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.
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.
Why you probably won't know if you're eating gene-edited food
Canadians could soon be unknowingly eating gene-edited foods that have not been assessed for safety by Health Canada.
Canada fails to test for all toxics on farms and in food
PFAS, a group of chemicals linked to health problems and used in everything from takeout containers to raincoats, is finding its way into American fields and food. Could Canadian farmers be facing the same danger?
Forget COVID. Canada’s chicken farmers are dealing with a hidden pandemic
First detected in Canada last year, the H5N1 virus has killed over 1.7 million of the country's domesticated fowl and wreaked havoc on poultry and egg farms.
War, geopolitics, and capital markets driving food costs to the moon
Pundits and farming lobbies are blaming sky-high food prices on shortages, but a new report argues wealthy investors are fuelling the crisis.