Canada is known as a leading world producer of many staple crops like wheat, lentils, peas and canola, as well as a global exporter of animal proteins like pork and beef. The same can’t be said for many horticultural crops, except for greenhouse vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, due to nature of the climate. […] Read more
Challenge aimed to improve Canada’s food security
Seven Ontario teams have moved to the next phase of Homegrown Innovation Challenge
Repurposing food waste can offer benefits to agri-food sector
Companies are finding ways to create value and increase food availability
The concepts of reducing food loss and finding ways to repurpose waste streams into viable, useful products are gaining traction as countries around the world look to tackle food security and climate change. The United Nations just marked its fourth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29, and October has […] Read more
Optimizing carcass cooling can boost processing plant margins
Collecting environmental data can help time processes that improve processing and meat quality
Glacier FarmMedia – A sensor-based system for carcass cooling could save processing plants considerable money while also improving meat quality. The innovation by Manitoba-based Mode40 recently received funding from the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics program. Why it matters: Margins are slim for the meat […] Read more
German farmers use innovation to help meet sustainability targets
The European Union has set some tough targets in its Farm to Fork strategy
Sustainable production is the latest focus in agriculture as countries around the world look for ways to deal with climate change. The European Union’s Farm to Fork strategy, for example, spells out ambitious goals for sustainable food production. Among its targets by 2030 are reducing chemical pesticide and antimicrobial use by 50 per cent and […] Read more
Finding new, energy efficient ways to grow food in the North
Cochrane vegetable grower wins Northern Food Security Challenge with wood biomass heating system
Luke Dinan is passionate about improving food security in northern Ontario and his vision for how to grow more food locally has won the Cochrane, Ont., vegetable grower first prize in the Northern Food Security Challenge. Why it matters: The natural growing season in the north is short and the climate is cool, which limits […] Read more
New grape cultivars to help growers deal with climate change, pesticide rules
Restrictions on crop protections cause concern about the future of vineyards in Germany
In the German wine-growing region of Rheinland Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany, both growers and consumers value traditional grape varieties. Cultivars like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and others have long been grown in the region, but they’re now facing threats on two fronts – a changing climate and regulatory pressure. Why it […] Read more
Smart Farm a testing ground for cutting-edge agricultural technologies
Olds college develops, validates and tests products in real agriculture settings to solve real industry problems
Precision agriculture driven by smart tools and digitization is leading transformative change in the global agri-food sector. This includes robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and sensors of all kinds that will help farmers produce more with less while supporting more productive soils and healthier livestock. To adopt these tools, however, farmers need to know they work […] Read more
University of Guelph launches community approach to agricultural innovation
Collaboration and new fund aim to make agricultural innovation solve problems facing farmers
The University of Guelph’s Research Innovation Office (RIO) is supporting research through a new approach to innovation. Last year, the team responsible for helping commercialize research began taking a new look at innovation, commercialization and where research needs come from. This has resulted in a new collaborative approach and the new Competitive Advancing Research Impact […] Read more
Minimizing fertilizer use with in-field plant nutrient analysis
Optical sensing technology scans plant leaves to identify crop nutrient and micronutrient deficiencies in less than five minutes
A New Brunswick precision agriculture startup has attracted $1.45 million in investment for its real-time nutrient tissue analysis technology. Picketa Systems’ trademarked Leaf Evaluated Nutrient System (LENS) has marked early success in potatoes and will expand its plant tissue sampling innovation into other crops to help farmers make more informed crop management decisions. Why it […] Read more
Innovative fertilizer alternatives offer new options for growers
Soil analysis and insect frass innovations receive funding
A soil analysis technology and a pelleted insect frass fertilizer are among the 10 innovations that have received funding under a provincial program designed to find alternative fertilizer solutions for farmers. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs launched the $2 million Fertilizer Accelerating Solutions & Technology Challenge last year. It provides companies […] Read more
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