where did you go to school?

coached us in basketball, and my mom coached us in baseball. It was just nice looking up to them.

I grew up in Toronto, Ontario. I went to Porter Collegiate high school in Scarborough, and then I got a scholarship to a school in Kansas. I went to Johnson County Community College for two years. I received another scholarship for a division one school in Tennessee called Lipscomb University. I was there for three years and graduated from there. I was recently offered a free-agent contract with the Ottawa Titans and was traded to an all-American team called the Evansville Otters.

You received the All-American Team Award. Can you tell us more about this award and what it means to you?

Your brother also played college baseball. Was he an inspiration for you to become a baseball player? Do you have any role models? Yes, he was. I have seen his love for the game from a young age. We both played basketball and baseball, but we decided that baseball was our sport. We went on to play collegiately at the division one level, and we both played professionally, too. My dad inspired both of us to play basketball. My mom was actually the one who played baseball. She played baseball in a local league in Toronto; she was the one who really got us into baseball. Both of my parents were coaches, too. They both coached me and my brother. I feel like that had a big role in us liking and striving in those sports. My dad

I would say this is one of the most prestigious awards in college athletics. There are about 15 people on the team, and there are three different teams. They have a ﬁrst team, a second team, and a third team. And that’s about 45 of the best players in the country. This award really meant a lot to me because it was just valuing me as one of the best three ﬁrst basemen in the United States.

What would you say are the ideal qualities of a baseball player? I would say to have at least a decent speed and know how to ﬁeld and throw the ball accurately. Someone that can make the routine plays all the time and someone that makes extraordinary plays that are hard to make. Also, he must have a feel for hitting, whether that’s hitting for power or for contact. A player must have good hand-eye coordination and consistently hit the ball hard. That would make them a good prospect.

keep striving and keep working as hard as possible. The harder you work, people see it as well as coaches and scouts. They know who’s a hard worker and who’s not a hard worker, and that’s going to really separate you from others, to just be disciplined. Work on consistency, and I believe you will do great things.

What are your dreams for the future? Obviously making it to the major leagues. That is my goal, and that’s what I’m striving for right now. I am already in with the minor leagues, but I just want to make that jump as soon as possible. I have to keep going for it. I want to play for any major league team. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind playing for any team, but I would say the Toronto Blue Jays would probably be my top choice; just playing for the hometown team I feel like that would be a cool experience; a lot of family and friends can just come and watch. That would be cool.

What would you like to do when you aren’t playing baseball? I like to work out and go to the gym, and just hang out with friends and family. I would say those are my two biggest things. //

What advice would you give younger athletes aspiring to become like you? I would tell younger athletes to chase their dreams and give it all they have. Even when you feel like quitting, just

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winners' circle

Nicole Havrda Following her Passion for Racing Nicole Havrda is making a name for herself as a young woman in the world of motorsports. In a male-dominated industry, she’s breaking barriers and inspiring a new generation of young girls to follow in her footsteps. The Formula 3 Driver drives open-wheel and GT cars, and currently races in the Formula Pro USA series, as well as Formula Regional Americas, among others. As a teenager, she found herself driving top speeds as a Formula 3 racecar driver. Her grit, determination and positive outlook has set her up for success both on the racetrack and in her everyday life. Nicole spoke with The Edge, A Leader’s Magazine about her passion for the sport, the importance of being true to yourself and the value of role models. Photo courtesy of Nicole Havrda

by Stephanie Hawkins Can you speak about how you got into car racing sport, and what excites you the most about it? Prior to racing, I was a competitive swimmer, I skied, and was pretty active in general. My dad took us on a trip to Europe, and he loved F1 [Formula 1 racing]. We went to a track in Austria— initially I didn’t want to go—but once I was there, I immediately fell in love with the sport and decided that’s exactly what I wanted to do. I started researching driving schools and how to get into the sport, because obviously you don’t jump into a racecar right away. I started go-karting, and was racing all around Canada and America. Through this, I was given a really great offer that got me into racing formula cars. I was approached by people who were making a documentary about women in motorsports, featuring female racers in particular. It was a really exciting opportunity to be a part of this, and it was a major step in helping me make the transition from go-karting to formula cars.

What challenges have you faced in racing, and what qualities do you need to be successful in it? I think everyone faces different challenges, but as a woman, there are particular challenges around gender

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and the perceptions of you as a female, especially in an often very male sport. If a girl wins a race, guys are sometimes upset by it; I have seen that happen sometimes. It’s very male dominated—I’d see a couple of women here and there when I was go-karting originally—but now I see more girls becoming involved. This is growing, with more and more young girls starting to get into the sport, which is great! I think it’s very important for them to have someone to look up to and see women moving into Formula 3. I think another challenge for women in racing is social media. There is often a comparison to guys in the same sport [on social media] and so as a girl, you need to be aware of what you post and to know your audience. With the focus on me as a racecar driver, it’s really important to be marketing yourself. Many people underestimate that. This year, my father and I have really focused on the business marketing side to get my name out there and create more awareness for the sport.

