Agriculture supports economic innovation and jobs

Alberta’s government is working to build value-added agriculture capacity and bolster economic activity with an aggressive private investment attraction target of $1.4 billion.

As part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, this investment attraction initiative will create more than 2,000 jobs and get Albertans back to work in emerging sectors like hemp, agri-technology and value-added processing of grain, oilseed, plant protein and meat.

Olds College, with the Alberta Government’s investment of $200,000 from the Canadian Agriculture Partnership (CAP) through Agriculture and Forestry, will partner with THRIVE’s Canada accelerator and startup program, which focuses on technology-driven solutions to support agriculture and food sectors. This builds on the Alberta government’s commitment of $1 million, made Sept. 21, to Olds College for its Smart Agriculture Applied Research program.

Alberta’s government will also work to provide targeted trade services that will enhance the sector’s export abilities and expand access to international markets.

Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a bold, ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs now. By building schools, roads and other core infrastructure we are benefiting our communities. Alberta came together to save lives by flattening the curve and now we must do the same to save livelihoods, grow and thrive.

Quick facts

• Between 2015 and 2018, value-added processing gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 14 per cent, reaching $3.5 billion, while sales reached $15.5 billion – a 17 per cent increase.

These growth rates amounted to more than four times the growth rates in GDP and more than twice the sales values of the rest of Alberta’s manufacturing industries combined.

• Olds College and SVG Ventures have signed a memorandum of understanding to support THRIVE’s startup program.

• SVG|THRIVE is a leading global AgriFood investment and innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, Calif. The THRIVE platform invests, accelerates and creates access for entrepreneurs to scale globally and solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries. THRIVE was awarded the 2010 AgFunder AgriFood Tech Innovation Award for “Most Valuable AgriFood Tech Accelerator Program.”

• The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments, with the aim of strengthening the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector, ensuring continued innovation, growth and prosperity.