Nivera Wallani

President & General Manager, KFC Canada

Armando Carrillo

Food Innovation Manager, KFC Canada

KFC’s commitment to sustainable packaging is setting an example for the industry and helping to protect our planet.

Protecting the planet is one of KFC’s core values, and over the last several years the company has made great strides in lessening its environmental footprint. A big part of this initiative has been the restaurant’s commitment to evolving its food packaging. Today, you won’t find a plastic straw in sight at a KFC restaurant, and the company has launched some truly innovative new products, like bamboo buckets and fibre based cutlery along with other sustainability-minded initiatives, including their recent commitment to move to 100 percent home compostable packaging by 2025.

A long history based on unique values

KFC’s leadership in making its food packaging more environmentally-friendly and sustainable has a big impact, especially as it’s one of the largest global restaurant chains.

Founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952 down in Kentucky, KFC is now the world’s most popular chain of chicken restaurants. Today, KFC has more than 25,000 restaurants across 145 countries and territories around the world, including more than 600 locations right here in Canada. 

To this day, the Colonel’s proprietary blend of 11 herbs and spices is still used to season KFC’s world-famous chicken, and it remains a closely-guarded secret. Colonel Sanders, the visionary behind Kentucky Fried Chicken, is still an important part of KFC’s brand and values. Throughout everything the Colonel did, he espoused his own unique brand of values, famously saying, “A man’s life is written by the way he lives it.” Here in Canada, the team at KFC has been writing its own unique chapter in the KFC story — and embodying the Colonel’s integrity and spirit of hard work remains at the core.

Protecting the planet is one of KFC’s core values and over the last several years the company has made great strides in lessening its environmental footprint.

Sustainability that’s grounded in a sense of responsibility

Reducing plastic packaging and waste is essential for conserving resources and energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing pollution. KFC understands this imperative and is at the forefront of sustainable packaging and practices in the fast food industry.

KFC has been leading the industry in sustainable packaging since 2019, when it removed all plastic straws and bags from its restaurants, eliminating 50 million plastic straws and 10 million plastic bags across the country and replacing them with fibre-based alternatives. KFC also now sources 100 percent of its fibre-based packaging from recycled sources.

“We’re on a continuous journey to lessen our environmental footprint and believe that, as one of the largest global restaurant brands, we can make a tremendous impact not only in our local communities but our global footprint as well,” says Nivera Wallani, President and General Manager of KFC Canada.

A commitment to reusable, recyclable, and compostable packaging

The KFC bucket is an iconic part of the brand’s heritage, and evolving it into a bamboo version was a major step forward in achieving their goal to eliminate non-recoverable or non-reusable plastic-based packaging by 2025. Bamboo is fast-growing, anti-bacterial, and 100 percent biodegradable — the perfect solution. KFC has removed 12 million plastic poutine containers from its operations by transitioning to bamboo.

“We want KFC’s packaging to be forward-thinking and inspiring, and to champion functionality, food safety, and eco-friendly solutions,” says Armando Carrillo, Innovation Manager at KFC Canada. “We’ve continued to accelerate our efforts and push the boundaries to bring more environmentally-sustainable packaging solutions to market, including our move to bamboo poutine buckets.”

Inspiring change and constantly innovating

KFC has also been testing fibre-based cutlery. In November 2020, select restaurants began testing a new fibre-based spork made from bamboo, corn, and sugarcane. The new cutlery naturally decomposes at room temperature and requires no additional treatment, nor does it leave any toxic by-products. The process of decomposition takes approximately 18 months. Once fully introduced into the KFC restaurant system, the compostable cutlery will eliminate 40 million pieces of plastic cutlery annually.

KFC also recently announced that by 2025, all consumer-facing packaging will be fully home compostable, and the first home compostable bucket will begin piloting this year. KFC’s new eco-friendly sandwich bag, currently rolling out across all restaurants nationally, is an excellent new addition to the company’s home compostable initiatives. It’s made with 100 percent sustainably-sourced paper and coated with a plant-based, certified home compostable, marine-degradable coating. This bold commitment will divert nearly 200 million pieces of packaging from Canadian landfills each year.