What advice would you have for other young people when faced with obstacles in life? I think it’s important not to judge yourself or compare yourself to others, just stick to your own path and always try to be positive and outgoing. If you believe

you can do it, you can. It’s sometimes good to just go for it—as you have nothing to lose.

Who has been a positive role model for you, and how have they shaped your worldview? One role model in racing would of course be Lewis Hamilton. I actually got to sit down and have an interview with him on TSN, and he’s amazingly positive and always trying to help more people get into the sport. I think he’s one of the biggest role models for me and someone I look up to. I recently watched the documentary, The Last Dance, about [Basketball Star] Michael Jordan. I really loved his dedication to the sport and his focus. He was always in the zone and went after what he wanted. I think they’re both great examples of role models for me in my sport and goals. // To further support Nicole’s journey, check out her charity here: https://m.charitableimpact.com/1UKi

winners' circle

TAREQ HADHAD Standing up for the Greater Good The Founder and CEO of Peace By Chocolate, Tareq Hadhad is a highly inspirational business leader, keynote speaker, and chocolatier who knows all too well what it’s like fleeing your native country. His family settled in Nova Scotia, having to restart their lives again, as well as their family business, from their homeland of Syria.

Photo courtesy of Tareq Hadhad

by The Edge Team Since your last interview with us, you’ve had a book and a movie released about Peace By Chocolate. How does that feel? Has the company garnered more attention? Since the release of the book and the movie, brand awareness has been growing significantly. We’ve seen steady growth not only in North America, but around the world. The movie released in Canada in the spring of 2022, and then we were in film festivals around the world. I travelled [across] the planet to show the movie and shake hands with people who weren’t aware Canada has that sense of welcome to newcomers. The response has been absolutely tremendous.

You have a strong belief in reconciliation with First Nations in North America. Has Peace By Chocolate implemented such initiatives or plan to do so in the future? Absolutely. One of the first initiatives was a bar called Wantaqo’ti (pronounced wan-tahk-oodi), which means “peace” in Mi’kmaw. The land we’re on now is called Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia). We believe, as newcomers, we have the responsibility to have the utmost respect and to make sure the future is brighter than the past. For me, as someone who arrived as a refugee, seeing people born in Canada who still don't know the value

of advocating for reconciliation and to know the truth of what happened, is heartbreaking on so many levels.

in 2019 to hire 50 refugees and mentor others. So far, 10 businesses have been started by [our refugee mentees].

The second initiative was called Nitap, meaning “buddy” in Mi’kmaw. We created the Nitap bar when organizing community workshops — to teach people the real meaning of friendship while teaching our friends of the Indigenous community how to make batches of chocolate on their reserves.

The main purpose for businesses should be about serving the community and environment with good products that are also competitive.

Now, we’re working on [other] major partnerships within the next year. One of them is happening here in Mi’kma’ki, but the others are happening across Canada.

There are many ways I work on challenges. The first one is looking at them as opportunities. A crisis is there to teach us something, so I ask myself what it’s there to teach me. One of the major things I believe in, since [childhood], is a popular saying my father used to tell me: “We don’t lose; we either win or learn.”

Your business takes part in fundraising partnerships. What are some other ways entrepreneurs can work for the greater good while still making profit? Profit isn’t against charity, and charity isn’t against profit. People are now looking for businesses that are stepping up and taking a leadership role wherever it is needed. Business is about changing lives, whether you change your life by becoming an entrepreneur or change the lives of customers and employees. We have a non-profit — Peace on Earth — where we donate from our for-profit business to many causes, but businesses can do whatever they want to step up. For example, we made a commitment

What helps you get through challenging moments in your entrepreneurial journey?

Facing challenges with that mindset is very helpful to entrepreneurs, especially now after the pandemic. People can work on renewal every day — that means not forgetting where we came from, but focusing on where we’re going, and rebuilding [through] new partnerships.

What advice do you have for new immigrants aspiring to be business owners in Canada? First, start with your “why.” Why do you want to start a business? Does the business fit your lifestyle and ambitions? We need to ensure newcomers are aware of the amount of opportunities business can open for them. //

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INDONESIAN IRON AND STEEL PRODUCTS ARE SUITABLE FOR CANADIAN CLIMATES

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leadership

LEADERS PAVING THE WAY IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

by Sean Plummer

t seems unlikely that many of us really gave much thought to the production and availability of food until COVID-19 hit. Then, as both the staples and treats we loved disappeared from store shelves or saw massive price hikes, it became apparent that the global network that stocked our supermarkets was worryingly fragile. Remember when everyone wanted to make their own bread in lockdown, but yeast could not be found for love or money? That was a mild instance of a real problem — food insecurity — that is only going to become more severe in the coming years.

Indeed, making food and getting it to consumers is becoming more of a challenge for a number of reasons. These include climate change, an increase in pests and pathogens worldwide, concerns over the labour conditions of seasonal workers, population expansion, and food waste. There are companies, however, that are tackling these issues, and they are poised to do well for themselves while doing good for all of us. Here, we look at ﬁve of the most innovative ones transforming the food space and ensuring that the world has enough to eat in the years to come.

