The Ontario government is investing more than $343 million over five years to support agri-food research and innovation.
Announced Wednesday, the funding will be used for research focusing on food safety and animal welfare and support the development of a highly skilled workforce that will lead to more economic growth opportunities for the agri-food sector, a provincial release said. The investment is being made through a new agreement with the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance - a collaboration between the province, the University of Guelph and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.
The renewal of the Alliance for an additional five years builds on the success of the government’s previous agreement, which it said increased Ontario’s GDP by $1.4 billion and supported more than 1,300 jobs.
Since 2018, Ontario has invested over $335 million in the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance to support research and innovation, further the development of new food products and agricultural advancements and drive economic growth in the sector.
“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,” said provincial agriculture minister Lisa Thompson.
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.
The Ontario agri-food sector supports more than 860,000 jobs in Ontario and contributes more than $47.3 billion each year to the province’s economy.
