Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, discusses key initiatives like the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy and the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, highlighting how Canada is fostering sustainability and growth in its agricultural sector.
With the planned release of the Sustainable Agricultural Strategy by the end of 2024, what key objectives and initiatives can farmers expect, and how will this strategy help guide the future of sustainable farming practices in Canada?
A great deal of work has gone into the development of our Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, not only by government, but with the help of stakeholders from right across the sector, including producers, industry groups, environmental organizations, and Indigenous partners. Their insights have been absolutely essential in making sure the Strategy addresses the most pressing challenges facing the sector, but also their priorities. It will give us a roadmap that balances environmental and economic sustainability and keeps the sector strong for generations to come.
Agriculture plays a critical role in Canada's efforts to lower emissions. What specific steps is the government encouraging within the agricultural sector to meet Canada’s emissions reduction goals, and how are farmers responding to these initiatives?
Farmers don’t need to be convinced that climate change is real –they’re facing the impacts directly. They want to keep their land healthy, productive, and resilient. As a government, we’re making historic investments so we can continue to be a reliable supplier and leading exporter of world-class products. Since 2021, we’ve invested $1.5 billion in a variety of programs and activities, like our Agricultural Clean Technology Program, Living Labs, and our On-Farm Climate
Action Program, aimed at helping producers reduce their on-farm emissions and grow their operations.
How are government programs supporting farmers in adopting new technologies to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability, and what impact have these programs had in the agricultural sector so far?
Our Agriculture Clean Technology program is one of the key initiatives that producers are taking advantage of. It helps them adopt green technologies, like efficient grain dryers and tools for precision agriculture, and to date, we’ve supported over 414 projects right across the country. Producers want to have access to the latest technologies to modernize their operations, reduce their emissions, and stay on the cutting edge. We know that cost can be a barrier and this program helps to get them on board.
Can you explain how the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is helping provinces tailor programs to meet local agricultural needs?
Canada is a world leader in agriculture — thanks to the hardworking producers we have right across the country. When it comes to production, different regions have different needs and the provinces and territories design and deliver cost-shared programming through our Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership agreements. These programs could be anything from support to attract and retain agri-food workers in Ontario, to helping ranchers in Alberta adhere to the highest standards of beef production, or getting young people in Newfoundland and Labrador interested in agriculture.
How Farmers Edge Is Revolutionizing Agribusiness Digital Solutions
Farmers Edge™, a pure-play ag-tech company, recently announced the launch of its Managed Technology Services to address agriculture’s toughest technology challenges, including rising tech costs, siloed systems, and complex digital transitions.
This comprehensive offering is a first for the industry, meeting the growing complexity of digital needs for global insurers, agribusinesses, and financial institutions seeking to scale their technology capabilities.
Farmers Edge Managed Technology Services encompass technology consulting, outsourcing, data licensing, white labelling of its renowned platform (FarmCommand®), and custom development catered to key verticals in agriculture:
• Farm productivity
Agricultural retailers
Crop insurance and risk management
Sustainability, traceability, and Scope 3 insets
“Our Managed Services redefine how agribusinesses adopt and integrate technology,” says Vibhore Arora, Farmers Edge CEO.
“As a strategic partner, we deliver end-to-end lifecycle support — simplifying processes, resolving challenges, and empowering clients to harness technology into a catalyst of growth and innovation.”
Farmers Edge has received significant interest within the enterprise market, establishing strategic partnerships with leading organizations. The National Sorghum Producers leverage Farmers Edge technology to support climate-smart crop production, helping their growers qualify for government grants. Sicredi, Brazil’s first financial cooperative, is leveraging tools for on-farm level risk reporting.
Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance, one of Canada’s largest crop insurers, is using advanced analytics to support hail claims and improve the customer experience.
New digital solutions from Farmers Edge tackle rising tech costs, siloed systems, and complex digital transitions for large-scale agriculture businesses.
Vibhore Arora CEO, Farmers Edge
Canada’s $30 Billion
Opportunity to Rekindle Agricultural
Productivity Growth
Canada is a leader in agricultural innovation. The crop varieties, inputs, and best management practices developed by the country's agriculture sector all help farmers to produce more with less.