“We hope it encourages our peers in the industry to follow suit,” says Wallani. “One of our leading principles at KFC Canada is feeding people, not landfills. The move to 100 percent home compostable consumer packaging is a bold and ambitious step we’re taking to inspire positive change in the communities we operate in.”

Giving back with the Harvest program

Alongside its packaging, KFC also takes food waste extremely seriously and donates its surplus chicken to charities within its local communities through its Harvest program. The team at KFC was inspired to create its prepared food donation program when it learned that there’s enough wasted food in the world to feed two billion people, as estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

KFC works with suppliers to purchase only as much fresh food as it expects to sell to customers based on its projections, and any surplus food is donated to food banks, soup kitchens, and other non-profits across Canada through Harvest. The restaurant donates an average of 85,000 pounds of food annually. Since 2016, KFC restaurants have donated over 260,000 pounds of food to 241 unique charities across the country.

“KFC Canada is committed to fighting food waste through our Harvest program while helping nourish those in need of high-quality protein — one of the most in-demand foods at relief shelters and food banks across the country,” says Wallani. “Colonel Sanders famously said, ‘I’m proud that I’ve helped bring good chicken to the tables of millions of people.’ Through Harvest, we’re building on that achievement beyond our restaurants while also ensuring it doesn’t end up in landfills.”

Fostering a sustainability culture

There’s no doubt that KFC is a major player in sustainability. The company’s strong voice and stance on sustainability demonstrates to its team members and franchisees that it has a stake in the game and that it cares. The KFC team lives and breathes a heart-led culture, giving its teams the permissibility to live these values every day.

KFC also works hard to ensure that its in-store initiatives make living this approach easy. For example, it’s on a mission to digitize all back-of-house operations, meaning no more paper and waste, and doing everything electronically (which also helps with supply chain management), allowing its team members to focus on delivering the best possible customer experience. KFC has also removed all financial barriers for its franchisees by paying the up-front costs for their restaurants to onboard onto the Harvest program.

KFC is working hard to inspire its industry peers and make a tremendous impact. And it’s working.

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Community boosters are worth a lot. Schools, arenas, parks, and libraries in Strathmore share stories of people pulling together to get the project finished. More businesses are discovering that the community is proud to help them grow, too.

Investments in agri-business, manufacturing, and renewable energy are setting records for the largest volume of capital investment in Strathmore’s history. It’s a town focused on the future and growth that welcomes a variety of startups but has retained its rural roots and a commitment to its community.

More businesses are discovering what Strathmore offers

That is just one reason why Borea Construction has been so pleased with its partnership with Strathmore. It is constructing two major solar projects in the area and has received an incredible level of support from the town. “Strathmore is really willing to go farther to help us succeed,” says Chelsea Million, the company’s talent advisor. When explaining what sets Strathmore apart from other places, she cites the successful job fair hosted locally, the quality of local candidates, and the town’s willingness to share resources in order to help meet the firm’s goals.

The town has a long tradition of being innovative and solution-focused. Its Marigold Library System, established in 1981, was a game-changer. The not-for-profit municipal collaboration provides state-of-the-art library services, now serving over 300,000 people across 44 municipalities. It joined forces with Western Irrigation District (WID), which supplies irrigation water to almost 100,000 acres of farmland, to build a new shared headquarters this year. It’s a prime example of Strathmore’s strong collaborative spirit.

Focus on success and innovation

Local businesses are expanding their reach. Origin Malting drew on five generations of farming expertise when they launched their malting plant in 2016. As pioneers of soil conservation and traceability, they brought a focus on sustainability to their operations. Producing the finest malt for craft brewers has brought customers from across North America.

We have great people that work hard here. Some of the finest people you’ll ever meet…they work right here. We’re much like a family I guess.

An unexpected start-up has its origins in a local farm as well. G&S Airport Conveyor, which builds and maintains baggage conveyor systems for airports around the world, started out of a garage on an area farm. Since moving into Strathmore, the company has grown and invested in newer, more advanced technology. Owner Jim Goertz appreciates how business-friendly Strathmore is. He also likes the inviting small-town feel, something that makes it easy to attract and retain employees. It’s a desirable place to work and to live in. “We have great people that work hard here. Some of the finest people you’ll ever meet … they work right here. We’re much like a family I guess.”