DouxMatok Almost everyone loves sugar, but no one enjoys the tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, and heart and liver disease that can result from its overconsumption. Israeli-based food-tech start-up DouxMatok is addressing that concern with Incredo Sugar. This form of sugar crystal has been engineered to taste 30 per cent to 50 per cent sweeter than regular sugar. This means, for instance, that a cookie made with Incredo can use that much less product to make it taste as sweet as one baked with regular sugar. Made with real cane or beet sugar, Incredo is primarily being used by food brands, bakeries, and other food makers instead of the general public. DouxMatok struck an agreement with Canadian sugar company Lantic in 2020 to manufacture Incredo in North America.

Vision Greens Vertical farming does not signify the end of traditional farming in Canada yet, but it is arguably a more efﬁcient use of space, water, and other resources. First, let’s explain the term: vertical farming refers to growing plants in a

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building on multiple levels. This controlled environment provides plants with the exact amount of light, water, and other nutrients it needs. One of Canada’s leading vertical farms is Vision Greens. This Ontario-based company can create as much produce (right now, that means lettuce, arugula, and basil) as a working farm, but on ﬁve per cent of the land. They also farm 365 days a year and service markets within a 200-km radius, meaning their produce is fresh and leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than if it was shipped worldwide. Their produce is grown without herbicides or pesticides and is sustainable — an important point in a province that is losing 319 acres of farmland every day.

Aspire Food Group It is going to take a vast shift in the mindset of Western consumers for them to prefer insect protein to the ones found in a juicy hamburger. But with arable land decreasing worldwide and beef production being the single biggest contributor to greenhouse gases, one answer to food insecurity may be the harvesting of insects — already a source of protein to over 2 billion people around the globe. The Aspire Food Group was in part looking to tackle the problem of food insecurity when they opened their London, Ontario cricket farming facility in the summer of 2022. While the 13 million kg of cricket protein it currently hopes to produce there annually will go towards pet food for now, they hope to tackle the bigger problem of human hunger in the years to come. This is an especially promising strategy, given that crickets are protein-rich and require only a fraction of the food, water, and land needed to raise other sources of protein, like cows.

Too Good to Go The fact that half of all food produced in this country goes to waste is especially

galling, in light of how many Canadian families don’t have enough to eat on a regular basis. Worldwide, nearly a billion people are considered malnourished, primarily due to poverty and unequal food distribution. Copenhagen-based food wastage app Too Good to Go is hoping to rectify that problem somewhat by connecting consumers in countries around the world (17 so far, including Canada) with local food-serving companies. The app gives them the chance to buy food that has not been sold that day in “Surprise Bags” for about a third of their retail cost, although the bags are never more than $10. The app, which came to Canada in 2021, allows these companies to proﬁt off food that would have been trashed, customers to eat fresh food at a fraction of the bag’s actual value, and to reduce the waste that ends up in dumps.

Benson Hill American food tech company Benson Hill is using cutting-edge technology — including cloud computing, machine learning and AI — to unlock the genetic diversity within plants to make them more nutritious and abundant. This means using predictive breeding and gene editing to improve a number of crops. These include its specialty soybean varieties, which are ultra-high in protein and high in oleic oil, which is related to skin health. These soybeans are a key component in the alt-meat category that aims to produce nutrition for human consumption while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions typically associated with meat production. Farmers also beneﬁt from new revenue opportunities and the sustainable farming practices required to farm their Benson Hill crops. The company’s innovative approach appears to be working on a business level as well, with its consolidated revenues increasing 307 per cent in 2022.

With the population expected to rise from 8 billion to 9 billion by 2050, how humanity is going to feed itself — and that includes your sourdough starters — is, to say the least, a pressing issue. New technologies, business innovation, and changing our eating habits are all important places to start, and these companies are leading the way. //

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leadership

SUCCESSION PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT by Nigel Taklalsingh

Defining Succession Planning and Leadership Development According to the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), succession planning is the “process of identifying and internally developing talent with the specific objective of replacing key business leadership positions in the company.” This definition highlights a necessary requirement for effective succession planning: the importance of leadership development in identifying internal talent. According to Deloitte Insights, 86 per cent of leaders believe that succession planning is an important priority; however, only 14 per cent conduct it well. The same is true with leadership development, as 79 per cent of leaders believe that identifying high-potential leaders is a high priority, but only 16 per cent have a formal process, according to Harvard Business Review (HBR). This detachment between strategy and execution “leads to excessive turnover at the top and destroys a significant amount of value — close to $1 trillion a year among the S&P 1500” (HBR). Specifically, this loss in value is attributed to a combination of “loss of C-suite intellectual capital and ill-prepared internally promoted executives” (HBR), all a consequence of poor succession planning.

