A country that grows over three million tonnes of vegetables a year still can’t keep a Canadian pepper on the shelf in January. Here’s why that’s not a contradiction; it’s the whole system working exactly as designed.
Bo, I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head here. For your Netherlands comparator to even remotely work, you need a concentration of people & farms in a (relatively) small area. So maybe, possibly, you could achieve it in Southern Ontario, in a conventional sense.
The added cold storage, if not outright shipping logistics, will (and does) add significant cost. So Canadians here might need to do a bit of a balancing act:
- For true food security at a national level, I see only two options at play: Lots of cold storage and beefed up shipping/distribution supply chains, and/or lots of micro-greenhouses to produce everything a region needs all year around (with less cold storage, etc.). Your research suggests that both options will be expensive - and one way or another, that gets reflected on the sticker price.
- If we worry about food security (famine, weather, political unrest elsewhere), then only other options are to at least do SOME of what we're doing now - import with predictable suppliers who can produce all year round. If we don't want American produce (love those boycotts!) then Mexico is trying to fill the gap. But what happens if some hurricane or political rebellion happens there (and Trump keeps hinting at invading to stop the cartels (in Trump-speak, that means likely negotiating a "cut" for his family on the drug trade somehow)).
But an interesting take on the "cost" -- in my neck of Canada, we get greenhouse grown lettuce now (style, look, and feel is like romaine, but it behaves like iceberg), all year 'round from Alberta. Sure, it costs $1 more than the USA iceberg. But the quality is superb -- don't have to peel away half the head to get to the good leaves. And it lasts about twice (if not three times) longer in the fridge, because it's "living" lettuce (keep the stem moist and you're good!). So when you factor THAT into the equation, is it really more expensive?? I'm throwing out less waste.
Yes, since declining the “opportunity” to buy American lettuce ever, I discovered a triple lettuce mixture grown hydroponically from Alberta. Eight months ago and replanted the root sections into my Ontario veggie garden and still reaping the rewards.
Sounds like the same produce I'm using (though I tend to use the single lettuce mix more). We've been extremely happy with it! I'm not going back to the old stuff!
Here's a thought, reduce tariffs on solar panels, use tax incentives to get them put on every warehouse in the country, with a nudge to cold storage. The cold storage warehouse can make income selling the excess power to the grid.
It would be great to build a solar panel industry in Canada but that ship has sailed.
As per previous commenter suggestions, more cold storage facilities with solar panels and public education are key. If that were to happen I’d have no issues with paying a bit more for food security especially if it’s from my next door neighbours.
As consumers, retired and on a fixed income, we’d still be willing to pay more to invest in a better distribution system for the long-term gain, with a mixed option system of imports where practicable and necessary.
By the way, Inspired Greens lettuce is listed as “consistently available” at Walmart 10 minutes from me. Today it’s $1.94. Time to check it out for myself.
Bo, I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head here. For your Netherlands comparator to even remotely work, you need a concentration of people & farms in a (relatively) small area. So maybe, possibly, you could achieve it in Southern Ontario, in a conventional sense.
The added cold storage, if not outright shipping logistics, will (and does) add significant cost. So Canadians here might need to do a bit of a balancing act:
- For true food security at a national level, I see only two options at play: Lots of cold storage and beefed up shipping/distribution supply chains, and/or lots of micro-greenhouses to produce everything a region needs all year around (with less cold storage, etc.). Your research suggests that both options will be expensive - and one way or another, that gets reflected on the sticker price.
- If we worry about food security (famine, weather, political unrest elsewhere), then only other options are to at least do SOME of what we're doing now - import with predictable suppliers who can produce all year round. If we don't want American produce (love those boycotts!) then Mexico is trying to fill the gap. But what happens if some hurricane or political rebellion happens there (and Trump keeps hinting at invading to stop the cartels (in Trump-speak, that means likely negotiating a "cut" for his family on the drug trade somehow)).
But an interesting take on the "cost" -- in my neck of Canada, we get greenhouse grown lettuce now (style, look, and feel is like romaine, but it behaves like iceberg), all year 'round from Alberta. Sure, it costs $1 more than the USA iceberg. But the quality is superb -- don't have to peel away half the head to get to the good leaves. And it lasts about twice (if not three times) longer in the fridge, because it's "living" lettuce (keep the stem moist and you're good!). So when you factor THAT into the equation, is it really more expensive?? I'm throwing out less waste.
Yes, since declining the “opportunity” to buy American lettuce ever, I discovered a triple lettuce mixture grown hydroponically from Alberta. Eight months ago and replanted the root sections into my Ontario veggie garden and still reaping the rewards.
Sounds like the same produce I'm using (though I tend to use the single lettuce mix more). We've been extremely happy with it! I'm not going back to the old stuff!
(Inspired Greens' Living Lettuce)
Good points. Maybe consumer education is the way to go. TikTok? Instagram?
Here's a thought, reduce tariffs on solar panels, use tax incentives to get them put on every warehouse in the country, with a nudge to cold storage. The cold storage warehouse can make income selling the excess power to the grid.
It would be great to build a solar panel industry in Canada but that ship has sailed.
As per previous commenter suggestions, more cold storage facilities with solar panels and public education are key. If that were to happen I’d have no issues with paying a bit more for food security especially if it’s from my next door neighbours.
As consumers, retired and on a fixed income, we’d still be willing to pay more to invest in a better distribution system for the long-term gain, with a mixed option system of imports where practicable and necessary.
By the way, Inspired Greens lettuce is listed as “consistently available” at Walmart 10 minutes from me. Today it’s $1.94. Time to check it out for myself.