Strathmore is well-positioned to keep the momentum going. “Strathmore offers start-ups a great place to grow. Our team offers personalized support you can’t find in large centers” says Mayor Pat Fule. “We’re a friendly, welcoming community that helps each other to succeed.”

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Stewart Brandt

Head of Global Oilseed Breeding, BASF

Canadian canola growers support our economic and environmental goals, so let’s ensure that we’re supporting them, too.

Canada is the world leader in canola exports, and canola contributes hugely to our economy and GDP. Canadian agriculture — and in particular the canola industry — is well-primed to be part of our ongoing economic growth and prosperity, and it’s also a valuable contributor to Canada reaching our ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

The crop has grown significantly over the past two-plus decades, and for that, Canadians should be proud. “Canola is truly a made-in-Canada story,” says Brent Collins, Head of Seeds and Traits, Canada at BASF, a company offering seed, seed treatments, crop protection products, and digital solutions to help farmers sustainably increase the yields and quality of their crops. “Over the last 25 years, canola acres have grown from 10 million acres seeded in 1996 to 23 million acres in 2021, becoming one of Canada’s most valuable agricultural exports. Today, there are 43,000 Canadian farmers who grow canola, and more than 207,000 Canadian jobs are linked to the crop.”

Responsible farming practices allow Canadian farmers to sequester 11 million tonnes of greenhouse gas in their fields each year.

Meeting the needs of Canadian growers

The canola oil industry’s strong and continued growth over the past 25 years has been supported by innovations in the field, including BASF’s InVigor^® hybrid canola.

“InVigor hybrid canola has played a significant role in the development of the Canadian canola market as a result of delivering top-performing hybrids with strong genetics and key agronomic traits,” says Collins.

Since the launch of InVigor in 1997, significant investments in hybrid breeding and trait research have resulted in constant innovations that provide solutions for the challenges that Canadian canola growers face. These innovations include herbicide-tolerant hybrids, pod shatter reduction genetics, and clubroot-tolerant hybrids, notes Stewart Brandt, Head of Global Oilseed Breeding at BASF, which have allowed farmers to make impressive advances in environmental stewardship and in supporting Canada’s environmental goals, including carbon sequestration.

“Responsible farming practices allow Canadian farmers to sequester 11 million tonnes of greenhouse gas in their fields each year,” notes Collins. “Approximately 70 percent of all the carbon sequestered by Canadian field crops is due to canola.” And innovations such as InVigor’s patented pod shatter reduction technology have helped farmers to lower labour costs and reduce fuel use. The result: economic gains and environmental wins for farmers, and importantly, all Canadians.

25 years of growing together

In 2022, BASF will celebrate 25 years of InVigor hybrid canola, and that growing success is all because of Canada’s incredible canola growers. It’s only through the support, innovation, and adoption of new technology by Canadian farmers that Canada has realized both economic growth and advanced sustainable modern farming practices.

“BASF is committed to continually investing to further expand seed, trait, crop protection, and digital technologies to support farmers in growing canola sustainably from seeding to harvest,” says Collins. “Each day, BASF invests $4 million globally in agricultural research and development. Through this investment and the resulting hybrid and crop protection innovation, BASF will continue to help growers succeed by providing solutions to address the challenges they face and help make the most out of every acre.”

By nurturing a culture of innovation in alignment with its customers’ needs, BASF’s technologies aim to ensure that crops grow healthier, stronger, and more resistant to stress factors, such as heat or drought. The company’s continual innovation gives Canadian canola growers a connected crop offering of InVigor hybrid canola seeds, crop protection products, and digital technology.

The Canadian agricultural industry is one to watch and should be a point of pride for all Canadians. As Canada continues to grow, evolve, and lead on the world stage, let’s ensure we’re supporting not only the growers, handlers, and haulers of Canada’s crop, but all contributors to Canada’s agricultural industry.

