Canada: "Ditch Oil, Become Water & Food Super Power Instead"

[Luc 4,776]

2% of our land is considered arable (good for farming). Thats more land than some entire Countries

 

So some land in flat areas that arent rocky but lack good soil could be converted into farmable land if fertilized. And with tones of fresh water available we could grow lots of food!

 

I suppose would he a hetter econoy than oil. We already grow a lot of grains and soyas and stuff but not enough to be a main driver of economic growth

You don't even need much soil to be a big in agriculture... my country is extremely small (40.000 km², 250x smaller than Canada) yet the #2 agricultural exporter in the world.

[Economy 53,160]

You don't even need much soil to be a big in agriculture... my country is extremely small (40.000 km², 250x smaller than Canada) yet the #2 agricultural exporter in the world.

​then why did you say "you cant grow too much food"?

[Luc 4,776]

​then why did you say "you cant grow too much food"?

​Because of market oversaturation. The more food you produce, the lower prices are. 

Canada can't just start using all of their arable land for agriculture with no increased demand, because there will be a huge crisis in agriculture  

[homomo 23,883]

I don't know how reliable that prediction is "warming temps will extend the growing season". Last time I checked its June and you need a jacket to go outside. Also the last winter was extremely long + one of the worst and summer never came. I don't think you can really predict global warming over an extended period of time like say 15-20 years.

But it is a good point to take advantage of all the fresh water we have and all the unused land.

I don't know where in Canada you live, but.. You make it sound like Canada is one little location with the same climate everywhere. 

Canada is the second largest country on Earth, and stretches across six time zones. That's 90 degrees longitude of the whole Earth. 

Where I live in Saskatchewan, we have had temperatures around 25 celcius (78 F) since April, and we stay warm until November. Other provinces can grow all year 'round such as the coasts, since their lack of snow produces tons of rain. 

[Economy 53,160]

​Because of market oversaturation. The more food you produce, the lower prices are. 

Canada can't just start using all of their arable land for agriculture with no increased demand, because there will be a huge crisis in agriculture  

Well the biggest producer of wheat and grains is the US. If it really is true about droughts and with global warming making some things unfarmable in lower latitudes and having to move them higher... Then more would have to be produced in more Northern Countries

 

Like urs as well for example. I dont know if ur climate is good for grains but just farming in general Countries like urs and mine might take over production from some others in the future

[LeoFameMonster 1,592]

I don't know where in Canada you live, but.. You make it sound like Canada is one little location with the same climate everywhere. 

Canada is the second largest country on Earth, and stretches across six time zones. That's 90 degrees longitude of the whole Earth. 

Where I live in Saskatchewan, we have had temperatures around 25 celcius (78 F) since April, and we stay warm until November. Other provinces can grow all year 'round such as the coasts, since their lack of snow produces tons of rain. 

​I live in Ontario, and I was speaking on our weather temperatures in relation to warming climate in Canada and I have seen some other western provinces/ cities who just recently had winter in summer.  Also it is impossible to grow a lot of agriculture in the maritime / coasts because the ground is not ideal, its too rugged. Otherwise yes they would be  great for growing crops but as it stands only 9% of the maritime can produce crops. 

I am very aware that Canada is the second largest country in the world. But realistically it is very clear where the densest parts of the population of Canada resides. Ontario, BC and Quebec which don't have the amount of free landmass that would require year round growing nor the type of weather (BC with weather exception).  And I don't think I made Canada sound like one little location by what I said, Any idiot with a map can see/ knows how large Canada is. IN that same note most people only know Canada as Toronto (where I live ) and possibly BC and Quebec. If we were to have huge agriculture in the west that means there would need to be a boost in population in the western provinces and I am not sure Canada is well know for its western provinces so immigration might be low. Which is a shame because from what I see in pictures its kinda nice.

The government would need to make Canadians want to relocate to those provinces some people do for the jobs that oil has produced but still not nearly enough people want to relocate to these provinces.

[Economy 53,160]

​I live in Ontario, and I was speaking on our weather temperatures in relation to warming climate in Canada and I have seen some other western provinces/ cities who just recently had winter in summer.  Also it is impossible to grow a lot of agriculture in the maritime / coasts because the ground is not ideal, its too rugged. Otherwise yes they would be  great for growing crops but as it stands only 9% of the maritime can produce crops. 

