$93 million being invested into Canadian ag-related research

Jul 22, 2015

Investment will also help create jobs

As the world’s population continues to grow, so does the need for food and the need to understand issues including climate changes.

Understanding the ways plants, livestock, fish and other species interact with one another has been largely left a mystery.

Various organizations including the Canadian government are investing $93 million into 11 genomics (DNA sequencing methods) projects.

The projects are funded under Genome Canada’s 2014 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition: Genomics and Feeding the Future.

"Our government is committed to moving ideas from the lab to the marketplace more quickly, strengthening Canada's economy while creating jobs for Canadians,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “Today's investment will harness Canada's strength in genomics research to provide a boost to our agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture industries in Saskatchewan and across Canada in order to compete and win in the global marketplace.”

Some of the projects include the University of Saskatchewan receiving $15.5 million to help other research teams develop vaccines against infectious diseases affecting cattle and develop lentil varieties that can succeed in Canadian growing conditions.

"The outstanding success of our researchers in this competition builds on our signature area of agriculture and demonstrates that the U of S is building significant capacity in areas where national and global food security solutions are required,” said Dr. Karen Chad, Vice-President of Research, University of Saskatchewan. “This new knowledge is critical to help address the projected doubling of world food demand by 2050.”

Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sectors make up more than 8% of Canada’s GDP and employed 2.1 million people as of 2011.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.