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Evan Fraser

Evan Fraser

Director of the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph; Professor; Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security, University of Guelph
Evan started thinking about agriculture and food systems while spending summers working on his grandfather’s fruit farm in Niagara. There, he watched his stock-broker grandmother rake in an unconscionable amount of money on commissions from her clients’ investments while the farmers around were letting their crops rot because the cost of harvesting was higher than the cost of importing from the Southern US and Mexico. He decided, however, it was easier to write and talk about farming than actually try to make a living on it so passed on inheriting the family farm, opting instead for grad school. He did degrees in forestry, anthropology and agriculture at UBC and UofT. Since graduating, he worked in a policy institute with the Hon. Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, and began his academic career in 2003 in the UK where he worked on farming and climate change at the University of Leeds. He is the author of approximately 70 scientific papers or book chapters on these topics, has written for the Guardian.com, CNN.com, ForeignAffairs.com, the Walrus and the Ottawa Citizen, and has two popular non-fiction books about food and food security including: Empires of Food: Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations that was published by Simon and Schuster and shortlisted for the James Beard Food Literature Award. Currently, he is the director of the Arrell Food Institute, holds the Tier I Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.

Space Science Series

The food systems that will feed Mars are set to transform food on Earth

Jan 24, 2023 05:32 am UTC| Technology

Could we feed a city on Mars? This question is central to the future of space exploration and has serious repercussions on Earth too. To date, a lot of thought has gone into how astronauts eat; however, we are only...

3 technologies poised to change food and the planet

Feb 20, 2021 12:23 pm UTC| Technology

Agricultures impact on the planet is massive and relentless. Roughly 40 per cent of the Earths surface is used for cropland and grazing. The number of domestic animals far outweighs remaining wild populations. Every day,...

100 days of coronavirus has sent shock waves through the food system

Jun 21, 2020 04:02 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

The COVID-19 lockdown has exposed a large number of problems in the food system. Whether it was the panic buying or workers in meat-packing plants testing positive for the virus, serious concerns have been raised about...

Insects, seaweed and lab-grown meat could be the foods of the future

Feb 04, 2020 12:18 pm UTC| Health

The world is facing a major food crisis where both obesity and hunger are rising in the context of rapidly changing environments. The Food and Agriculture Organization has presented alternative food sources such as...

How digital technologies can help Africa's smallholder farmers

Jul 12, 2019 09:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Digitisation could change the game for agriculture in Africa. Thats a key message in a report recently released by an international institution that enhances smallholder farming in African, Caribbean and Pacific...

Canada's new food policy means everyone's at the table

Jul 03, 2019 21:06 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canadas agriculture and agrifood minister, recently announced that, after years of consultations, Canada finally has a national food policy. Developing the policy had been one of the ministrys...

A Canadian food policy moves closer to becoming a reality

Sep 13, 2018 13:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

One of the key commitments the federal government made upon taking office was to establish a food policy for all Canadians. The rationale was simple. Although, or perhaps because, food intersects so many aspects of life...

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Economy

S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges

SP Global Ratings has reaffirmed Brazils BB/B long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings, maintaining a stable outlook. The agency also kept the countrys transfer and convertibility assessment...

Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand

Gold prices recovered on Thursday after falling to their lowest levels since November 2025, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar following the release of the latest U.S. inflation data. While easing concerns over aggressive...

Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes

Wall Street closed mixed on Thursday after a volatile trading session driven by contrasting performances from major technology companies. Investors reacted positively to Micron Technologys strong earnings and AI-driven...

Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher

Global oil prices climbed on Thursday after Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly attacked a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, reigniting concerns over Middle East tensions and...

Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman

Global oil prices recovered on Thursday after falling to levels seen before the Iran conflict, as renewed security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz revived market uncertainty. Reports of an attack on a commercial vessel...

Politics

US Approves $250 Million Fighter Jet Training Sale to Australia

The United States has approved a potential $250 million military sale to Australia, reinforcing the long-standing defense partnership between the two allies. The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it had...

Johns Hopkins University Lays Off 110 Employees as Federal Research Funding Declines

Johns Hopkins University has announced the layoff of 110 employees following significant reductions in federal research funding, highlighting the growing financial challenges facing one of the United States leading...

Republican Lawmaker Introduces AI Incident Reporting Bill to Strengthen U.S. AI Safety

The United States could soon see new artificial intelligence regulations after Republican Representative Nathaniel Moran of Texas introduced the proposed AI Incident Reporting Act, a bill designed to improve transparency...

Iran Strait of Hormuz Tensions Rise After Ship Attack Delays IMO Escort Mission

A reported attack on a cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz has prompted the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) to temporarily suspend its ship escort mission, raising fresh concerns over the fragile...

US Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii Gun Carry Law on Private Property

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a Hawaii law restricting licensed handgun owners from carrying firearms on private property open to the public without the owners explicit permission violates the Second Amendment. The...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI May Delay IPO to 2027 Amid $1 Trillion Valuation Goal

OpenAI is reportedly considering postponing its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) until 2027 as it pursues an ambitious $1 trillion valuation. According to a report by The New York Times, company executives...

Kioxia Targets U.S. Listing as AI Chip Boom Accelerates

Japan-based Kioxia Holdings Corp. (TYO:285A) is preparing to launch U.S. depositary shares in the spring of 2027, a strategic move aimed at expanding its global investor base and taking advantage of growing enthusiasm for...

Doncasters Raises $919 Million in NYSE IPO as Aerospace Growth Accelerates

Doncasters has successfully raised $919.3 million through its U.S. initial public offering (IPO), marking a significant milestone in the aerospace components manufacturers long-term transformation. The historic British...

SK Hynix Targets $29.4 Billion Nasdaq Listing to Expand AI Chip Business

SK Hynix has announced plans to raise as much as $29.4 billion through a Nasdaq listing in the United States, positioning the deal as one of the largest global stock offerings in history. The South Korean memory chip...

Alibaba Shares Fall After Anthropic Alleges Massive AI Model Distillation Campaign

Alibaba Groups Hong Kong-listed shares dropped sharply on Thursday after reports revealed that U.S.-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic accused the Chinese tech giant of conducting a large-scale campaign to...
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