Since 2011, however, Canada’s agricultural productivity growth has been declining, as Farm Credit Canada (FCC) highlighted in a 2023 report.
“There’s been a steady decline in agriculture productivity growth since 2011, and this isn’t unique to Canada,” says Nancy Tout, Chief Scientific Officer at the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan.
Many factors are contributing to this decline, including an innovation pipeline that doesn’t efficiently translate research discoveries into market-impacting innovations for producers and consumers. FCC’s 2023 report identifies a $30 billion opportunity over 10 years to rekindle Canada’s agriculture productivity growth. With a growing global demand for food and other challenges, Tout said there’s a pressing need — and opportunity — for researchers to address the issue.
Bridging the gap
GIFS is helping to tackle this productivity challenge and bridge the innovation gap within the agriculture and food sector. Tout points out that while Canada ranks high in innovation inputs — 8th among the 133
economies featured in the Global Innovation Index 2024 — we perform worse in innovation output.
“We’d like to see an improved return on our investment,” she says.
The solution: Smarter investments in agriculture research and innovation that deploy transformative technologies and support meaningful partnerships and consortia models.
“We’ve got great institutions, private industries, and funding programs in Canada, but they’re not necessarily working together and finding synergy,” says Tout. “That’s what we’re really doing differently at GIFS.”
GIFS works with a diverse range of partners to discover, develop, and deliver innovative solutions for the production of globally sustainable food. Through these partnerships, both public and private research organizations can leverage GIFS’ world-class team and leading-edge technologies to scale and accelerate research and development.
Investing in accelerated breeding GIFS’ investments in accelerated breeding are a great example of this. The FCC Accelerated Breeding Program at GIFS combines technologies such as genomic selection, speed breeding, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and digital twining to increase the rate of genetic gain for crop and livestock breeding programs, delivering new products into the
hands of producers faster. The program is enabled by a $5 million investment from FCC.
“The FCC Accelerated Breeding Program at GIFS supports the deployment of innovations, data-driven decision-making, and transformative technologies like genomic selection to increase rates of genetic gain per dollar invested,” says Tout. “Enabling collaboration, we are currently establishing a consortium-based model to deliver innovations more rapidly for breeding organizations.”
In crops, accelerated breeding has the potential to double the rate of genetic gain and shrink breeding cycles by a number of years, according to Tout, helping to address climate resilience, disease resistance, and productivity.
“FCC’s investment in the Accelerated Breeding Program is a commitment to improving Canada’s agricultural productivity and addressing the pressing challenges of improving food security,” says Justine Hendricks, FCC’s President and CEO. “This collaboration with GIFS moves us toward seizing the generational opportunity in front of us and will keep Canada at the forefront of agricultural excellence and sustainable production through innovative solutions.”
“Canada has a $30 billion innovation opportunity, and programs like this are the key to unlocking it,” adds Tout.
How Genome Alberta is Advancing Climate-Smart Ag Innovation
Canada has made significant strides in reducing our food production systems’ carbon footprint, but there’s always more work to be done. By strengthening the resiliency, environmental sustainability, and economic growth potential of our agriculture sector, we can better meet the growing global demand for sustainable food production while addressing the increasing challenges posed by climate change. How can we do this? In one word: innovation.
This innovation is especially critical in Western Canada, where Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba play a key role in feeding not only Canadians but the world. It’s within this dynamic landscape that the not-for-profit research funding organization Genome Alberta, and national partner Genome Canada, are making significant strides.
Moving toward net zero emissions
Genome Alberta’s investment in the PeaCE (Pea Climate-Efficient) project, for
example, aims to increase the acreage of nitrogen-fixing pulse crops, specifically field pea, to reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizer — a high greenhouse gas emitter.
Another Genome Alberta investment, the Climate Action Through Grazing (CATG) project, uses genomics to understand cattle grazing and soil microbiomes to enhance carbon sequestration in vast prairie grasslands.
