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Food and Agriculture Institute

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Scaling Up Innovation

How do we scale agricultural technology and innovation in the province and country?

Emerging agricultural technologies and techniques have the potential for contributing to sustainable food and farms systems; however, this potential can only be realized through scaling up and widespread implementation. FAI has done theoretical research related to this question; namely, FAI and colleagues have written on the problem with the current thinking around agriculture being constrained by a ‘large-scale, industrial farm versus small-scale, organic farm’ paradigm. The team subsequently defined a new agricultural approach, which focuses on the use of technology for producing high-quality local foods with small environmental footprints. FAI is also engaging in research on opportunities and best practices for incubator and accelerator programs, which can stimulate growth and uptake in agricultural technologies for advancing a new agricultural approach that involves the use of technologies for producing local, accessible, and environmentally-friendly foods.

Dr. Lenore Newman speaks on The Future of Food at the inaugural Grounded Innovation: Agriculture and Food Summit at UFV.

Learn more about the FAI's scaling up innovation research projects:

• Incubator and Accelerator

• BC Food Web

Publications

Feeding the Future with Canadian Technology Final Report

Feeding the Future with Canadian Technology

The final report Feeding the Future with Canadian Technology published in September 2024, is a collaboration between the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph and the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley. Between late 2023 and early 2024, both institutes engaged with over 100 experts from industry, academia, government, and community sectors across Canada. This report is shaped by those discussions and provides a comprehensive review of Canada's ag-tech landscape. These consultations aimed to identify key opportunities for ag-tech investment, research and development, commercialization, and adoption. It also compares Canada's support for ag-tech with other nations and outlines four key strategies to drive innovation toward a globally competitive and sustainable agri-food system.

 

Ag-Tech Dialogues Interim Report, October 30, 2023

Ag-Tech Dialogues Interim Report

From the Arrell Food Institute, the project Feeding the Future with Canadian Technology released this co-authored interim report by the Arrell Food Institute and the Food and Agriculture Food Institute in October 2023. The Ag-Tech Dialogues Interim Report  was produced based on interviews and focus groups with dozens of agri-food stakeholders during the first half of 2023. Revealing what was heard and key takeaways on how novel innovations can offer Canada the tools to produce more food on less land with fewer inputs. Dialogues explored the current limits of technology, with the aim to build a road map for Canada that will position the country, and agri-food sector, as the world leader for sustainability, profitability, and technological sophistication. 

 


Glaros, A., Marquis, S., Major, C., Quarshie, P., Ashton, L., Green, A. G., Kc, K. B., Newman, L., Newell, R., Yada, R., & Fraser, E. D. (2021). Horizon scanning and review of the impact of five food and food production models for the global food system in 2050. Trends in Food Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.11.013

Green, A. G., Abdulai, A. R., Duncan, E., Glaros, A., Campbell, M., Newell, R., Quarshie, P., KC, K. B., Newman, L., Nost, E., & Fraser, E. D. (2021). A scoping review of the digital agricultural revolution and ecosystem services: implications for Canadian policy and research agendas. FACETS. 6(1): 1955-1985. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2021-0017

Newman, L., Newell, R., Dring, C., Glaros, A., Fraser, E., Mendly-Zambo, Z., Green, A. G., & KC, K. B. (2023). Agriculture for the Anthropocene: novel applications of technology and the future of food. Food Security. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-023-01356-6

Newell, R., Newman, L., & Mendly-Zambo, Z. (2021). The role of incubators and accelerators in the fourth agricultural revolution: A case study of Canada. Agriculture, 11, 1066. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11111066

Newell, R., Newman, L., Mendly-Zambo, Z., Newman, K., & White, C. (2021). Incubators, accelerators, and agricultural technology and innovation. In CityAge: Building Agritech Clusters, Online. June 3rd, 2021.