Province investing $713 million in U of G
10-year deal to manage research and innovation programs and related facilities
GUELPH — The provincial government has renewed a long-standing partnership with the University of Guelph aimed at further strengthening Ontario’s leadership in agriculture and food research and innovation.
On Tuesday — a day touted as Canada’s Agriculture Day — the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced an agreement of up to 10 years and an investment of as much as $713 million to support Ontario’s agri-food sector.
The renewed agreement between the ministry and university builds on a collaboration that dates back more than 100 years, said a government news release.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the University of Guelph to support growth and innovation in the Ontario agri-food sector,” Minister of Agriculture Jeff Leal said in the release. “The research made possible through our partnership will help ensure the sector and our rural communities remain vibrant while positioning our province as a global leader in research and innovation.”
Leal was on hand on Tuesday to sign the new agreement, along with university president Franco Vaccarino.
“This partnership has led to breakthrough discoveries and revolutionary advancements during the past two decades,” Vaccarino said in a university news release. “It demonstrates the profound impact that government and universities can have when they work closely together with shared goals.”
The agreement brings together researchers, government and industry, and will see the university receive up to $71.3 million a year over 10 years to manage research and innovation programs and related facilities, the release said.
These include the university’s Ridgetown Campus, the agriculture and food laboratory program, the animal health laboratory program and 15 research stations and centres, it said.
Some of the work that has already come out of the government-university partnership includes new detection and management systems for diseases such as bird flu; the world’s first compostable coffee pod; a national research group studying cropping practices that mimic natural ecosystems and improve climate-change resiliency; research on biocarbon and unconventional fuels; and smartphone applications that identify and control field pests.
Scientific research is critical to developing innovations that benefit people, animals and the environment,” Vaccarino said, noting agri-food innovation also attracts investment and skilled talent, making the economy more robust, creating jobs and sustaining strong communities.
As an economic sector, agri-food contributes more than $37 billion to Ontario’s economy, employing more than 800,000 people, the release said.
“This novel partnership has positioned Ontario and Guelph as the epicentre of agricultural research and innovation in Canada, and supported industry development and growth — contributing billions to Ontario’s economy,” Vaccarino said.
The university and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs established an enhanced agreement in 1997, and it was renewed for another 10 years in 2008. The most recent agreement will take effect April 1, 2018.