“Alberta is looking for innovation to move our province toward a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, and these projects represent significant potential for the agriculture sector to both lower emissions and expand market opportunities through the application of genomics technology,” says David Bailey, Genome Alberta’s President and CEO. “Genome Alberta is pleased to invest in Albertamade solutions for today and tomorrow.”
The Genomics at Work for Prairie’s Crop Industry Summary Report, available at genomealberta.ca, highlights how genomics technology can help the crop sector address the challenges and adapt for the future.
How USask Is Shaping the Future of Sustainable Agriculture
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ccording to Angela BedardHaughn, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources (AgBio) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), Canadian agriculture is, in a word, exciting. “Feeding the world and ensuring a safe, secure global food supply is an incredible calling,” she says.
“But we also need to find ways to achieve food security while facing global challenges and climate change. Research and innovation in the agriculture and food space are currently focused on tackling both challenges simultaneously.”
As a global leader in agricultural research, USask is actively addressing these challenges, both through research in sustainable agriculture and through training future agricultural leaders via hands-on learning.
Addressing global food security
“Our diverse faculty spans the entire agricultural value chain — from soil microorganisms and animal health to food processing, greenhouse gas emissions, economic policy, and beyond,” says Bedard-Haughn. “We also collaborate with other departments, institutes,
Indigenous communities, and Saskatchewan’s broader innovation ecosystem, which is a highly productive hub in Canada’s largest agriculture region.”
USask AgBio focuses heavily on experiential learning. “Most classes include hands-on tutorials or field-based learning,” says Bedard-Haughn. “We take students out into the field so they can translate what they’ve been learning into practical knowledge.”
Students also have the opportunity to get involved in research aimed at enhancing global food security while promoting environmental sustainability. USask researchers are discovering, growing, and evolving the agricultural products and practices of tomorrow, with special focuses on sustainability and digital agriculture.
Recent projects include a Genome Canada-funded project on climate-smart crop breeding and another on carbon mapping and sequestration in agricultural lands. From the development of crop varieties suitable for challenging environments to researching conservation tillage and sustainable crop rotations, USask researchers are leading the way in addressing global food security.
The Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan is helping to drive agricultural innovation and bridge Canada’s productivity gap.
Tania Amardeil
Genome Alberta is using genomics to drive sustainability, innovation, and growth in the agriculture sector.
Tania Amardeil
The University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources is driving education and research in sustainable agriculture.
Amardeil
How Agriculture Innovation Can Unleash Canada's Economic Potential
Agriculture plays a critical role in Canada’s economy and global food security. The agriculture and agri-food system together represent about 2.3 million jobs and contributes about 7.4 per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP). Crop production in Canada is a $100-billion industry with exports of wheat, canola, corn, soy, lentils, peas, beans, and specialty crops going to more than 150 countries around the world.
Despite the industry’s economic heft, Canada’s agricultural productivity growth has slowed since 2011. A recent report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) identifies an opportunity to add $30 billion to Canada’s annual GDP by restoring growth in agricultural productivity to peak levels.
“Canada is one of only a handful of countries around the world that has the arable land, water, innovative farmers, and government stability to produce enough food to feed its own population as well as many others that simply cannot produce what they need. It’s critical that Canadian agriculture continues to find ways to sustainably increase production,” says Pierre Petelle, President and CEO of CropLife Canada, a national trade association representing the plant science industry.
Helping to address global food security
Increasing domestic food production represents not just an economic opportunity but a moral obligation to help feed the world’s growing population, which is expected to reach more than nine billion by 2050 according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Meeting this challenge, however, requires that we grow 70 per cent more food on our existing land. “Canada is already a leader in sustainable agriculture but if we’re going to produce that much more food with the lowest environmental impacts, innovation will be critical,” says Steven Webb, Executive Director and CEO of the Global Institute for Food Security. “We can’t rely on yesterday’s tools and technologies to solve today’s and tomorrow’s problems.”
