Wayne Roberts's blog

Rethinking revolution on the centenary of the Russian Revolution

Wayne Roberts — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 22:27:24 +0000

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, and about a hundred real, existing socialists turned up at Toronto's Lula Lounge to celebrate the launch of this year's issue of Socialist Register, dedicated to critical but positive reflections on the significance of the processes unleashed by that historic event.

Peasants are making a comeback

Wayne Roberts — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:56:30 +0000

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Peasants have flagrantly defied the laws of history over a dozen times to become leading actors in socialist and anti-colonial revolutions around the world.

As with marijuana laws, when any law is defied so often and so brazenly, there comes a time to repeal the law and the theory behind it.

Tougher laws won't stop drunk driving. We need to tackle Canada's drinking problem.

Wayne Roberts — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 18:24:27 +0000

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Thanks to a report this month from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the news has gone global on Canada having the worst record in the industrialized world for traffic deaths linked to drunk driving.

Trudeau's government to grab right end of the food stick

Wayne Roberts — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 19:14:45 +0000

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If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's instructions to his new Minister of Agriculture are followed, Canada will soon lead the pack of G20 economically powerful countries when it comes to food policy.

Don't jump to rasher conclusions. Pigs offer bacon of hope to sustainable food systems.

Wayne Roberts — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 17:47:27 +0000

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Bacon may not be all it's sizzled up to be, but it does explain a whole rasher of things about today's food scene.

I got to experience the bacon back story on August 8, as one of four judges at a BaconFest2015 celebration at east-end Toronto's neighbourhood-based Leslieville Farmers Market.

'Ugly fruit' finally breaks through to supermarket shelves

Wayne Roberts — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 19:35:19 +0000

There's a lot to learn from Loblaws decision to sell less attractively shaped fruit and vegetables for 30 per cent less than their more stylish counterparts on the other side of the produce runway.

Loblaws is not only the leading supermarket in Canada. It's also a retailing pioneer that draws on the marketing knowhow of a multi-billion dollar global empire of trend-setting products in parent company Weston's stable of brands, retailers and processors -- one of which is French Intermarché, who successfully launched the whole trend of selling disfigured food a year ago.

Africa's women-driven agriculture movement a blueprint for a brighter future

Wayne Roberts — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 20:42:26 +0000

Few areas of the world live up to this year's International Women's Day theme to "Make it Happen" as well as the isolated villages of eastern Africa -- where most women grow, process and cook food, often as the sole head of the family.

This may surprise people who think of the women's rights movement as an urban trend based in the more affluent and liberal Global North. But the fact is that rural African women, who shoulder most of the work in all stages of a food system -- seed selection, farming, processing, selling, meal preparation and composting -- are fashioning a food system based on principles of what's called "agro-ecology."