Over $343 Million will be invested over five years to support Agri-food research and innovation by the Ontario Government.
The funding will be used for focused research on food safety, and animal welfare, and for supporting the development of highly skilled workers
This investment is made possible due to an agreement between the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, which is a collaboration between Ontario, the University of Guelph, and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.
“The future of the province’s agri-food sector is bright and through this investment, we continue to enable Ontario to be a world leader in agri-food research and innovation,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “By continuing our long-standing partnership with the University of Guelph, our government is demonstrating its commitment to Ontario’s agri-food research infrastructure, providing knowledge transfer and research-driven results to farmers to boost their competitiveness now and in the future.”
The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance supports fundamental programming to help farmers and the broader agri-food sector build resiliency by:
– Managing threats to food production and food security such as African swine fever and avian influenza.
– Advancing science, research, innovation, and commercialization of new products, processes, and practices that support the long-term success of the agri-food system.
– Building a future skilled workforce and developing talent that will advance Ontario’s agri-food sector including veterinary medicine in the agri-food sector and rural communities.
– Maintaining and maximizing the use of the network of state-of-the-art research centres owned by the Government of Ontario through its agency, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), and managed by the University of Guelph through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.
Written By: K. Close