Farmers will need access to the latest
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innovations in areas such as seed technology, crop protection products, and plant breeding. “There’s no point in buying, planting, and fertilizing seeds only to have an insect, disease, or hailstorm wipe out the entire crop,” says Petelle. “Whether it’s seed technology to produce crops that are more climate- and pest-resistant, pest control tools to keep crops healthy, or precision agriculture technologies that allow for higher yields with fewer inputs, we need a toolbox that allows farmers to address these pressures, and then we need to develop these innovations even further so they can continue to grow more with less.”
Needing to enable innovation
Advancing agricultural innovation in Canada requires substantial investment in research and development (R&D) — an area in which the plant science industry is very active. “Our members reinvest some of the highest percentages of sales of any sector back into R&D, looking for new, innovative solutions for farmers,” says Petelle.
We can’t rely on yesterday’s tools and technologies to solve todays and tomorrow’s problems.
Gowriluk, President of the Canada Grains Council, an organization representing the grain, oilseed, pulse, and special crop industries. “In its current state, Canada’s regulatory regime will not attract the level of investment and innovation needed to help the sector respond to our most pressing challenges. We need to ensure that farmers have access to the latest cutting-edge tools and technology, such as seed innovation and crop protection products that will make our farming operations more sustainable, productive, and competitive. Those investments will increasingly be made elsewhere.”
Many innovations in the agriculture industry are happening in areas such as precision application equipment, accelerated breeding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and big data. “These all require specialized knowledge and skill sets, so in addition to creating better tools for farmers, these innovations are also helping to create new career opportunities,” says Petelle.
Getting these new innovative technologies into the hands of farmers will require the regulatory system to be nimble and efficient. “We need to ensure that our domestic regulatory framework is structured in a way that incentivizes the development and advancement of agricultural technology and innovation and that our policies are both science- and evidence-based,” says Erin
Canadian agriculture is a solutions provider Attracting more investment and people to agriculture requires raising the sector’s profile. “Agriculture is often overlooked as a sector for economic growth and investment, but for Canada to take its place as a true economic powerhouse, we need to have a mind shift, and I think that government, industry, and academic institutions can all play a role in positioning agriculture as a growth sector with exciting and rewarding jobs,” says Petelle.
A side benefit from supporting agricultural innovation is that it positions Canada as a leader in sustainability. “Increasing productivity will not only enable us to drive more value from our agricultural sector domestically, but also act as a road map for the rest of the world to increase food production while driving down the environmental footprint,” says Webb. Gowriluk agrees, adding, “When we consider our global sustainability targets, I think that one of the most meaningful contributions that Canada can make is to promote the adoption of the modern agriculture practices that our grain farmers are using.”
Pierre Petelle President & CEO,
CIn Winnipeg, Canadian Ag Innovators Are Growing the Future of Food
Canada is known around the world as the top source of the highest quality wheat. To stay on top, we must innovate and collaborate.
ereal crops like wheat feed the world. From breads to pastas, pastries to cookies, wheat is an ingredient that provides staple foods for 35 per cent of the world’s population. And when those people are looking for the highest quality wheat available, they look to Canada.
The breadbasket of the world Agriculture is the endeavour that makes civilization possible, even if that fundamental truth is not always apparent from deep within the world’s urban centres. Here in Canada, however, the indispensability of the agriculture and agrifood sector is common knowledge. The sector generates about $150 billion per year (seven per cent of our nation’s total GDP), and one in nine Canadian jobs are in agriculture. We understand it in our bones. And the backbone of Canadian agriculture is still formed of cereals and grains. Wheat, after all, is our single largest field grown crop.
“Wheat is grown across Canada and in every province,” says Dean Dias, CEO of Cereals Canada, the country’s national cereal grains industry association. “In the 2024/25 crop year, Canada is expected to export 25.7
Frank Campagna
million tonnes of wheat to over 80 countries. This will make Canada the world’s third largest exporter of wheat, and the top exporter of high-quality, high-protein wheat, for the second year in a row. Canadian wheat is highly valued by customers worldwide for its functional protein quality, which makes it an ideal improver wheat for a wide range of end products. This consistent functional quality is desired over 80 countries around the world.”