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Chris Bryson

Founder, New School Foods

Jasmine Byrne

President, Big Mountain Foods

The plant-based sector in Canada is growing rapidly, and this growth is providing myriad benefits for Canadians.

Did you know that Canada is a global leader in plant-based protein? We produce a variety of unique, high-protein crops, specifically canola and pulses, and we can quickly adapt and scale new high-protein crops. “We’re the world’s largest producer and exporter of peas, chickpeas, durum, and canola,” says Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada.

The plant-based food sector has a current retail value of $700 million in Canada, and it’s growing steadily at 12 to 14 percent per year. The growth is fuelled by increasing consumer awareness of the environmental and health impact of our food choices along with concern about issues like animal welfare — and it’s good news for Canada.

By creating food options that are less resource-intensive, we can enable a safer, more climate-friendly future.

Investing collaboratively to accelerate innovation

Protein Industries Canada (PIC) is a not-for-profit organization created to position Canada as a global source of high-quality plant protein and plant-based co-products. It aims to accelerate the Canadian plant protein sector’s innovation and competitiveness.

“We administer a $173-million fund that originates from the Government of Canada,” explains Greuel. “We co-invest in science and innovation projects with private-sector partners.”

PIC works with companies to gain pathways to customers, markets, and partnerships that they couldn’t access on their own, helping them leverage their expertise and innovations with that of large and multinational enterprises, public-sector organizations, and academia.

One such partner is New School Foods, a plant-based seafood company. “PIC has been helping us as we pursue R&D projects to create a plant-based filet of fish,” says Chris Bryson, New School Foods’ founder. “We’re aiming to create a product that looks, cooks, tastes, and flakes just like fish.”

Another partner is Big Mountain Foods, a plant-based food manufacturing company specializing in allergen-free, clean label, and always fresh products. “Our project with PIC has led us to commercialize the first chickpea tofu to retailers across North America,” says Jasmine Byrne, President of Big Mountain Foods. “The alternative tofu product line uses 100 percent Canadian-grown pulses.”

Positioning Canada as a plant-based leader

The plant-based sector provides many benefits to Canada, from securing our food supply chain to creating jobs and positively impacting the environment.

“With the growth of plant-based foods, we have an opportunity for GDP growth, job growth, and sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” says Greuel. From manufacturing jobs to food science and engineering jobs, the industry provides many opportunities.

The sector also has a positive effect on the environment and climate change. “Current agricultural practices aren’t scalable to feed a growing population of 10 billion by 2050,” says Bryson. “By creating food options that are less resource-intensive, we can enable a safer, more climate-friendly future.”

The Road to $25 Billion is a recently-launched roadmap for Canada’s plant-based food, feed, and ingredient ecosystem. Through this initiative, PIC and its partners across the sector aim to grow the plant-based sector to $25 billion by 2035. By investing in Canada’s fast-growing plant-based sector and working together collaboratively, we can help to create a stronger economy, more jobs, a healthy environment, and healthy Canadians.

The post The Plant-Based Sector Is Good for Canada — Here’s Why appeared first on HiveInnovates.

When you pick up an apple or a loaf of bread from the grocery store, do you ever stop to wonder where it came from? With the science of modern food production growing exponentially and recent breakthroughs in genomics and environmental stewardship, the way that food is brought to our tables today isn’t quite as simple as in the old days. This has resulted in a disconnect between the agri-food industry and consumers.

AgScape, a charity that has been leading agriculture and food literacy in Ontario classrooms for over 30 years, is on a mission to change that.

The importance of creating food-literate citizens

“Young Canadians are inundated with media campaigns that can shame, coerce, or even mislead about nutrition and modern food production,” says Taylor Selig, AgScape’s Executive Director. “Combined with the fact that fewer Canadians than ever live or work within agriculture and that it’s not an essential component of the school curriculum, this has created a perfect storm for misconceptions to take root.”

AgScape is dedicated to providing awareness on the importance of agriculture and food education, and the charity is focused on educating our next generation of leaders — today’s youth. Young people are becoming increasingly disconnected from modern agriculture, and so they don’t have a clear idea of our food industry or the opportunities available to them within it. As the agri-food industry is a dynamic field bursting with technological innovations and opportunities, it’s important to expose students to the possibilities.