Businesses need to reframe how they look at these challenges. Succession planning and leadership development are risk mitigation and business continuity measures. These actions ensure that a business continues to operate if there is a loss of key personnel. According to a 2022 Mercer report, a lack of succession planning creates blind spots for enterprises, which “can have a negative impact an organization’s ability to attract and retain talent, potentially limit growth and productivity, and have adverse long-term implications.”

Risks of Not Creating a Succession Plan or Focusing on Leadership Development The risks associated with the absence of succession planning and leadership development are related to the dilemma of the pay-back period. While the pay-back period has a longer horizon compared to other investments, the potential and the magnitude of the risks are real: •

Loss of key talent and corporate knowledge due to retirement or unexpected departures (e.g., disability or health-related issues)

Challenges with Succession Planning and Leadership Development

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Deterioration of business performance and possible loss of employment for employees

Developing a succession plan for a business can pose a challenge. While small- and medium-sized ﬁrms have a limited pool of internal talent to identify potential candidates, a leading issue is that businesses simply do not have the time. Focusing on managing and growing the business, acquiring new customers, keeping employees motivated, and avoiding risks can easily consume a business’ time.

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Lower business valuation due to uncertainty of the business’ future if the business is being sold

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Damage to the business’ reputation which can impact customer and supplier relationships

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Impairment to future revenue streams, which serve as a source of retirement or generational income

Companies also tend to view succession planning as solely related to CEO or senior executive positions. However, the risk of losing key employees also exists at other levels of the organization with employees who have acquired years of corporate knowledge or developed inﬂuential relationships with customers and suppliers. Another challenge relates to the pay-back period (i.e., the amount of time required to recover the investment of time, money, and effort). Effective succession planning and leadership

development can take months or years to establish, and the return is only realized after a key leadership person leaves the organization, which may not occur until years later.

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How To Create a Succession Plan and Leadership Development Program According to Forbes, talking with other businesses, through trade or business associations, that are in the process of succession planning, or have implemented their succession plans, is an effective approach to gather insights of how similar businesses have addressed this need and understand the resource requirements.

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The business also needs to consider the amount of time it can dedicate to building and managing an effective program. The needs of each business are different, and the amount of time a business can commit will vary. A minimum, yet appropriate, amount of time needs to be allocated to this strategy. •

•

Anchor accountability with an executive. This is typically associated with human resources and can involve engaging third parties with expertise in succession planning and leadership development, especially if the business does not have internal capabilities. Identify Key Success Factors (KSFs) that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Remove bias by assessing potential candidates on a deﬁned set of criteria and by communicating leadership development opportunities to all employees. According to HBR, this helps to uncover hidden talent in a business, especially when the future needs deviate from the current needs (e.g., transformation, international expansion, or acquisitions). Develop candidates through a curriculum that includes both technical and behavioural training, delivered virtually and in-person, which allows them to learn new skills and apply the learnings through job-rotations, stretch assignments, and other developmental opportunities.

Ensure that appropriate feedback and coaching is part of the program. •

Assess the progress and ongoing eligibility of candidates at deﬁned milestones, which sets expectations for when learning goals need to be achieved and allows the business to recalibrate its succession planning and leadership development strategy as the needs of the business evolve. The milestones also serve as interim returns on the businesses’ investment.

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Semi-annually evaluate the effectiveness of the succession planning and leadership development program. Conﬁrm that it is meeting the business’ objectives or KSFs. Identify gaps that may need to be addressed (e.g., the need for third-party expertise), and capitalize on the opportunities (e.g., increase the options for on-the-job application of the learnings).

Succession planning and leadership development may not be on the top of the agenda for a business compared to growing revenue, reducing costs, and increasing proﬁtability while operating in an uncertain and unstable environment. Discounting or delaying action to avoid risks with critical systems of a business can be detrimental. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. //

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CURTIS CARMICHAEL Polymath, Part Educator, Part Entrepreneur

At 20, he was a burgeoning football star, seemingly destined for the CFL. In 2017, he biked across Canada, raising $100,000 to raise awareness about the struggles of being raised in government-funded housing. Last year, he was named on Forbes’ prestigious “Top 30 under 30” list. Carmichael is also the author of Butterflies in the Trenches. His award-winning book is the world’s ﬁrst-ever augmented reality memoir. The Edge spoke to Carmichael about it all. Photo courtesy of Curtis Carmichael

by Marcus Medford Why did you turn down the opportunity to join the Canadian Football League? I've always made quick decisions that are extremely thought out. I have a very clear idea of what I want and what I want to do. After I came back from university, went to the draft, went through the combine, I ended up signing with an agent and talking to some teams. What I landed on is that I had a lot of concussions, and I thought, do I want to have a short life and be well known as an athlete, or do I have to want to live a long life and be less known? Also, I felt like I was here more than just as an athlete. I believe there was a lot I wasn't able to do because I stuck myself in a box for quite long. When I quit, the ﬁrst thing I did was ask the community how I can be of service. They almost closed an after-school program because they lost a $100,000 donor, so I rode across the country to raise $100,000 and we were successful. It was simple for me, it came down to what makes your heartbeat, what makes you feel alive, and that wasn't football for me anymore, so I chose my community.