Innovating our most venerable industry
As the experts of the Canadian cereal grains value chain — from field to table, wherever in the world that table may be — Cereals Canada is deeply invested in growing, cultivating, and expanding our country’s global reputation as a grain leader. We’re the world’s first choice for exceptional wheat today, but we could also be the world’s innovation vanguard for the agriculture of tomorrow. To that end, Cereals Canada recently launched its visions for the Global Agriculture Technology Exchange (Gate) in the heart of Winnipeg.
“Gate is a vision for the future, a hub of innovation, collaboration, and applied research to support global food security,”
explains Capital Campaign Chair JoAnne Buth. “It all begins with support and investment in the sector. This investment drives research, innovation, and collaboration that will benefit farmers, the environment, and the economy. When we look to future trends in the global marketplace, we continue to see the growth of plant-based diets, the need for protein-rich foods, and the importance of sustainably grown crops.”
“Gate is about embracing and leveraging what Canada has to offer, so the sector can continue to be successful,” adds Dias. “The future of food lies in innovation and collaboration across agricultural sectors.”
Collaboration is how companies—and countries—prosper together. Gate provides an opportunity for Canadian companies to pool their knowledge and resources, and extend their reach all the way up and down to the value chain, from scientific research to market access initiatives and customer outreach. It is vital work like this that ensures our incredibly rich agricultural sector continues to be able to feed and employ Canadian families, while also providing the finest wheat to the world at large.
How Innovation and Collaboration Drive Canada’s Agri-Food Industry
Collaboration between government, industry, and academia is the secret to unlocking Canada’s agri-food innovation, which will drive both economic growth and sustainability.
In 2017, Dominic Barton pointed to agriculture as one of the sectors with the highest potential to contribute to Canada’s economic prosperity. Our agri-food industry is positioned to add $30 billion to Canada’s economy while sequestering greenhouse gas emissions and providing nutritious food for the world’s growing population.
The potential for innovation in this sector is immense, but to realize it will require a collaborative approach that leverages the strengths of government, industry, and academia. This is the central message of a recent report from the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, which underscores the opportunity for Canada to lead in the development of agricultural innovations and recommends action from all stakeholders working in unison.
One of the key priorities in advancing agriculture and food innovation is helping agri-food technology (ag-tech) companies to scale up their operations. These companies are at the forefront of technological advancements that can revolutionize agriculture, from precision farming to advanced biotechnology. However, scaling these innovations requires more than just funding — it also demands a supportive ecosystem that includes mentorship, access to markets,
and regulatory frameworks that encourage growth. By ensuring that ag-tech companies not only survive but thrive, we’ll drive innovation across the sector.
Securing the future of agriculture
The future of the agrifood sector lies in our ability to collaborate and innovate.
Another critical component of agri-food innovation is training the next generation of agricultural professionals. The future of agriculture depends on the skills and knowledge of those who will lead the sector, and the technological revolution on farms means new skills — from tech expertise to communication and leadership — will be required to succeed. Universities and colleges play a pivotal role, offering programs that combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience and bringing together experts from across disciplines for collaborative problem-solving. By collaborating with industry partners and leveraging the expertise of our academic institutions, we can de-risk investments and accelerate the development of new technologies. The University of Guelph (U of G) exemplifies this approach through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, our collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario. The alliance enables a
strong research and innovation ecosystem, trains a future-ready workforce, and delivers solutions that are critical to the success of the agri-food sector.
Encouraging innovation
Universities have a unique role to play in this endeavour, serving as hubs of knowledge and innovation. By fostering partnerships with industry and government, we can create an environment that encourages cutting-edge research and development. And by engaging with the broader community, we can ensure that our innovations are inclusive and beneficial to all. The future of the agri-food sector lies in our ability to collaborate and innovate. By driving forward a sector that’s both dynamic and resilient, we can ensure economic and environmental impact for all Canadians. But this will be possible only if we work together, leveraging the strengths of government, industry, and academia. Let us embrace this challenge with enthusiasm and determination, knowing that the solutions we create today will shape the future of agriculture for generations to come.
Rene Van Acker
Dean Dias CEO, Cereals Canada
JoAnne Buth Capital Campaign Chair
Rene Van Acker Interim President & ViceChancellor, University of Guelph
