Agricultural Societies Day: Minister RJ Sigurdson

Sep 21, 2023

“I am excited to designate Sept. 21 as Agricultural Societies Day in Alberta.

“Agricultural societies are the heart of Alberta’s rural communities, even predating the founding of our province. Alberta is home to 291 agricultural societies, more than anywhere else in Canada.

“These non-profit organizations provide a diverse range of programs and services that improve our agriculture industry and support the needs of their communities.

“From rodeos and bench shows to education programs and conferences, agricultural societies help their communities thrive. Agricultural societies also manage more than 900 facilities across Alberta, including community halls, ice rinks, horse riding arenas and campgrounds. In addition, they distribute more than $300,000 in annual student scholarships and bursaries.

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Video: Democratizing Gene Editing - Pairwise’s Vision for the Future of Agriculture

Pairwise has built its business around an idea that runs counter to how many companies approach innovation: make transformative technology easier to access.

In this Seed World interview, CEO Tom Adams discusses why broader access to gene editing could speed crop improvement, expand innovation opportunities and help agriculture address emerging challenges. He explains why Pairwise believes no single company can solve all of agriculture's problems alone—and why making advanced breeding technologies available to more organizations could accelerate progress across the industry.

The conversation explores how consumer trust influences technology adoption, why innovations like pitless cherries and seedless blackberries matter beyond convenience, and how future crop improvements could help address labor shortages, automation, harvest efficiency and other production challenges. Adams also shares his perspective on what the industry may be underestimating about the next wave of gene editing innovation.

Watch the full interview to hear why Pairwise believes agriculture is approaching an important inflection point for gene editing, and why the pace of innovation over the next decade could surprise the industry.

Topics Covered:

o Democratizing agricultural innovation

o Consumer trust and technology adoption

o The business case for sharing innovation

o Expanding innovation beyond major crops

o Next-generation breeding technologies