Every fall, EMILI – a Manitoba-based nonprofit for which I’m managing director – hosts our Agriculture Enlightened conference. This year’s event on Oct. 23 drew business leaders, producers, civil servants, technologists and investors from across North America. Some came from as far as Ghana and Mongolia.
Such interest in part stems from the echoes of Canada’s historical reputation as an agricultural powerhouse. Canada ranks ninth in the world for agri-food exports, with buyers in virtually every nation on Earth. Our public research institutions are recognized as global leaders in agri-food science. Our agtech ecosystem is inventing cutting-edge tools with enormous potential. And our producers are beacons of upholding high environmental and food quality standards.
But a converging set of global challenges are forcing all nations to reassess how they feed their citizens. It’s here that our nation – and Manitoba itself – have key insights and capacities to share with the rest of the world.
When it comes to authorizing the use of in-field spray drones and other emerging tools, it’s clear that regulations must catch up to where new industry capabilities are at. Although, given the pace of technological development, it’s unrealistic to expect this to happen in linear fashion.
Instead, Erika Carrasco, a partner with MLT Aikins, told the Agriculture Enlightened audience that governments must embrace a more dynamic and flexible approach when working with strategically vital sectors. For a successful real-life example, Carrasco pointed to what Ottawa and Newfoundland and Labrador have done to resolve bespoke issues around commercial space activity, enabling the construction of the Atlantic Spaceport Complex, owned and operated by private sector company NordSpace.
Click here to see more...