Can you explain what the term “hustle entrepreneurship” means? It’s spelled two ways; one way to pay homage to Nipsey Hussle. I always believed that he was the best example of elevating the fabric of a disenfranchised community that the world’s ever seen. He hired thousands of people in LA, had multiple businesses that employed people from the neighbourhood, was

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continuing to revitalize the community through businesses, recreation, and housing that is now carried on by Destination Crenshaw and the Our Opportunity initiative. Part of my goal was inspired by something Audre Lorde said, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” I thought about Nipsey’s approach of continuing to disrupt the system, and dismantle the structures that don't beneﬁt everybody. But Nipsey’s mindset was while we're dismantling, let's also create our own institutions that beneﬁt everyone who's not being serviced; that's my approach.

Why did you want your book Butterfly in the Trenches to become the world’s first augmented reality memoir? A lot of the work that I do is trying to connect people to spaces and places they've never been to, but connecting them in a way that makes them feel like they have been there. That's like a bold thing that I tried to do with art, you're basically trying to teleport people to a time they're not from, and help them experience it in a way that they feel like it happened to them. I thought it’d be interesting if we brought that to literature. Every chapter is episodic and takes you back and forth through me growing up and also riding across the country. With the app, you can see all the photos at the end of every chapter are tagged with interactive video and audio experiences.

What are your goals for the future? Since I stopped playing football, my

goal has been to stop playing catch up. I wanted to add a new piece of IP to this space to build upon what people are already doing. I want to future-proof the hood, essentially. I want to build things and I do this through my nonproﬁt, Source Code Academy. We're in the process of building a campaign to access and raise funds to acquire a 50,000-square-foot building for the non-proﬁt, and we want to make Scarborough a destination for people, but also make it the centre of innovation and entrepreneurship for young people, Black people, and racialized families. This is my current priority and focus.

As a young child who dealt drugs and lived in public housing, what advice would you give young marginalized youths? I've worked with many different people in my lifetime and what I've realized is that everything created and that we use aren’t made by people smarter than any of us. The only difference is that they're bold enough to take a risk. When I realized that as a young person with no resources, no opportunities, that talent is universal, just opportunity isn't. When I realized that, it changed my perspective as a young person in the hood. I started to see my neighbourhood as Silicon Valley. Where’s the innovation, where’s the entrepreneurs? I started looking for things that were different. I’m not going to tell you what to do. Develop critical thinking skills to figure out what you want, figure out what sets you on fire, and you can follow that. //

leadership

SHANNON KATSCHILO Embracing the Future of Data

Shannon Katschilo is a recognized name in the tech and innovation sector as a pioneer and champion for customer and employee engagement as a drive towards productivity enhancement. Katschilo also advocates for the inclusion of women in male-dominated vocations, or roles considered too challenging for women because “why not?” and also because “women bring extraordinary talents and skills to the table.” The Edge met up with Shannon to discuss her current endeavour and of course, how her impact continues to be felt in the industry. Photo courtesy of Shannon Katschilo

by Chinenye Emezie As a software development establishment, what makes Snowflake unique in the technology and innovation industry, and how has that quality been leveraged? Snowflake enables every organization to mobilize their data with Snowflake's data cloud. We're a signal platform that delivers a unified data experience that spans multiple clouds and geographies. So, our customers in Canada can share data and drive value with organizations from the same platform around the globe. We handle all types of data, which includes structured and unstructured data. We can also span multiple work clouds, workloads, which would include data science, security, warehousing.

Let’s talk about the company’s efforts at delivering Data Cloud. What are some of its influences in the tech space? How has the company been able to impact its target audience with its vision? And what has been the Canadian experience, in terms of result alignment? I think the best example that I try to use here about the impact that we're having across Canada, one of the areas that I like to liken it to is the power of Snowflake if you are a customer, and within the airline industry. There's so much power at Snowflake, and I think this example really brings us to life. Snowflake, when we first started, was really breaking down data silos internally within an organization. So, if you are a customer thinking about the airline

industry, an airline needs data from their people to figure out which flight attendants and which pilots can fly that day, and where customers are coming from, and weather data. The next phase of data cloud concept is about breaking down external silos of data. What I'm really excited about is our investment in the public sector across Canada and the impact that we're gonna have on the Canadian citizen.

Coming to you personally, Shannon; as Snowflake’s Country Manager, Canada, what does your role entail and how strategic is it to the accomplishment of the company’s set goals? My role as a country manager is to scale our presence in the market, and take a data-first approach to improving experience at all levels of the operation. So, I spend a lot of time getting in front of our customers, our prospects, our partners, and our people to really understand their goals. I really wanna understand their North Star, and is aligning our teams. As a country manager, I also act as an internal advocate for Canada. I'm really proud that in 2022, we opened up our first Canadian office in Toronto. And as you know, Canada is one of the fastest growing industries with data, and Toronto is ranked one of the top three best tech hubs in the world. So, to be able to build an engineering hub up here was just personally very exciting.

