Canadian Pork Research Delivers 8-to-1 Return on Investment, University of Saskatchewan Report Finds

A new report from the University of Saskatchewan reveals that swine sector research funded through producer-government partnerships has generated $225 million in economic benefits from a $50 million investment over 14 years—a roughly 30 percent annual return on investment.

Key Findings

The report, “From Research to Results: Measuring the Impact of Pork Research in Canada,” examined national swine research funded through Swine Innovation Porc partnerships from 2010 to 2023. The work involved more than 200 researchers from Alberta to Nova Scotia.

Dr. Stuart Smyth, a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan and co-author of the report, outlined the major research areas:

• Livestock health — reducing disease prevalence in herds
• Nutrition — improving the nutritional profile of swine feed
• Meat quality — fine-tuning processed pork quality
• Animal welfare — advancing welfare standards and practices
• Technology and infrastructure — optimizing building structures for environmental requirements