b'IS THE FUTURE IN FOOD?The founder of the first Canadian Summit on Climate Action in Food Systems says its time we look beyond big yields and commodity agriculture and focus on end users.Marc ZienkiewiczBRENDA TJADENis well-known in ag circles. As co-founder of FarmLink Marketing Solutions, she spent years in theLeft: Brenda Tjaden is world of grain marketing, farm management and commu- founder of Sustainable Grain.nications.Two years ago, she struck out on her own to discover a new career pathone that led her to form a com-pany called Sustainable Grain, which recently held the first Canadian Summit on Climate Action in Food Systems. Held Oct. 20-22, 2019, in Kelowna, B.C., its purpose was to create a safe place for stakeholders to explore the trends in global agriculture that threaten some models of farming and food distribution, and also to share infor-mation on the fast-growing movement of regenerative agriculture and how it addresses the modern challenges of the planet. Regenerative agriculture is often perceived as being disruptive to current business models, so it doesnt getAbove: Ananda Fitzsimmons, talked about a lot among people involved in mainstreamfounder of Regeneration Canadaag, especially the seed industry, Tjaden says. Left: Shane Paterson, vice-president of Growers Hence the idea of creating a safe space in whichInternational Organic Foods.industry stakeholders can talk about it without fear of recrimination, she says. Tjaden has a long history helping western Canadian farms respond to emerging profit opportunities in grow- things about todays agriculture that simply are not sus-ing and marketing their crops. In the process of foundingtainable, herbicide resistant weeds and nine-dollar canola Sustainable Grain, she researched sustainability protocolsbeing two big ones, Tjaden says. and the organic value chain, their opportunities and vul- What do we do different? What do we do besides nerabilities. She also pursued an education in soil healthmonocrop canola and rotate herbicides and invest in even and regenerative agricultureboth of which go hand-in- more expensive seed technology? Thats why I wanted to hand and have become a passion for her. create this event, which really looks past all the con-Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and reha- troversy that surrounds topics like this. This isnt about bilitation approach to food and farming systems focusingtrying to get the industry to change by throwing out pie-heavily on topsoil regeneration. It counts intercroppingin-the-sky ideas and lecturing people about sustainability. and cover croppingboth becoming increasingly popu- Its about the future of farming and seed, and thats food.laras two farming methods that fall under its umbrella. My personal interests take me to food. Im not inter-It really focuses on making farming more sustain- ested in big yields or commodity agriculture anymore. able. Thats become a loaded word these days, but at itsThere are a lot of emerging opportunities in food and the core it really helps us to think about the future and whatvalue chain that conventional agriculture can take advan-is going to work over the long term. There are so manytage of, and thats what this is abouttrying to connect 56GERMINATION.CA NOVEMBER 2019'