Marc Fawcett-Atkinson
Journalist | Vancouver |
English
French
About Marc Fawcett-Atkinson
Marc Fawcett-Atkinson is a reporter and writer covering food systems, climate, disinformation, and plastics and the environment for Canada’s National Observer.
His ongoing investigations of the plastic industry in Canada won him a Webster Award's nomination in environmental reporting in 2021. He was also a nominee for a Canadian Association of Journalists's award for his reporting on disinformation.
Marc has previously written for High Country News, the Literary Review of Canada, and other publications on topics exploring relationships between people and their social and physical environments.
He holds an M.A. in journalism from the University of British Columbia and a B.A. in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic.
Big Plastic suing feds over single-use ban — again
Several major plastic manufacturers have turned to the courts to stop the federal government from implementing a ban on several single-use plastic items.
Why your mac and cheese is way more expensive than last year
The average price of food has soared by 8.8 per cent, forcing about a quarter of Canadians to cut back on their grocery bills in an effort to adapt, StatCan reports. But those increases haven't been equally distributed, with the price of some foods spiking nearly twice as much as others.
Squeezed by housing crisis, Ontario farmland becomes dangerously rare
Real estate prices have soared across Canada in recent years, and farmland is no different. From B.C. to the Maritimes, farmland near urban centres is being eyed by developers seeking to turn fields into suburban malls and cul-de-sacs.
Meet the dogs sniffing stinky mussels for work, not play
Zebra and quagga mussels are small freshwater mussels originally from the Black and Caspian seas. The invasive mussels can transform aquatic food chains and grow in thick carpets that can clog farm irrigation lines, hydropower dams and municipal waterworks. Keeping them out of B.C. is a full-time job for two dedicated dogs.
The meeting that could be Canada’s last chance to curb farm emissions
A meeting of Canada's agriculture ministers later this month could be pivotal in the fight against climate change, according to a national coalition of farmers.
How Canada’s plan to curb farm emissions could make plastic pollution worse
Environmentalists are warning that slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, central to Canada's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms, are filling fields with microscopic plastic pollution.
Dog photos and veiled threats: How Canada’s fertilizer lobby is fighting against climate laws
In December 2020, the government challenged Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau's ministry to reduce emissions from artificial nitrogen fertilizers by 30 per cent by 2030. Soon after, Canada's $23-billion fertilizer industry jumped into action to make sure the new rules won't hurt its bottom line.
Why this Quebec farmer is growing seeds for ‘resilience’
As global supply chains continue to struggle, food prices surge, and climate change threatens the world's farmland with droughts or floods, some farmers say that locally grown seeds are key to making Canada's food supplies more sustainable.
With election looming, Ontario food banks ask politicians to put them out of business
As Ontario's electoral candidates float plans to reduce cost at the tills, food banks and food security experts say their food-focused approach is distracting from the main problem: Poverty and incomes.
Turning soil to gold
Karn Manhas, the CEO of Canadian agtech company Terramera, believes that technology is key to making more sustainable regenerative farming widespread.