Of all the stories we get to tell in this magazine, some of my favourites are those that appear in our sustainability department. These articles tend to deal with topics that take place at the intersection of advancements in technology and appreciation of a precious resource.

Whatever your buzzword of choice may be, “sustainable,” “regenerative,” or “stewardship,” ag retailers and agriculture are doing it. We see it all the time; retailers are helping customers take action, big and small, to ensure the long-term productivity and sustainability of Canadian food production.

In our reporting in this issue, we take a look at the work of two companies turning waste into fertilizer. Neither process in their current form is going to make a significant advancement in how fertilizer is produced and managed on a global scale, but both represent a small contribution toward accomplishing what I believe is a key component of the future of agriculture – nutrient recovery and recycling within our food system. This is a conversation we’ve seen gaining traction and one I am looking forward to following.

Another conversation starting to take off is the one the agriculture sector is having with the youth of today. Next month is Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month. What started out as a “week” had to be expanded to a month thanks, in part, to demand from our youth to know more about agriculture’s story.

I also find our reporting on stories of CAAR members working with youth to be particularly satisfying. More often than not, these stories centre around educating them on what modern agriculture looks like for the purpose of encouraging them to consider a career in the sector.

Is economic security the real motivation these kids are looking for in their career? Are we doing enough to share our sustainability story with youth during our interactions with them? Study after study tell us that youth are putting less emphasis on careers that offer fame and fortune and more on a career that offers them an opportunity to make a difference.

I believe agriculture can offer them that. I also believe we all need to do more to let them know that opportunity exists. Engaging youth in all that agriculture has to offer may be one of our greatest opportunities to come up with new ideas that have the potential to make lasting, positive solutions to the challenges facing food production.

Granted, I don’t know what those new ideas might be – but I’ll bet they are out there in the minds of some kids in the eighth grade, just waiting to germinate.

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