Regarding corporate culture, as a female in the tech and engineering industry, what are some of the

challenges you encountered, and how were you able to navigate them? This is a great question. I think throughout my career in the technology sector, I've been continually faced or confronted by what I think people would refer to as the conﬁdence gap, right? Am I experienced enough? Am I smart enough? Do I understand this technology enough to make a real big impact here? And not only have I seen this in myself, but I’ve also interviewed many different women across various roles where that sentiment is very common. And when it comes to data and technology, this is the future. Also, I want women to be part of the wealth creation from this, you know, we deserve a share of that wallet.

As a champion for customer and employee engagement, can you elaborate how this initiative has enhanced productivity for establishments in the course of your career? So, customer and employee engagement is my North Star as a leader, and I'm so proud to work for Snowflake. We have values, and our number one value is put customers first. And so, in order to scale our presence, I really truly believe in cultivating meaningful relationships with our clients, with fellow executives, and then of course, our employees. And so, just spending a lot of time listening, providing phenomenal customer success to our organizations. I think that goes again to supporting a really great company culture here at Snowflake Canada. //

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tech & innovation

CRITICAL BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE by Gladys Christian

griculture has increased the GDP of many developing countries around the world, especially in Africa, which has the highest labour force. Agriculture is Africa’s largest economic sector contributor, with about 15 per cent of its combined GDP coming from agriculture. This is largely possible because of the use of modern-day farming practices, and the adaptation of state-of-the-art technology in agriculture.

Technology in agriculture facilitates data collection and analysis. These tools and devices aid farmers with monitoring the activity of pests and weeds, ensuring that decisive action is taken to quell invasion. They also help with eliminating the use of pesticides in farming. Pesticides are often full of toxins, and thus harmful to plants and the livestock. The adoption of such technological devices ensure productivity and ultimately translates to profit for farmers. Another benefit of technology in agriculture is that it enhances crop management, and the effective monitoring of the livestock. A good example is the smart collar tags which help in determining the location of the livestock and monitoring their health. The device aids with the early detection and isolation of sick livestock. Technology also helps farmers monitor the nutritional needs of their livestock, as well as control the general activities of their farms. The use of technological devices such as drones in modernday agricultural practices ensures that farmers are regularly updated about the status and condition of their crops. Methods like precision farming — a process involving targeted utilization of farming materials with the aid of technological tools — ensures the adequate use of products to guide the farming process. This involves taking precautionary measures to prevent financial loss that could potentially ground the business. Farming has many challenges. Inclement weather, for example, can hamper the efforts of farmers. However, by adopting the right technological tools, farmers can manage threats and prevent unnecessary losses.

Cooling storage facilities are a necessity for modern-day farmers. They ensure that harvested crops remain fresh until they get to the markets. Installing them in farms and produce delivery trucks facilitates this. Tech-controlled greenhouses are another benefit of technology in agriculture. They ensure that moisture and temperature levels are monitored and controlled by farmers wherever they are. Security cameras, on the other hand, help farmers monitor and control the activity of a farm to avoid potential losses and threats. According to the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, some of the benefits of technology in agriculture include higher crop yield, an increase in the safety of workers, and reduction in the use of pesticides, water, and fertilizers, which ultimately keeps food prices low. The adoption of sophisticated technological features in agriculture is useful, efficient, profitable, and environmentally friendly. Other benefits of technology in agriculture include the adaptation of e-commerce systems by farmers to conveniently sell products and make purchases to improve farming operations. Technology has proven to be far more beneficial to agriculture, and has impacted modern-day farming on a grand scale. Farmers around the world can ensure that their business ventures are profitable and can continue to provide communities with essential produce. //

Another benefit of technology in agriculture is the concept of plant irrigation. This can now be successfully done using sensors that provide necessary information to farmers. The sensors update farmers about the condition of the soil and amount of water available for use.

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tech & innovation

THE MOVEMENT TOWARD PLANT-BASED FOODS

by Robyn Karmazyn n the movement towards more plant-based foods, we are seeing gradual — but obvious — changes in agriculture. This centuries-old industry has become increasingly more sophisticated on its own, particularly in recent years, when motivated by sustainability, more humane practices, and health improvements. Although marketing campaigns have touted “grass-fed” beef, “free-range” chicken, and “hormone-free” dairy, the reality is typically plagued with carbon emissions, questionable treatment of animals, and various diseases. Human beings and assembly lines have been replaced with robotic arms and conveyor belts in the quest for efﬁciency and innovation. On the upside, it is arguably exciting to have the option of meat-free proteins and milks that closely mimic the taste and texture of the real thing. On the downside, we have replaced a much simpler food process with “processed” everything. Whatever society’s motivation is — environmentalism, animal activism, or purism — there is a deﬁnitive movement towards more sustainable, humane, and healthy practices in agriculture.

