Will More Organic Food and Farming Solve Food System Problems? Part I: Environment*

The Canadian food and agriculture sector has for some time faced significant environmental, food safety, and financial difficulties. Canadian agri-environmental indicators continue to lag behind most other OECD nations (OECD 2008), consumer confidence in many food system processes remains weak (Bonti-Ankomah and Yiridoe 2006), and farm incomes continue to be problematic (Wiebe 2012). Policy responses have to date generated only limited improvements (MacRae 2011).