Posts by Robin Roff

Robin Roff

About Robin Roff

Robin Jane Roff is an avid writer and researcher with a deep love of all things food-related. She comes by her passion for agricultural policy honestly after 4 years exploring the nuanced dance of industry, government and social movements during her doctorate degree at Simon Fraser University, where she focused on the political economy of agricultural biotechnology and alternative agrifood production. She currently works as a conflict resolution specialist for the UBC Faculty Association and thinks daily about the impact that fair employment structures have on our ability to achieve our social and environmental goals.

The Farmers’ Food Donation Tax Credit misses the mark in food security

Mar 3, 2016
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On February 25 BC joined Ontario and Quebec in offering farmers a tax incentive for donating to food assistance programs, such as food banks or school meal programs. Promised in last month’s budget, the Farmers’ Food Donation Tax Credit provides individuals or businesses registered as farms a 25% credit on any donated animal or plant product grown, raised or… View Article

How Canada’s WTO “victory” on food labelling undermines BC’s local food efforts

Feb 3, 2016
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In December Canada once again made international headlines by defeating the Americans at the World Trade Organization, and, paradoxically, made it harder to promote and protect British Columbia’s agrifood sector.  After a seven-year dispute, the United States was forced to repeal legislation requiring country of origin labelling (COOL) for muscle cuts of beef and pork. The… View Article

Tradable Water Rights – Coming to a province near you

Mar 5, 2011
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In January of this year, the BC government joined Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to become the fourth province to announce that it is considering creating tradable water rights as a way of curbing use and improving the efficiency of allocation. The announcement came as a vague reference to “water markets” in the latest draft of… View Article