Creating New Opportunites For Canadian Canola

Apr 03, 2024

Today, Protein Industries Canada announced a $31 million investment along with Corteva Agriscience, Botaneco, Bunge, Rainfed Foods and Northeast Nutrition Inc. to increase the demand and market opportunities for high-protein canola, sunflower protein and novel oilbody products. Protein Industries Canada is investing $13.4 million, with the consortium partners investing the remainder.

This project will support the commercialization of a high-protein canola meal for use in the aquaculture, feed and food sectors as well as improve sunflower protein characteristics for a wide range of plant-based food applications. Through the development of high quality, high-protein products, Canada will improve the competitiveness and profitability of Canadian canola and sunflower in both domestic and international markets.

“Projects like this demonstrate how Protein Industries Canada and its project partners are positioning Canada as a leader in sustainable food and feed production,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “By developing higher-quality feed and food ingredients from canola and sunflower meal, and helping bring them to market, this project will foster new economic opportunities and create more jobs for Canadians.”

“Made in Canada innovations like these are vital to the continued growth and success of the sector. This investment in getting high-protein canola and sunflower meal to market will help strengthen our agricultural value chains and create new opportunities for Canadian crops,” The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food said.

Helping to increase the value of Canadian canola meal

The latest effort builds off a Protein Industries Canada project led by Corteva which successfully created the genetic platform for creating, selecting and commercially testing high-protein, reduced-fibre canola germplasm. Now, the project will transition into commercialization and market acceptance of high-protein canola meal in feed applications for non-ruminant livestock, including farmed aquaculture fish.

“As the demand for oil increases, it is important that Canada is a competitive player for that investment,” CEO of Protein Industries Canada Bill Greuel said. “Deriving the full value from every component of the seed is key to the future growth of our sector and achieving a $25 billion industry by 2035. This revolutionary project will transform the canola value chain from farmer to end-use, creating more value for Canadians and further establishing Canada as a global leader.”

Corteva and Botaneco are the project’s leading collaborators and will work with Bunge and Northeast Nutrition to introduce and test canola meal in end-use feed rations.

Corteva will continue its focus on delivering high-protein canola seed, which will produce meal characterized by an increase in protein and reduction in fibre, enhancing its usability in animal feed.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?