Publications

A scoping review on the impact of rotational grazing in beef cattle systems on greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, plant diversity, and plant productivity parameters

This comprehensive scoping review examines the effectiveness of rotational grazing systems promoted under Canada’s Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, analyzing 15 studies across Canadian cow-calf operations and similar climate regions. The research reveals mixed results, with 46.5% of outcomes showing positive impacts and 53.5% showing neutral effects, while consistently demonstrating benefits for plant productivity and soil surface properties. These evidence-based findings provide critical insights for policymakers evaluating rotational grazing as a climate mitigation strategy in Canadian livestock operations.

Friday, September 05, 2025

Lucia Sanguinetti, V. Margarita Sanguinetti, John Remnant, Karin Orsel, Heather Ganshorn, Minfeng Tang, and Guillaume Lhermie

first page of journal article 'A scoping review on the impact of rotational grazing in beef cattle systems on greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, plant diversity, and plant productivity parameters'
“Why would a farmer pay more money to use something that’s not gonna give them anything back”: Identifying gaps and opportunities to promote regenerative agriculture in Alberta, Canada

This research study examines the opportunities and challenges for regenerative agriculture adoption in Alberta, Canada, revealing critical policy gaps and implementation barriers. Through interviews with 14 diverse stakeholders, the study provides evidence-based recommendations for developing context-specific policies that support farmers while promoting regenerative agriculture principles. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking to create more effective strategies for expanding sustainable farming practices across Canada’s diverse agricultural regions.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Tatenda Mambo, Francine Nelson, Juhi Huda, Guillaume Lhermie

first page of journal article “Why would a farmer pay more money to use something that’s not gonna give them anything back”: Identifying gaps and opportunities to promote regenerative agriculture in Alberta, Canada
Simpson Centre Policy Trends: 2025 Farmer Survey: Business and Taxation

Canadian farmers are calling for tax and trade policies that support long-term business stability, farm succession, and export diversification. The Simpson Centre’s survey also reveals nuanced views on labour and immigration.

 

 

 

Friday, May 02, 2025

Ohi Ahmed and Guillaume Lhermie

Simpson Centre Policy Trends: 2025 Farmer Survey: Confidence Levels and Environment Policies

The Simpson Centre’s national farmer survey ahead of the 2025 federal election reveals a mixed landscape of institutional trust and environmental policy perceptions across Canada. While farmers place higher confidence in provincial ministries and service-oriented agencies, many express scepticism toward federal regulators and call for more balanced, innovation-driven approaches to environmental and water management.

 

 

 

Friday, May 02, 2025

Ohi Ahmed and Guillaume Lhermie

Simpson Centre Policy Trends: 2025 Pre-Election Farmer Survey

Ahead of the 2025 federal election, the Simpson Centre surveyed 979 Canadian farmers to better understand their political alignment and top policy concerns. The findings shed light on which federal party farmers believe represents them best, and reveal how farm income, region, and sector shape voting tendencies and policy priorities.

 

 

 

Friday, May 02, 2025

Ohi Ahmed and Guillaume Lhermie

A systematic review of disease control strategies in beef cow–calf herds, part 2: preweaned calf morbidity and mortality associated with neonatal calf diarrhea and bovine respiratory disease

Preventing neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cow–calf herds is essential to optimizing calfhood health. Disease control can prevent morbidity and mortality; however, evidence concerning the effectiveness of practices to achieve this is limited. The objective of this systematic review was to assess and summarize the evidence on the effec- tiveness of management practices to prevent calf morbidity and mortality from NCD and BRD in beef cow–calf herds. The population of interest was preweaned beef calves. The outcomes were calf morbidity and mortality caused by NCD and BRD. Only studies reporting naturally occurring diseases were included. Seventeen studies were deemed relevant, 6 studies of which were controlled trials or randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 11 were observational stud- ies. Most management practices had some evidence to support their use; however, the certainty of the findings was low to very low. Most of the practices were shown to impact both NCD and BRD. Yet, the different levels of consistency in the directionality of the findings suggest that some outcomes are more affected by some practices than others. More well-designed RCTs and cohort studies are required to provide reliable estimates to support recommended practices for cow–calf herds.

Source: Cambridge University Press

 

 

Monday, March 24, 2025

V. Margarita Sanguinetti, Kayla Strong, Samuel P. Agbese, Cindy Adams, John Campbell, Sylvia L. Checkley, Heather Ganshorn, and M. Claire Windeyer