Connecting classrooms with agri-food perspectives

AgScape’s creative programming and resources are bringing this educational imperative to Ontario students. Through its Teacher Ambassador Program, AgScape brings Ontario-certified teachers that it has trained in food and agriculture into classrooms to design and lead educational programming. This engages youth to be global citizens, thinkers, and innovators who will further the sustainability of our food systems and the planet.

Camp AgScape, a virtual camp experience, offers a daily schedule of activities to connect youth to various agriculture and food themes while they’re learning from home. AgScape’s Business of Food is a comprehensive online professional development platform that allows educators, post-secondary students, and agri-food businesses to enhance their knowledge and understanding of agriculture and food. AgScape also hosts the Feeding Innovation Podcast, which interviews innovators in the world of agriculture and food education within Ontario.

Shining a light on Canada’s agri-food sector

Thanks to the inspiring generosity and commitment of its supporters and partners, AgScape’s programming is available to teachers and students for free. As demand for this programming continues to increase, AgScape needs your support to build that outreach.

The charity’s vision is a world where the agri-food sector is recognized as a vehicle for positive social, economic, and environmental impact. It’s dedicated to its mission of empowering Ontario students with impartial, accurate information to increase awareness of the agri-food system and ignite interest in related careers.

“There’s no better time to reach Canadians and open their eyes to the marvels of modern agriculture,” says Selig. “Canadians have so much to be thankful for, and appreciation for the abundance of safe and healthy food begins with an education about the innovation and hard work at the heart of Canada’s agriculture and food sector.”

The post AgScape Is Leading the Way in Ontario Food and Agriculture Education appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Paul Smith

Canadian Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

Modern soil science is a marvel, and it makes clear the need to preserve the health of Ontario’s Greenbelt soil. It’s going to be the farmers who step up to do it.

Soil is the lifeblood of civilization, and this is no less true in Southern Ontario than anywhere else. The fertile earth of Ontario’s Greenbelt fills Canadian stomachs, helps drive Canada’s export economy, and sustains the natural environment in an area where one in four Canadians live. If Ontario’s soil remains vibrant and healthy, it’s a renewable resource that will enable food independence, economic growth, and climate sustainability. But, if the health of our soil isn’t adequately protected, future generations will be left with a legacy only of natural wealth squandered.

A powerful and delicate resource

Ontario’s Greenbelt is one of the most fertile and biologically-diverse regions in Canada. It’s unique among protected areas for being home to nearly 5,000 working farms, meaning that conservation efforts here have a direct and measurable interplay with the economic resilience of Canadian farmers. Fortunately, in the arena of soil health, what’s good for the environment is also good for the agricultural bottom line, as is clearly shown in the recent research-based soil report “The Power of Soil,” produced by the Greenbelt Foundation in collaboration with Équiterre. The report was produced with extensive consultation from agricultural groups, farm experts, and individual farmers.

“The heart of the soil health agenda is the long-term viability and profitability of farm businesses,” says Greenbelt Foundation Research and Policy Director Thomas Bowers. “Our soils are a vital strategic resource for the province and the country. They’re highly productive and highly fertile. By protecting the soil and the viability of farm businesses, we’ll see so many other benefits.”

Conserving the health of our soil and reaping these benefits is an all-hands-on-deck endeavour because the soil itself is far more complex than we often give it credit for. One tablespoon of healthy soil is home to an estimated seven billion microorganisms. These organisms coexist in a vibrant ecosystem that sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, purifies water, and cycles essential nutrients to crops and natural flora.

“Soil is an ecosystem, not an inanimate substrate,” explains Canadian sustainable agriculture specialist Paul Smith. “It’s alive, and the living creatures drive the productivity and nutrient cycling within the soil. It’s like you have microscopic livestock in the soil and they’re working for the farmers.”

