GUELPH – A new network led by the University of Guelph, in collaboration with key national partners, will create an agri-food innovation and entrepreneurship training platform that aims to make Canada the global leader in developing agri-food innovation.
The university has received a lab-to-market grant of nearly $16.3 million over five years to support Sustainable Food Systems for Canada (SF4C) – a platform designed to develop skills and offer entrepreneurial education, equipping the agri-food ecosystem with the tools required to move new innovations from university lab-based prototypes to fully commercialized technologies.
Lab-to-market grants support post-secondary institutions and their affiliates in creating and sustaining networks dedicated to developing and delivering entrepreneurial skills training.
This funding was announced Jan. 15 by Terry Duguid, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada on behalf of Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne.
SF4C will have two national co-chairs, Dr. Evan Fraser, professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS) and director of the Arrell Food Institute, and Dr. Lenore Newman, professor and director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley.
“Current methods of food production are insufficient to meet increasing global demand and to mitigate the effects of climate change,” says Fraser. “Moreover, innovation is not a subset of the agricultural sector; it is a requirement for modern growers, producers, and processors.”
Newman adds, “As we face a changing climate and challenging global political situations, it is more important than ever to grow our domestic food system. SF4C is a national step forward in agricultural innovation.”
Dr. Shayan Sharif, interim vice president, research and innovation, says, “This funding is a testament to the University of Guelph’s expertise in catalyzing partnerships within and beyond this critical sector of interest. SF4C is bringing together top agri-food institutes who are already delivering an ambitious suite of innovation programs, creating a unified voice that will stimulate Canadian agri-food innovation and promote economic and environmental sustainability.”
Three programs will be developed under the initiative’s larger umbrella:
– a training platform;
– a mentorship and concierge service designed to connect innovators with additional resources; and
– a suite of activities, events and workshops to unify national expertise and reduce barriers to learning and business growth across Canada.
“Now is the moment for Canada to embrace the agricultural sector as a pathway to sustainable and productive growth on a scale that cannot be achieved by any single institution,” say co-chairs Fraser and Newman.
Across Canada, 13 post-secondary institutions are involved in SF4C.