More Sustainability From an environmental standpoint, animal agriculture is not an isolated problem. Similar to fossil fuels, coal, and plastics before it, the industry is beginning to face an understandable backlash. Some people are questioning their consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs as the vegan population grows. What reason is there not to make easy swaps — as many consumers are choosing when it comes to dairy milk (blame lactose intolerance or allergies) — to benefit the planet? Farmers and their businesses are not being attacked specifically. Society is simply trying to find another way. As Maya Angelou said, “Once you know better, do better.” Even Walmart has done away with plastic bags. And whether corporations genuinely care or are trying to keep up with (or anticipate) customer demands, they are making important changes that trickle down and affect everyone.

More Health Conscious Many studies suggest that, in contrast to scientiﬁc advancements prolonging human life, the evolution of food production has contributed to many prevalent diseases in our society. Generally speaking, the modern Western diet can be blamed for higher levels of heart disease, cancers, diabetes, arthritis, and more. There are also known links between farming and animal diseases like mad cow or swine and avian ﬂu.

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Reducing — or eventually omitting — the number of animals being raised and killed for food on an on-going basis, and concentrating on healthier alternatives, could help our entire society. Arguments against vegan foods being overly processed or salted are likely not up to date on the realities of animal agriculture and meat production to compare accurately. There are still stigmas when it comes to faux beef, chicken, and ﬁsh options, but there are signiﬁcant advancements in tastes and textures.

More Humane Practices An uptick of animal activism and advocacy has normalized the term “vegan” in all metropolitan cities. Although it seems to ignite signiﬁcant vitriol, it is important to include in the discussion of animal agriculture. Videos of both horriﬁc slaughterhouse and uplifting animal sanctuary (to where many animals who have managed to escape slaughter) are shared on a wide range of platforms nowadays. Social media has helped uncover the realities and expose truths behind farming animals. As we salute most forms of advocacy today, speaking up for animals is an entirely separate movement. “Plantbased” appears to be a better marketing term than “vegan” for foods without animal ingredients, by-products, or preservatives. Many restaurants have added “plant-based” sections to their menus with a variety of vegan-friendly options. And, there is an entirely new crop of companies and restaurants

touting themselves as completely vegan. Regardless of the motivation for the increase in demand (even if it is not for the well-being of animals), many food companies are developing and introducing plant-based alternatives.

Transitioning Animal Agriculture We have arguably hit a peak when it comes to the allowance of harmful emissions, mass slaughter, and genetically modiﬁed organisms in our food production. A former cattle farmer in Uxbridge, Ontario, made headlines when he decided to stop shipping the cows he grew to love to be slaughtered and, instead, shift gears by establishing an animal sanctuary called Farmhouse Garden Animal Home. Today, he grows and sells vegetables and other crops. While not everyone can afford this type of change, we can look to the progressive shift towards solar and wind energy. Lab-grown meat is believed to be an up-and-coming idea that will squander animal agriculture. Some suggest that more farmers could adjust their operations to become increasingly sustainable, humane, and ultimately contribute to healthier food options for consumers. For example, most corn and soy crops currently feed animals that are being kept alive until they are slaughtered for meat, but could be used directly in more plantbased products. Many companies and restaurants are incorporating plant-based options, turning entirely plant-based, or partnering with plant-based companies. //

tech & innovation

TANIA HUMPHREY Impacting Global Coffee Production Tania Humphrey’s career has had a unique path; intrigued by plants and agriculture from a very young age, she wanted to know how they all work collaboratively to improve food and create a sustainable environment. Armed with scientiﬁc education and credentials, including a PhD in plant biology from the University of Queensland, Australia, she worked with several organizations as a research and development director to improve the efﬁciency and production practices in the food production industry. Humphrey shared valuable insight about agricultural improvements in coffee and how to achieve real-world impact in its production. Photo courtesy of Tania Humphrey

by David Messiha You recently joined World Coffee Research as Director of Research and Development. Why was this organization appealing to you? After years at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, and living in this space in between plant science and industry demand, World Coffee Research knocked on my door and said, “Are you interested?” It sounded fascinating because it was the exact same concept, and it’s a very unique space to live in. Instead of Canadian horticulture, it’s applying the same approach of plant science to address industry needs, but globally. We have members of all the big global coffee companies; we’ve got Starbucks, Illy, and Tim Hortons. All of the big coffee companies that invest in our organization do research that advances coffee production around the world. Philosophically, it is very similar to Vineland in the way in which we operate, but it is a different industry. The global nature of it was very appealing to me. That was a whole new challenge and has certainly been very exciting.

From an outsider’s perspective what is interesting about growing coffee agriculturally? I think what’s interesting about coffee is that it is such a global supply chain, which is quite different from a lot of

agricultural crops. If you think about apples, for example — which is a very Canadian thing — the apple varieties that are developed in Canada and the US are commercialized locally, they are grown locally, and they feed a local market. There’s some export and import that happens, but it is mostly fairly wellcontained.

producing countries. That separation is quite unique to coffee, and it's something that we actively work to make it work for everyone.

In coffee, it’s quite separated. There’s massive geographical, political, and economic separation between the different parts of the supply chain. We have our coffee consumption, and coffee roasters and suppliers operating in developed countries. But the production of coffee is happening in other areas of the world, in less developed countries and poorer nations.

