Federal and Ont. governments invest in food mfg. in Northern Ont.

Diversification can help reduce the overuse of the five big staple foods, including wheat, and widen the type of nutrients consumed. (Scott Butner/flickr), CC BY-NC-ND

THUNDER BAY – The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.65 million over five years to support research programming, knowledge transfer and the operations and management of the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS). This multi-year funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) will try to improve the viability and yield of crops in Northern Ontario, develop and diversify the agricultural industry, and position it for continued growth.

“Supporting agricultural research and innovation is vitally important,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment at the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station underscores our shared commitment to advancing Northern Ontario’s agricultural sector, and will help grow, and diversify, the province’s agricultural industry.”

The research will focus on areas such as best management practices for Northern agriculture, soil health, environmental sustainability, and climate change, as well as research and knowledge co-developed with Indigenous researchers and communities.

“Agriculture in the North is growing, and the research at LUARS is becoming increasingly important as farmers expand their operations in the region,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “By investing in agricultural research in the North, we are working towards the goals of our Grow Ontario Strategy by promoting this province as a leader in agri-food technology and increasing production and consumption of locally grown food.”

“I am pleased to see the investment in the Lakehead Agricultural Research Station through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan. “Our local farmers and consumers will benefit from the innovative and best practices developed specifically for Northern Ontario through this funding.”

Sustainable CAP is a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5 billion investment by federal‐provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, food, and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.