Unique partnership to develop agri-food corridor north of city

Calgary Economic Development, Olds College in push for new technologies

Calgary Economic Development and Olds College have created a unique business partnership to develop an agri-food corridor north of the city in hopes of growing sustainable food production through innovative, cutting-edge technologies.

While the 100-kilometre stretch of mostly farmland already has dozens of farms and sustainable agri-food businesses — from indoor shrimp production to insect-based protein manufacturing — the partnership aims to create thousands more businesses in the next several years.

Officials at Wednesday’s announcement of the Calgary-Olds Smart Agri-Food Corridor signed a memorandum of understanding, hoping to leverage Calgary’s global corporate presence and distribution hub with Olds College’s applied research and integrated learning.

“Agriculture in Alberta has a rich history and a stellar reputation globally,” said Mary Moran, president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development. “With our track record for quality and food safety, we have the opportunity to play a much bigger role in feeding the world. Alberta already exports agriculture and food products to 140 countries, and we can be an even more significant contributor to the global ecosystem.”

The corridor will provide companies and entrepreneurs access to a world-class agriculture environment that supports the development and scaling of new technologies throughout the production chain.

“Today ... agriculture and food producers are looking to technology and science to optimize their operations,” said Stuart Cullum, president of Olds College. “Through the creation of the Calgary-Olds Smart Agri-Food Corridor, we will establish a strong regional position that will attract agriculture entrepreneurs, startup companies and technology developers.”

The corridor is expected to help diversify the economy of the Calgary region, still suffering amid low oil prices.