It’s expected the funding will support at least 40 new projects
The federal government is investing in Canadian agriculture through technological innovation.
Ottawa is providing the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) with $50 million to support its work of funding innovative projects in ag, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced in Calgary, Alta. on Aug. 26.
“We know we’re an energy superpower, and we’re also an agriculture superpower,” the minister said. “We’ve been scouting around the country to empower the best organizations who can help us deliver on our (National Food Strategy).”
The support is expected to fund at least 40 new projects, employ 800 people, and continue to grow CAAIN’s network, Joly added.
A non-profit launched in 2020, CAAIN bridges gaps between agriculture and technology to help Canada’s agri-food sector innovate in areas like automation and robotics, and data-driven decision making.
Since then, the organization has supported more than 50 projects.
“CAAIN is supporting companies addressing real market needs,” Darrel Petras, CAAIN’s CEO, said during the funding announcement.
Examples include Metabolomics Innovations from Lake Newell Resort, Alta., which is working to create an app to provide Prairie farmers with access to AI-based predictive modeling.
VeriGrain Sampling out of Saskatoon, Sask. is developing technology to support the integrity of the grain sampling process.
And P&P Optica from Waterloo, Ont., is using AI and machine learning to optimize meat production.
Canada isn’t spending as much on ag innovation as other countries.
In 2022, for example, Canada ranked as the lowest spender among the top seven OECD countries, which include the U.S., Australia, and Brazil.
“Australia leads in R&D spending as a share of AgGDP at 1.68 per cent, highlighting the potential for targeted investment to achieve competitive advantages,” a February 2025 report from the University of Calgary says.
Canada should aim to spend about 1.5 per cent of its AgGDP on research and development, the report suggests.