Are Canadian plant breeders utilizing the innovations of gene editing? It would be inaccurate to say that plant breeders in Canada are ‘a dime a dozen’. A rough estimate places the number of professional plant breeders in Canada at 500. Given the recent innovations available to plant breeders, we thought Read more…
The dawning of a new era in ag sustainability Who would have fathomed how significant a day in March 1995 would become in the history of Canadian agriculture? On March 14th, 1995, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved the two genetically modified (GM), herbicide tolerant varieties of canola for Read more…
Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair It is truly amazing just how fast five years can pass by. The first five years of my Research Chair in Agri-Food Innovation, at the University of Saskatchewan passed rapidly and productively. Between the fall of 2014 and fall of 2019, my research team Read more…
Proud of a simple idea 5 years later turning into SAIFood success When I began my Research Chair in Agri-Food Innovation back in October 2014, one objective was to establish a blog that would facilitate the communication of scientific information about agriculture and food production. After some deliberating about titles Read more…
What matters more, time or money when it comes to innovation? Innovation impacts are the ripples of change we experience in our lives and throughout the entire supply chain for products. The impacts of innovation come in a range of forms such as the introduction of new techniques to produce Read more…
The politics of progress Change frequently makes us uncomfortable. Some adjust easier than others do. Some embrace change, while others shun it. Generally, we tend to welcome changes that improve our daily lives, such as the newest version of a cell phone. Whereas, changes that require us to do things Read more…
2019 a harrowing ride on the ag & food rollercoaster While the screams elicited from those clutching their seats were not of terror or excitement, but rather of shouts of frustration or just heavy sighs of the bone-weary and exhausted, the weather in many places caused untold anxiety and stress Read more…
Full tummies allow for foolish ideas The agriculture industry has the incredible ability to continually improve the production of crops while making it appear effortless, which has allowed people to hold romantic notions about food. Our grocery store shelves are continually over-flowing and with tons of variation for our own Read more…
GM Agriculture and Food Security: Fears and Facts Have you found yourself questioning something you’ve seen in the mainstream or social media about our food production? I suspect most of us have at some point been uncertain by what the media presents us with. I personally see ‘information’ that isn’t Read more…
48 Years of Innovation Success Founded in 1971, the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC) focuses on research and development of new crop varieties. Over the years the varieties have expanded to include: spring wheat, durum wheat, canary seed, barley, oats, flax, field peas, lentils, chickpeas, faba beans and Read more…