Year In Review: A look back at this year in agriculture, with Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Jan 05, 2024

As we bid farewell to 2023 and embrace the challenges and opportunities of the coming year, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson, took a moment to look back on the past year and share insights into the province’s agricultural achievements and future goals.

Minister Thompson emphasized the crucial role of farmers in shaping the provincial strategy, looking to invest in Ontario’s food security in the coming years and beyond.

This partnership with the federal government will see $1.77 billion put into Ontario’s AgriFood industry – which contributes $47 billion to Ontario’s GDP.

A significant portion of this investment, $9 million, went towards enhancing soil health. Minister Thompson underscored the importance of understanding and improving soil health for sustainable agriculture.

The minister also discussed the AgriFood Technology Fund, a $25 million initiative aimed at supporting farmers and processors in adopting new technologies for increased efficiency and biosecurity. This fund reflects the commitment to innovation, a key aspect of the overarching Grow Ontario strategy.

Sustainability played a pivotal role in their efforts, with a focus on the Resilient Agricultural Landscape program—a $50 million investment.

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Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard”

The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.