Growing technology for growing food

Nov 27, 2024
By Andrew Joseph
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Keeping abreast of new technologies and utilizing them can help propel Canadian agriculture’s status within the global market. Photo: Scharfsinn86/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo

Farmers know that new technologies could make life on the farm more efficient and hopefully provide better yield numbers, but according to a new report from the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), it should also improve the resilience of Canada’s food system.

These advancements in food production technologies will not only provide meaningful opportunities to improve the resilience of Canada’s food system, but they will also offer people a greater diversity of food sources and help build on Canada’s position as a global leader in agriculture—according to The Next Course, a new expert panel report from the CCA.

The National Research Council of Canada asked the CCA to consider the areas of scientific and technological advancement in atypical food production that will most contribute to Canada’s national food security within the next two decades.

The Next Course explores a range of promising food production methods—from controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facilities to cellular agriculture processes such as cultured meat and precision fermentation—as well as the conditions that improve their chances of success.

Working alongside conventional agricultural practices, these innovative methods may enable local year-round fruit and vegetable growth across Canada and provide a greater variety of protein sources. This could diversify the nation’s food system, strengthening its resilience in the face of climate change, population growth, limited resources, and geopolitical instability. Critically, food production is only one part of the wider food system; in isolation, production increases will not guarantee food security for Canada.

“As a top-tier agricultural producer, Canada has tremendous potential to lead the world in novel food-production methods while future-proofing its own food system,” explained Lenore Newman, Chair of the CCA’s Expert Panel on Atypical Food Production Technologies for Canadian Food Security.

The benefits of atypical food production will depend on enabling technologies such as genomics, automation, and artificial intelligence; adequate resources, including energy, water, broadband internet, and labour; and successful resolution of policy issues involving land use and food safety. They should also complement, and not replace, conventional methods of food production.

“The CCA is pleased to provide this clear-eyed assessment to support policymakers as they address the complexities of food production in Canada,” said Tijs Creutzberg, CCA President and Chief Executive Officer. “I am grateful to the members of the expert panel for their thorough consideration of the questions at hand and their thoughtful engagement throughout the assessment process.

The Next Course report may be downloaded at www.cca-reports.ca.

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