Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

Reporter Vancouver English

Features, News, food security, Agriculture, fishing, shell fish industry, farming, climate change

Marc Fawcett-Atkinson is a reporter and writer covering food security for Canada’s National Observer thanks to a grant from the Local Journalism Initiative. He has previously written for High Country News, the Literary Review of Canada, and other publications on topics exploring relationships between people and their social and physical environments.

Marc holds an M.A. in journalism from the University of British Columbia and a B.A. in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic.

33 Articles

Local abattoirs, essential to beef up local meat, can't keep up. So why aren't there more?

Eventually, most B.C. livestock is slaughtered into meat. But where? It’s a question that’s plagued farmers, ranchers, abattoir owners, and B.C. politicians for almost 20 years. A question the pandemic has dramatically thrown into focus.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 22nd 2020

COVID-19 changed how Canadians eat. But are they wasting less food?

Canadian consumers wasted two kilograms of food a week before the pandemic. Not anymore. That’s according to a survey released earlier this month by Love Food Hate Waste, an international campaign working to reduce household food waste, which found Canadians are wasting less food since the pandemic started.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 18th 2020

British Columbians want local meat. Proposed abattoir rule changes might help that

The path from pasture to plate for B.C.’s 22 million farm animals might soon get easier. Earlier this month, the provincial Ministry of Agriculture released an intentions paper outlining proposed changes to slaughter and meat processing regulations. It’s the latest step in a process to make local meat more available — and increase British Columbians’ food security.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 17th 2020

Canada's seed system is complicated. Does it need an update?

“Farmers are the ultimate stakeholders when it comes to food systems,” Aabir Dey said. “They assume virtually all the risk when it comes to putting food on our table. They do the majority of the work. They’re the most impacted by all kinds of decisions related to agriculture. To exclude them from all of the essential production processes of agriculture just doesn’t make sense.”

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 16th 2020

Supersize chicken: A good idea?

Stephanie Torrey sometimes designs obstacle courses. Obstacle courses for chickens. The avian games were part of a recent study co-led by Torrey, an assistant professor of animal science at the University of Guelph, that found making chickens grow slower was better for their well-being — but came at a high cost.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 15th 2020

What's on your plate could make the difference in climate crisis

Food can stop climate change. Sort of. The path of food from farm to fork and beyond is responsible for between 21 and 37 per cent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 14th 2020

Food — from farm to fork and beyond — may be key to Paris goals, UN says

Food is cheap. So cheap, it’s hurting the planet. Food systems — the paths meals take from farm to fork and beyond — are among the largest anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs). They don’t need to be: A report published last week found changing how we grow, use, and dispose of food could significantly reduce emissions.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 11th 2020

'I just hope everything doesn't start shutting down again'

Paul Natrall misses balmy, busy, bustling evenings serving bannock at summer festivals. That's been the norm for the Squamish Nation chef and food truck owner who specializes in Indigenous fusion cuisine. Since he opened his business in 2017, Natrall — better known as “Mr. Bannock” — has been a popular fixture at festivals and other gatherings across B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 10th 2020

How cheddar cheese explains Canada's dairy politics

Canada had extra cheddar in July. About 42,000 tonnes of it. That’s not unusual. The sharp, hard cheese — and a statistical benchmark for the federal government — has a long history in Canada’s almost $7-billion dairy industry. A history that’s key to understanding modern-day dairy politics.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 9th 2020

Canadian seed growers vote against corporate merger — for now

Last Thursday, Terry Boehm breathed a sigh of relief. The Canadian Seed Growers' Association, which represents 3,500 seed growers across Canada, voted against a proposed merger with four other seed industry organizations. It was a decision Boehm, a farmer and Saskatchewan representative for the National Farmers Union, hopes will protect farmers' independence — and the integrity of Canada’s farms.

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson | News, Food Insider | September 8th 2020