The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
The world’s population is growing at a rapid rate. We will need an even stronger focus on innovation to drive a profitable, productive, and sustainable agri-food industry that can feed the world.
From space to spoon, today’s farmers are using GPS technology and satellite images to boost their food production by tracking weather systems, measuring soil moisture levels, mapping and timing their plantings, and combatting harmful pests. Apps and drones are helping farmers create detailed farm plans to employ effective tools to manage pest problems and other threats to the value, quality, and yield of the crops they produce.
Through our 19 AgriScience clusters, the government is investing $175 million to bring industry, government, and academia together to drive innovation in a whole range of sectors.
The Government of Canada has made science a top priority and a cornerstone of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3-billion, federal, provincial, and territorial agreement to keep Canadian agriculture strong and growing. In the face of climate change, scientists at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)’s 20 research centres across the country are seeking new and more efficient ways for farmers to plan their growing seasons and boost their crop yields, all while supporting a healthier ecosystem. They’re collaborating with the Canadian Space Agency to observe fields and grasslands via Earth-orbiting satellites. Most recently, AAFC scientists played a key role in the design and planning of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission — three new Canadian satellites which launched earlier this month.
One exciting new app developed by scientists at AAFC is helping Prairie farmers eradicate cereal aphids, which threaten wheat, oat, rye, and barley, and can reduce yields by as much as 40%. And we know that we’re just scratching the surface with artificial intelligence and block chain management.
Through our 19 AgriScience clusters, the government is investing $175 million to bring industry, government, and academia together to drive innovation in a whole range of sectors, from beef to canola, to pulse to grapes and wine.
With the government’s commitment to science and our world-class scientists, the possibilities are endless for Canada’s farmers and our agriculture and agri-food sector as a whole. Thanks to science, the sky’s the limit for Canadian agriculture and food.
