Pressure Systems edition
Farmworkers Lose Protections as Pesticide Rules Loosen
November 13, 2026
What this edition shows
EU farm-subsidy labor protections, Ottawa’s pesticide and Bill C-39 environmental rollbacks, and EPA’s retreat from factory-farm air enforcement are being sold as food-security and competitiveness measures while Budget 2026 leaves one in three Canadians skipping meals. The same pattern runs through UK “Be Ready” food stockpiling and grain-shipment attacks: public capacity is narrowed to corporate project approval and household self-provisioning, with farmworkers, rural water systems, and consumers absorbing the risk.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 12 sources
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Europe can’t defend its social model while abandoning farmworkers
EU plans to scrap labour protections tied to farm subsidies threaten workers’ rights, fair competition, and Europe’s social model, writes Olivier De Schutter The post Europe can’t defend its social model while abandoning farmworkers appeared first on IPES-Food.
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You’ve been told to prep three days of food, but moving past day four will need stronger supply chains
Danishch/Shutterstock The UK government’s recent “Be Ready” campaign advises households to keep a three-day supply of food and drink in case of emergency. Sales of bottled water and tinned foods have soared, as households ready themselves for a powerful storm, a long power cut or a cyber-attack. And…
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Who does Budget 2026 help? Not the 1 in 3 Canadians skipping meals to cope with grocery costs
In his 2021 book Value(s): Building a Better World for All, Mark Carney, now prime minister, wrote: “Companies exist to improve our lives, expand our horizons and solve society’s problems.” His government’s Budget 2026, tabled Nov. 5 under the title “Masters of Our Destiny,” puts that belief into pr…
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Why is food so expensive?
Experts and farmers reveal how fossil fuel dependence, corporate power, and fragile supply chains drive rising food prices. The post Why is food so expensive? appeared first on IPES-Food.
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Federal budget prioritizes corporations at the expense of the Canadian people
Mark Carney’s pivot to the right gives New Democrats an opening The post Federal budget prioritizes corporations at the expense of the Canadian people appeared first on Ricochet.
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Global food security is under threat
Attacks on grain shipments from Russia and Ukraine may drive up food prices, hitting import-dependent countries hardest.
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As Ottawa loosens pesticide rules, its own water tests keep detecting high-risk chemicals
Pesticides with environmental risks Health Canada considers unacceptable could still be authorized for use, if the federal government deems them necessary for economic or food security
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EPA throws in the towel on policing air pollution from factory farms
Critics say EPA is effectively abandoning Clean Air Act enforcement at factory farms.
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What Bill C-39’s loosened environmental regulations could mean for Canadians
The Canadian government introduced Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, in September 2026, with the stated aim of fast-tracking large-scale projects. Hailed as a major advancement by the government, it has also been criticized as a bill that could bulldoze environmental regulations. The govern…
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Dark nutrition: what happens when people stop trusting food and nutrition science?
Caftor/Shutterstock.com “I’m Pi and this is Leo, and today we’re going to eat some raw roadkill.” So begins a YouTube video featuring two raw food enthusiasts eating the heart of a run-over raccoon. Another of the duo’s YouTube videos is titled The Elite Know Raw Food is Safe & Healthy and Vilify it…
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What is ‘food is medicine?’ – 2 experts explain this decades-old approach to healthcare that is taking on new life
Mountains of scientific evidence support both the negative and positive effects of our eating habits on our health. Research shows that a healthy diet can help those suffering from chronic health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. This is where “food is medicine”…
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The hidden ways insects support animal life – from habitat to health – go way beyond being food
Insects like this damselfly perform many jobs that benefit their ecosystems and ultimately people. Rob Cooke There are at least 14 million insect species on Earth, and they play highly diverse roles in sustaining the natural world. Insects provide many well-known benefits – what scientists often cal…