Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

Reporter Vancouver English

food security, Agriculture, fishing, toxins, shell fish industry, farming, climate change

About Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

Marc Fawcett-Atkinson is a reporter and writer covering food, climate, plastics and the environment for Canada’s National Observer.

His ongoing investigations of the plastic industry in Canada won him a nomination from the Webster Awards this year in environmental reporting.

Marc 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.

He 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.

Marc's reporting on food security and agriculture is highly valued by farmers and the academics who study agriculture as unique in Canada.

211 Articles

After the storm, ‘the cupboards are bare’

When Penticton, B.C., resident Katya Irwin opened her computer Tuesday afternoon to place an order at her neighbourhood grocery store, the floods and landslides wreaking havoc in other parts of the province were far from her mind. Then she noticed that dozens of commonplace items like milk and vegetables were no longer in stock.

Food Insider

COP a flop in tackling big climate problem — plastic

Plastic production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and is growing rapidly as demand soars worldwide. If nothing is done, analysts predict it will account for about 13 per cent of the world's remaining carbon budget by 2050.

Canada's plastics problem

Activists march in front of the entrance of the Scottish Event Campus where COP26 negotiations were underway on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. Photo by: Nora Legrand

Hundreds march out of 'exclusive' COP26 in stinging rebuke

Speaking at a "people's plenary" meeting Friday, youth, farmers, trade unionists, environmental groups, and disability and gender rights advocates criticized the UN climate change conference in Glasgow for being among the most exclusive negotiations so far.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change

What's really the best alternative to meat?

Every day around noon, the smell of grilled beef and roasted venison wafts through the lines of delegates attending the COP26 climate conference as they queue for lunch. Yet even as hundreds flock to the burgers and venison pasties on offer, some attendees wonder if meat — a big emitter worldwide — should be on the menu.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change

World hungry for change on meat production and fertilizers, except for Canada and the U.S.

Countries gathered for the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, have for the first time agreed that the world must transition to more sustainable farming practices if we are to mitigate climate change and prevent millions of people from going hungry.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change

These 20-somethings say climate action must involve food security, too

Food activist Rayan Kassem says action on climate change shouldn't be separated from issues like hunger which will only get worse in a warming world.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change

Focus on food technology at climate conference ignores what most of the world’s farmers need, experts say

Forty-five governments led by the U.K. pledged Saturday to spend billions on transforming the world's farms, fisheries and forests in an effort to make our food more sustainable.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change

A fish hatchery worker with the Okanagan Nations Alliance jumps into a fish holding pen, part of a multi-year restoration effort led and managed by Nations to bring wild salmon back into the Okanagan River watershed. Photo by: Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

Canada to fund forests, farms, and coastlines in climate efforts

Canada has committed to spending over $1 billion to help developing countries protect their coastlines, forests, and other natural ecosystems in an effort to combat climate change.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change

"What's the point of serving plant-based foods that people (don't like), and never want to eat plant-based again?"

With previous climate conferences coming under fire for serving unsustainable meals, the organizers of this year's United Nations meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, have highlighted efforts to serve climate-friendly meals. But critics say those measures — and the food itself — aren't enough to emphasize the urgent role food plays in saving the planet.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change

Should food play a bigger role in climate action? These experts say yes

When it comes to ending climate change, international climate negotiations have typically focused on ending the world's reliance on fossil fuels. Food — responsible for about a third of the world's emissions and vulnerable to a chaotic climate —has largely flown under the radar.

COP26: Uniting the World to Tackle Climate Change