We need to act to regenerate soil health

As things currently stand, the overall health of the soil in Ontario is under threat. Fortunately, we have a much better understanding of soil science today than we did during the 20th century and our toolkit for addressing this concern is deeper than ever before. Recognizing the need, farm organizations, governments, and industry came together to develop “New Horizons: Ontario’s Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy,” a long-term collaborative plan to address soil health in Ontario, in 2018.

“Agriculture is a pretty high-tech business now,” says Smith. “We’re taking action specifically because we’ve been able to detect these changes early with technology like computer models of changes in soil organic carbon and large databases of on-farm soil tests. Improving the soil is still a learning process on each farm, once farmers have the technologies and the know-how. The big challenge is marshalling the knowledge and resources and deploying them in a way that’s helpful for farmers and their advisors.”

“The Power of Soil” report outlines precisely how we can get that job done. The foundation of the entire initiative is collaborative action. “We’re not focused on regulatory mechanisms, but instead on the voluntary stewardship practices farmers can undertake and how we can support them,” says Bowers. “Good soil health management practices are good for business. Greenbelt farmers are already champions of the environment and they’re heavily invested in the long-term health of their land. We need to support innovation and help farmers understand the best management options in their particular situation.”

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GPS, field data maps, crop performance reports — these are just a few examples of the digital tools that Josh Butler uses on his Croton, Ont. farm, where he grows cash crops and raises livestock.

Butler is one of many Canadian farmers leveraging technological innovations, including digital agriculture, to generate data and improve their operations. “Farmers are really at the heart of the digital and precision agriculture transformation and the insights from these tools are being used to help them work more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably,” says Matt Eves, Customer Experience Lead — FieldView Canada at Bayer Crop Science, a developer of the digital farming software platform used by Butler.

The majority of Canadian farms are still family-run, and the big focus is on being environmentally as well as economically sustainable by getting the most out of their land.

Digital farming needed to get the most productivity and yield

Several factors are driving this trend to innovate, including labour shortages, changing farm demographics, and increased risks such as variable crop prices, weather, and ever-changing government and trade regulations. On top of that, to satisfy the food demands of a growing population, farmers need to grow more food on less arable or farmable land — and that requires the high level of precision that digital agriculture offers. “Digital farming is helping farmers get the most food, fuel, and fibre from every acre they farm while optimizing the use of natural resources,” says Eves.

Like computers, data management tools have evolved significantly over the last few decades. What started in the late eighties and early nineties with farmers collecting data from farm equipment using a data card, transferring it onto a desktop computer, and manually analyzing it is now done wirelessly off farm equipment via a cellular signal and transferred to a cloud platform. “This enables the farmer to see what’s happening in the field in real time from their desktop or mobile device, identify opportunities or issues and make necessary adjustments immediately, versus after it’s too late,” says Eves.

Canadian farmers are rapid adopters of digital agriculture

According to the recent Perceptions of Canadian Agriculture Report by Angus Reid commissioned by the Climate Corporation, only 12 percent of Canadians see agriculture as more innovative or technologically advanced than other industries. This does not reflect reality. “As the technology has evolved and become easier to use, the adoption of data-driven technology has increased and become mainstream among farmers,” says Eves. In fact, a Statistics Canada report released in June 2021 notes that Canadian farmers in most sectors are strong supporters of data-driven technology and have long been ahead of the curve when it comes to investing in it. For Butler, digital has been integral to his farming operation since 2009. “That was when we took that step to full digital technology ­— so everything from planning to planting to monitoring,” he says.

Another common misconception is that typical Canadian farms are factory types of establishments. “The majority of Canadian farms are still family-run, and the big focus is on being environmentally as well as economically sustainable by getting the most out of their land,” says Eves. Ironically, for Butler, who sells in the direct-to-consumer market, digital data helps him clarify this misperception to customers by enabling him to show them exactly where their food comes from.

The increased focus on climate change, along with the recent pandemic, has highlighted the importance of food security. But with under two percent of Canada’s population involved in farming operations, ensuring that food security to an ever-growing population will require better decision-making and risk mitigation tools that are data-driven which digital agriculture can provide. “From an innovation perspective, digital agriculture is really enabling people to do a better job,” says Eves.

