Take a look inside this Montreal restaurant's basement farm
A restaurant in Montreal's Southwest borough is taking a more direct interpretation of "farm to table," growing much of their produce in the basement, refurbished with cooling, lighting, and humidity systems.
Extreme heat and drought continue to affect Saskatchewan agriculture
July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth according to the European Copernicus service and extreme heat and drought are compromising many crops in Saskatchewan.
The provincial government's latest weekly crop report shows that from July 24 to 31, moisture levels in agricultural fields were insufficient in 49% of cases, and very insufficient in 38% of cases.
New course for Fall 2023: Interdisciplinary discussions of Indigenous Peoples' contemporary issues
Join us in an examination of Indigenous histories and how they relate to contemporary nutrition, environmental and health issues from a Two-Eye Seeing perspective. Learn from Dr.
Montreal looks to boost lagging participation in food waste collection
All residential buildings in Montreal with under nine units now have brown bins—but only 63 per cent actually sort out their food waste, according to a 2021 survey conducted by the city. Meanwhile, the Lachenaie landfill in Terrebonne—the only landfill in the Montreal area—is set to reach its capacity in 2029.
The city says a large-scale food waste awareness campaign will launch later this year to try to boost citizens' participation in separating out organics.
Palm oil plantations and deforestation in Guatemala: Certifying products as 'sustainable' is no panacea
Palm oil, which can be found in roughly half of all packaged supermarket products, is notorious for causing deforestation and biodiversity loss. Efforts to curtail the damage have largely focused on voluntary environmental certification programs that label qualifying palm-oil sources as "sustainable."
Natural structures can give rise to stronger, lighter systems
In a recent multidisciplinary study published in Advanced Science, researchers build upon the principles of biomimicry by drawing inspiration from the wing of a dragonfly to redesign that of a Boeing 777.
Sollio, McGill join forces on novel coated fertilizer study; PurYield is being marketed as a nutrient uptake enhancer
Sollio Agriculture has partnered with McGill University to test the benefits of PurYield, a new coated fertilizer which enhances nutrient uptake by plants. Researchers will compare it to commonly used uncoated urea fertilizer to assess its impact on corn grain growth, yield, and quality, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Previous trials showed a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Can a disease-free, drought-proof potato exist? A map of the vegetable’s genes aims to find out
A Canadian-led team has assembled the most extensive genetic roadmap of the potato to date, along with its closest relatives, in order to bolster the plant’s ability to cope with climate change and protect its future as a mainstay of global food security and sustainability.
McGill launches new partnership with the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development
On May 31, 2023, McGill University’s Margaret A. Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) and SOCODEVI, in collaboration with the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), held an event showcasing concrete actions to strengthen sustainable agriculture, improve the living conditions of smallholder farmers and increase the resilience of agri-food systems.
Experts: WHO's cancer research agency to list aspartame sweetener a possible carcinogen
Aspartame, used in products such as diet sodas and chewing gum, will soon be listed as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" for the first time by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research arm. (Reuters)
L’Arboretum Morgan, pour admirer la faune et la flore
L'Arboretum Morgan, qui s'étend sur 245 hectares de réserve forestière, abrite 170 espèces d'oiseaux, 30 types de mammifères et une myriade d'insectes et de plantes. Ses divers habitats, dont des zones humides, des forêts et des champs, offrent une occasion unique d'observer la nature dans toute sa splendeur.
Lean times hit the vertical farming business
Vertical farming, once touted as the future of agriculture, is currently facing a lean period. Challenges in scalability and energy consumption have cast a shadow on this innovative farming method.
Building a more resilient food system
The impacts of climate change, rising fuel costs, geopolitical conflicts, and global supply chain snags make today's delocalized food system—and the 8 billion people who depend on it—increasingly vulnerable.
Part of the solution to building a more sustainable and resilient agrifood system is to improve local, indoor food production. Researchers in McGill’s Biomass Production Laboratory are doing just that, increasing access to fresh produce year-round.
Des semences de peupliers en abondance à Windsor
Si vous habitez les alentours de la ville de Windsor, peut-être avez-vous remarqué des substances blanches semblables à du pollen amassé sur les trottoirs, les pelouses ou les terrasses. Ce sont des semences de peupliers. À l'émission Matins sans frontières, David Wees, enseignant en horticulture à l'Université McGill, explique l'origine de ces semences, leur importance et comment se comporter vis-à-vis d'elles.
New research will look at dairy welfare and technology
A new research collaboration at McGill University and the University of Quebec in Montreal will explore the role of artificial intelligence in promoting dairy cattle welfare.
It will be led by Dr. Elsa Vasseur of McGill’s Department of Animal Science and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo of UQAM’s Department of Computer Science.