Farmers and farm animals are facing a brave, new world ” brave, because agriculture is entrusted with feeding an increasingly hungry and growing globe. And new, because farming’s future looks as if it will be based on...
Read MoreFew advances in science from the University of Guelph have generated as much interest as the Enviropig, which has been genetically altered to excrete less phosphorous. You can learn about the Enviropig firsthand from Guelph...
Read MoreThe Enviropig, the first transgenic animal created to address phosphorus loading on the environment, is getting the green light from Environment Canada. Global TV has a story today on its website saying Ottawa has determined the...
Read MoreWithout clean water and healthy soil, we’re going to have a hard time feeding the growing population. In this week’s Urban Cowboy, I talk about the way forward, based on discussions I’ve had with University of...
Read MoreIn this week’s Urban Cowboy column, I’m tying together a new OECD report on the potential for biotechnology with a movement in Canada to unite agricultural policy and health policy. Canada has a unique opportunity...
Read MoreIn today’s Urban Cowboy, I’m touching on how animal technologies — cloning, genetic engineering, artificial insemination and embryo transfer — are being developed with the drive towards cheap, affordable...
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Owen Roberts is an agricultural journalist and communications instructor based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He is a trustee on the Global Foundation for Agricultural Journalism and an associate editor (communications) for the Journal of Agromedicine. Previously, Owen was president of the International Forum for Agricultural Journalists, an agricultural communications faculty member at the University of Illinois, and research communications director at the University of Guelph. His programs and research papers have been recognized through awards from the Journal of Applied Communications, the National Agri-Marketing Association, the Association for Communications Excellence and the Canadian Farm Writers' Federation.