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Do you ever stand in a grocery store and wonder where it all comes from? Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Grower (OGVG)’s VR 360 experience begins with this question. Every day, countless Canadians enter their favourite grocery stores wanting to know more about how their food is grown. Recent data from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity suggests that Canadians trust their food system but are growing more and more interested in how their food is produced, and, furthermore, whether it’s produced in a sustainable and ethical manner. A great way to see how your food is grown is to tour the source: a farm.

The goal of the experience was to make it educational, but also a fun ride for everyone.

Welcome to the OGVG VR 360 experience

When you first put on the Oculus virtual reality (VR) goggles’ there’s a sense of anticipation and of not knowing what to expect. Touring a greenhouse farm in VR, how exciting could that be? That’s when the experience commences, and you’re suspended hundreds of feet in the air overlooking the landscape of Leamington and Kingsville, Ont., the heart of greenhouse growing in Canada. In an instant, you quickly swoop down, through the front doors, and into one of the world’s high-tech greenhouses to witness the magic inside.

When you take part in the OGVG VR 360 experience, you get a bird’s-eye view of how the greenhouse farms in Ontario grow safe, affordable, and sustainable food. It’s truly a tour from seed to plate. “The goal of the experience was to make it educational, but also a fun ride for everyone,” says Joe Sbrocchi, Executive Director at OGVG. The production is a culmination of countless hours of footage taken with the latest in 360-degree camera technology and sophisticated drones. It has been shown at many community events, trade shows, and educational gatherings, with participants ranging from retirees and high-level executives to schoolchildren. All have enjoyed the VR experience and have come out with a better understanding of how food is grown in one of North America’s most advanced centres of greenhouse production.

Sadly, not all of us can attend these special events, especially with the current pandemic. This had made the exposure and usage of the VR experience quite difficult, as public events have been limited. For that reason, OGVG has bolstered the offering with a convenient YouTube video, which can be experienced directly from the comforts of your home. Using a smartphone, you can view the OGVG VR 360 tour, complete with all VR capabilities.

The assistance of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs has sparked OGVG to commence its next stage of the 360 experience, where it will focus on various new careers available within the greenhouse sector. Geared toward high school and post-secondary students, this next iteration of the VR experience will showcase an over-the-shoulder view of architects developing greenhouses, growers developing delicious new varieties, and packaging experts developing new and sustainable solutions to address growing environmental concerns. With the new experience poised to be completed by the fall of 2022, OGVG hopes to commence a school tour at that time to inspire the next generation with the possibilities awaiting them within Ontario’s greenhouse produce sector.

Currently, there are more than 3,000 acres of greenhouses growing nutritious tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, with some greenhouses also producing varieties of berries, lettuces, and even microgreens. The possibilities are endless as farms and research facilities are trialling new vegetables and varieties within the protective environment of a high-tech greenhouse. This will help Canada secure its economic future with a stable food supply that’s available all year round. In addition, it will provide new and innovative careers for all Canadians.

In a world that needs to produce more food in sustainable, ethical, and affordable ways, the future will rely on the innovations of Ontario’s greenhouse vegetable farmers. From OGVG’s house to yours, this is what we call Greenhouse Goodness.

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Like many sectors in the Canadian economy, in agriculture, efficient food production on the farm is possible, in part, because of the use of plastics. However, farmers, like other Canadians, are concerned about how to responsibly manage their used agricultural plastics when these materials are no longer needed on the farm.

That’s where Cleanfarms makes a difference. Cleanfarms is a non-profit industry stewardship organization that for more than 10 years has been partnering with farmers, farm organizations, and other stakeholders across the country to develop and deliver a suite of recycling and safe disposal programs that give farmers options to manage used agricultural plastics sustainably.

That’s important to farmers for three main reasons. First, it keeps the plastics out of the environment — a goal that’s shared by Canadians from coast to coast. Second, it helps farmers operate even more sustainably for present and future generations of farmers. And third, it keeps farms clean and tidy.

