The Plurality of Knowledge Sources for Transition to Sustainable Farming

Jan 10, 2023

Dr. Martina Ayoub has published a new article in the Journal of Rural Studies based on a study exploring the relationship between knowledge sourcing and innovation in sustainable farming practices.

Sustainable farming encompasses diverse practices that draw on various knowledge stocks. This knowledge must be adapted to suit the farmers' crops, the local environment and the farming system. To achieve this requires farmers to build on their knowledge and invest in acquiring knowledge from external sources. It should not be assumed that different farmers cultivating different crops adopt the same knowledge sourcing strategies.

Therefore, the present paper conducts a crop level analysis to study the relationship between knowledge sourcing and innovation in sustainable farming practices, for different crop categories. The study exploits a French Ministry of Agriculture cross-sectional dataset on farming practices in 2017 and run a multivariate probit regression and equality of means test. The results reveal that the importance of different knowledge sources is ranked differently by different growers cultivating different crops and adopting different practices.

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Video: When is Sustainable Packaging Coming in the Canadian Agri Food Industry? 3 Critical Perspectives

Canada’s regulatory landscape on single-use plastics is complex but a recent ruling by the Federal Court of Appeal sided with the government’s intent to eliminate single-use plastics. What does this mean for the Canadian agri-food industry? How can companies find the right balance between regulatory compliance and implementing costly alternative solutions? What are retailers and consumers saying about sustainable packaging? This webinar features Joshua Goodman, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Sobeys; Marie-Anne Champoux-Guimond, Director of Sustainability, Keurig Dr Pepper Canada and Glenford Jameson, Canadian Food Lawyer, G.S. Jameson and Company

This 60-minute webinar brings together three industry leaders to examine the opportunities, challenges, and realities of the path forward. In this session, you will gain insights into:

•Canada’s regulatory roadmap and timeline on eliminating single-use plastics

•Current end-of-life solutions for plastics and alternative packaging solutions

•The need to have a corporate strategy that aligns with reality at the retail shelves

•How major brands and retailers are pivoting

•Supply chain considerations

•Common misconceptions