The biggest one we think about is climate change, because coffee is produced in areas that are very vulnerable to climate change. The obvious thing is increasing temperatures, but there are also shifting patterns in rainfall, pests, and disease pressures, which change according to the climate.

This disconnect has been a real barrier to innovation in coffee because the money is in the consumption end, but the agriculture is happening in other countries at the production end. The research and development that supports the production end is happening in those low-income countries, and it’s not enough to feed the demands and buffer the coffee supply, and make all those improvements that are really needed to serve the global industry. Our organization exists to connect these two things, to connect the resources that live in the consuming countries with the research that needs to happen in the

What future challenges do scientists and researchers face when producing crossbreeds or harvesting new agricultural hybrids?

As we are breeding improved varieties, we are trying to get ahead of those challenges. We are thinking, “What are the pest and disease challenges that are coming? How can we make coffee more resilient in a wider range of environments?” Perhaps it needs to be more drought-resistant and heat tolerant — all of those things. Variety improvement is a real fundamental way that you can address that. There has been a real lack of this effort in coffee. Coffee is really behind compared to many other high - value crops, so there’s a big gap. There is a lot we have to do to catch up with that base level of innovation in coffee, and we need to get the varieties where they need to be. //

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tech & innovation

BASHIR KHAN Scaling the Use of Drones

When you think about a drone, you’re likely imagining an unmanned aerial vehicle, capturing stunning images or shocking acts of war. Bashir Khan wants to change that. Khan is the founder and CEO of AirMatrix, a company that created traffic management software to help scale the use of drones. AirMatrix builds millimeter-precise maps of the skyways in urban airspaces around cities for municipal governments and enterprises to use. Earlier this year, AirMatrix helped complete one of the most complex drone missions in the world to date. The technology grants safe, accurate, 3D routes in real-time to enterprise drones, incorporating beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Khan believes drones are the key to unlocking a world of possibilities. Photo courtesy of Bashir Khan

by Marcus Medford Where did the idea for AirMatrix come from? I was on the University of Toronto Aerospace Team, and we started a drone delivery company. It got me thinking about the power of location. I thought, if Amazon Prime Air were to scale, then any inventory-holding business could be wiped out, theoretically. And I could see that people living in dorms could get cereal down the street, but they’d rather get it delivered. I thought, “This is the Canadian dream. Start a small business, your kids go to university, and you move up in society.” We started a drone delivery app, and we took it to retailers in Toronto. We launched and found that there were a lot more problems to deal with than just regulatory. It was technical issues around the fact that cities aren’t mapped for aerial autonomy. We had to ask for forgiveness rather than permission to understand what the problem really was.

How does AirMatrix help businesses and municipal governments? If you’re an enterprise wanting to start flying, it's a tedious process to get approval from the regulator. AirMatrix helps you get approvals faster. We also give users the data to make sure their flights and operation are safe, so they can take that data to the regulator. If you want to have scalable, economic drone usage, you need to have it. A lot of companies don’t, and they end up

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losing money. But companies that use products like AirMatrix can deliver a lung between hospitals; they can operate over roads autonomously; they can do more complex operations that are done beyond-visual-line-of-sight, meaning the pilot isn’t actually looking at the drone. If you have to look at the drone all the time, then what’s the point? You’re sending people anyways. The idea is to have one person in a control center be able to operate multiple drones without having to be present. That’s where the economics makes sense.

Given the varied landscape of Canada, what are some of the complexities involved with mapping a city? There’s this “ghost” in the airspace called electromagnetic interference. It messes with flight instrumentation, compasses, and GPS. It’s a moving force because there’s a bunch of inputs that create it, that can mess with the navigation inside a city. So, we map out what the electromagnetic interference looks like in the airspace. We collect that data at scale to the level where we can see what it would look like in real-time — based on factors like weather, buildings, cellular connectivity — so we can give a route where you’re not going to lose signal. Even if we give you millimeter-preciselevel maps in an urban area, buildings are reflecting signals all the time. A foot here or there — that’s the difference between crashing your drone or flying safely. When it comes to areas that are further away,

that don’t have the right level of cellular connectivity, you need to do a lot more mapping of radio signals and less aerial mapping. You’ll have issues related to extreme weather that could also impact electromagnetic interference or wind patterns around buildings.

What are some of the legal hurdles you’ve had to overcome to develop this technology? There are challenges that have to be overcome for the industry. We’re a software company. We map cities; we stitch that data together in a way that’s compatible with any autopilot. There’s nothing we have to worry about in terms of building our product. When it comes to deploying our product, there are regulations in place to allow you to operate up to five drones, but you have to go through a rigorous permitting process. So, it’s not really practical. There are drafts and proposals that’ll enable operators and pilots to operate more drones and operate them beyondvisual-line-of-sight. That’s what’s going to help scale the industry. We’re helping enable those regulations from a data standpoint to be safe and friendly towards industry. I spend two to three days a month in Ottawa meeting with Transport Canada and navigation service providers. //

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