The GEMs – Through the Eyes of an Intern

I had the opportunity to attend several Alberta Canola Grower Engagement Meetings (GEMs) across the province, from Vegreville to Drumheller to Grande Prairie. The purpose of these engagement meetings is to ensure that Alberta Canola’s research, advocacy, and policy work align with farmers’ needs. For someone who has lived my entire life in cities, it was interesting for me to interact with farmers for the first time. 

Higher Costs, Fewer Farmers 

What struck me when registering meeting attendees was that farmers were mostly older than the average population and predominantly male. Conversations with farmers at the meetings revealed that rising costs were a primary concern. Prohibitively high costs for land, equipment, and operating expenses favour large-scale operations that can spread expenses. These economic forces have resulted in an industry dominated by fewer, larger farms run by older owners who have already paid off their capital costs, hindering younger people from starting farms. 

Agronomy Takeaways 

The GEMs also featured agronomy updates from Alberta Canola’s agronomy specialist, Keith Gabert. He shared a simple plant health check when scouting for blackleg: slice open a canola stem to examine internal tissue. Clean, white tissue typically indicates healthy nutrient movement and no obvious disease damage. 

Breanne Tidemann from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada discussed weed management research on kochia. An interesting insight I learned from Breanne is that reducing the number of rows and increasing seeding rates reduces the prevalence of kochia. The practice works by increasing crop competition, which suppresses weed growth and seed production. This practice makes intuitive sense, but what surprised me was how effective it can be. According to Breanne, decreasing row spacing and increasing seeding rates can reduce kochia biomass by 80% and seedbank by 63%. This insight demonstrated the impact that small science-based management adjustments can have on reducing weed pressure.  

Caught Between Two Markets 

Speakers highlighted the concentration of Canada’s canola exports to the U.S. and China, noting both the opportunities and the vulnerabilities that create. I learned that the United States is the largest market for Canadian Canola, accounting for $7.7 billion in trade, while China accounts for $4.9 billion. Together, they represent almost 90% of the total value of Canadian Canola exports. The sudden loss of either market can create immediate uncertainty, lower Canola prices, and make it challenging to cover rising costs.  

In a world of growing geopolitical tensions, the U.S. or China can exploit that financial dependency as economic coercion to advance their own interests. Canada risks retaliation from both sides, reinforcing the importance of market diversification. 

Reducing Trade Risk 

One way speakers discussed reducing reliance on volatile export markets was by increasing domestic consumption of Canola through converting canola oil into renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and bio-lubricants. I learned that Canada is just starting to build this capability. One notable example discussed was the Imperial Renewable Diesel Facility near Edmonton. At full capacity, the facility will require nearly half of Alberta’s annual canola production as feedstock.   

Expanded in-country processing could provide more stable demand. With sufficient renewable diesel capacity, the industry can create predictable domestic demand for Canola, reducing the influence China and the U.S. have over Canadian Canola prices during trade disputes by reducing their ability to cause price shocks through withholding demand.  

Why it Matters  

Overall, the grower engagement meeting offered a high-level snapshot of the state of Alberta’s Canola farmers at a pivotal moment, as they navigate an increasingly uncertain and complex environment. I left with a deeper appreciation of the rewards and challenges of farming. For me, the biggest takeaway is that behind every market chart or research result are growers making real-time decisions under real-world pressure. My experiences underscore the importance of grower engagement meetings in bridging the gap between growers and Alberta Canola, ensuring we remain relevant and responsive to the farmers we represent. 

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