I am very aware that Canada is the second largest country in the world. But realistically it is very clear where the densest parts of the population of Canada resides. Ontario, BC and Quebec which don't have the amount of free landmass that would require year round growing nor the type of weather (BC with weather exception).  And I don't think I made Canada sound like one little location by what I said, Any idiot with a map can see/ knows how large Canada is. IN that same note most people only know Canada as Toronto (where I live ) and possibly BC and Quebec. If we were to have huge agriculture in the west that means there would need to be a boost in population in the western provinces and I am not sure Canada is well know for its western provinces so immigration might be low. Which is a shame because from what I see in pictures its kinda nice.

The government would need to make Canadians want to relocate to those provinces some people do for the jobs that oil has produced but still not nearly enough people want to relocate to these provinces.

What are you talking about? Because of the strong economy the population is growing faster in Western Canada than Eastern Canada. Maybe not in total numbers but in percentage wise its growing quickly

 

secondly, farming is mass produced now, its not like it was 100 years ago. U dont need that much labor to take care of farming... The population the West currently has could easily allow farming to tripply or quadriple no problem. 

 

Would generate enough jons, Government revenue to help the economy but would by no means result in labor ahortage. U dont need 200,000 working in agriculture to mass produce a huge amount of food!

 

If even 4% or 5% of the employed population worked in agriculture in Alberta or Saskatchwean, we wouldnt have enough infrastructure to carry out all those grains out of here at this time. The population isnt an issue trust me

 

PS: Ontario has plenty of land left great for farming. Theres huge areas that are just trees that could be chopped off and land fertilized and there you go. Sure the trees being cut down isnt great, but oil has a worse environmental impact

 

Also irradic unseasonal weather is always a risk anywhere. That alone doesnt stop agriculture that we have. It just means some years it comes out bad

[Luc 4,776]

Well the biggest producer of wheat and grains is the US. If it really is true about droughts and with global warming making some things unfarmable in lower latitudes and having to move them higher... Then more would have to be produced in more Northern Countries

 

Like urs as well for example. I dont know if ur climate is good for grains but just farming in general Countries like urs and mine might take over production from some others in the future

In my country they're more trying to find more intensive ways of agriculture. In Greenhouses (there's thousands of them in this country, like 10000 hectare). In greenhouses you can harvest 6 times a year. There's also new techniques making it possible to harvest 12 (!) times a year. Also vertical agriculture is possible. u

[Economy 53,160]

In my country they're more trying to find more intensive ways of agriculture. In Greenhouses (there's thousands of them in this country, like 10000 hectare). In greenhouses you can harvest 6 times a year. There's also new techniques making it possible to harvest 12 (!) times a year. Also vertical agriculture is possible. u

Vertical?

[Luc 4,776]

Vertical?

​Yeah. In tall buildings on every store. They use some empty offices here to grow mushrooms and perhaps in the future weed. When there's not enough ground in the world, or if we want to lower our ecological footstep by a lot, vertical agriculture is a solution.

[Economy 53,160]

​Yeah. In tall buildings on every store. They use some empty offices here to grow mushrooms and perhaps in the future weed. When there's not enough ground in the world, or if we want to lower our ecological footstep by a lot, vertical agriculture is a solution.

Oh that yeah ive heard of it. No one does that in my Country tho

 

green spaces in cities is for beauty only.  Its for grass and flowers and parks only

 

nobody wants to see farming in city cuz its not beautiful. So farming has to be where no one lives in the Country  

 

im sure in taller buildings u wouldnt see it... But still nobody does it.

[Luc 4,776]

Oh that yeah ive heard of it. No one does that in my Country tho

 

green spaces in cities is for beauty only.  Its for grass and flowers and parks only

 

nobody wants to see farming in city cuz its not beautiful. So farming has to be where no one lives in the Country  

 

im sure in taller buildings u wouldnt see it... But still nobody does it.

​In my city there's city restaurants with food grown right next to the restaurant. Also there's big grass places (in the middle of roads and houses) with hundreds of sheep walking around. It actually gives the city a little bit more vitality and fun. I hope the sheep won't get eaten though  they're so cute.

 

And farming is beautiful. Haven't ever been to the Netherlands? http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000GbOP8M8EzC8/s/750/750/MG-9674-tulip-fields-20110417.jpg

[Economy 53,160]

​In my city there's city restaurants with food grown right next to the restaurant. Also there's big grass places (in the middle of roads and houses) with hundreds of sheep walking around. It actually gives the city a little bit more vitality and fun. I hope the sheep won't get eaten though  they're so cute.

 

And farming is beautiful. Haven't ever been to the Netherlands? http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000GbOP8M8EzC8/s/750/750/MG-9674-tulip-fields-20110417.jpg

Food grown next to restaurants???  

 

well, u sure know how to use space efficiently ill give ya that