Cleanfarms’ programs started with empty plastic pesticide container recycling more than 30 years ago. Last year, Canadian farmers brought back more than 76 percent of the containers put into the marketplace, amounting to about 5.5 million jugs. Since its inception, the program has recycled more than 137 million containers that have been made into new products like farm drainage tile, fence posts, dimensional construction lumber, and plastic pallets, fuelling the circular economy.

We credit farmers for making this program a success. And that’s not all they’re doing. Many farmers are reducing their reliance on single-use jugs by purchasing products in refillable bulk drums and totes that can be returned to retail for reuse or recycling when empty. Through our 1,400 partner-operated collection locations across the country, we’re making it more convenient for farmers to return containers and other materials for recycling or safe disposal.

Cleanfarms’ other programs include:

• A nationwide collection and proper disposal program for unwanted pesticides and old, obsolete livestock and equine medications
• Recycling programs for grain bags and agricultural baler twine, and
• A disposal program for seed and pesticide bags in Eastern Canada and fertilizer bags in Quebec

None of these programs would be possible without the voluntary commitment of Cleanfarms’ industry members in the crop protection, fertilizer, seed, and animal health medication industries. You’ll recognize many of these companies by their logos in the adjacent illustration.

The fact that long-standing plastics management programs have been set up and operated voluntarily by the Canadian agriculture industry is a testament to how far this sector is ahead of the curve. We’ll continue our efforts to focus on expanding recycling in the agriculture sector to help farmers achieve their sustainability goals.

Throughout the globe, activities are underway to change the way that plastics are managed. Closer to home, we can thank the agriculture industry for stepping up to work with farmers on initiatives that make Canadian agriculture a leader in the sustainable management of agricultural plastics.

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Alberta has long been one of Canada’s major food producers. The province’s diverse landscapes, variety of soil types, and mostly sunny climate offer ideal conditions for growing grains and pulses and raising livestock.

Complementing the primary crop and livestock industries are a strong value-added food processing sector and a burgeoning technology sector. “Smart technologies can be used to increase food supply, reduce the cost of production, and address labour shortages. Adoption of these technologies is only going to grow as we learn more about how they can better support farm operations,” says Natisha Stashko, PhD, Executive Director of Smart Agriculture and Food at Alberta Innovates, a provincial agency that advances research and innovation in Alberta.

The agri-food industry is a significant economic driver for the province, generating more than $30 billion in sales and $12.4 billion in exports of primary and processed agriculture and food products in 2020, according to statistics compiled by the provincial government. As a sector that already employs nearly 70,000 people and contributes $9.68 billion to the provincial GDP, agri-food will continue to play a lead role in Alberta’s economy going forward.

We’re focused on the future of the industry and what we need to do to keep the agriculture sector strong and growing.

Today’s producers are moving farming into the future

Today’s farmers are very different from those of past generations. New technologies, products, and services are helping to revamp farm operations. Smart agriculture is about introducing new methods, processes, and tools such as artificial intelligence, digital solutions, and automation — things like drones, sensors, blockchain, and automated farm equipment ­— to make the industry more competitive, efficient, and sustainable.

Alberta Innovates is playing a key role in supporting research and innovation in agriculture through its Smart Agriculture and Food program, and helping to accelerate the development of smart technologies to address major global food challenges to nourish a growing world population. It’s also working to improve climate change resilience and develop agile and adaptable supply chains.

“We’re focused on the future of the industry and what we need to do to keep the agriculture sector strong and growing,” says Laura Kilcrease, CEO of Alberta Innovates. “We work to support that innovation journey from the idea stage right through to commercialization, and help to grow and scale those efforts here in the province and across Canada.”

Advancing innovation through pan-Canadian collaboration

Through funding and collaboration with groups such as the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) and others, Alberta Innovates provides opportunities to create the national partnerships necessary for Alberta’s high-tech agricultural transformation.

CAAIN is advancing Canada’s agricultural and food technology system by funding innovation and connecting agri-food businesses to academia, research institutions, and technology companies. “We’re the result of the collaboration of eight founding partners, including Alberta Innovates, to whose leadership we owe a debt of gratitude for their ongoing support and unwavering belief in the value of our mission,” says Kerry Wright, the CEO of CAAIN.

Alberta Innovates has been supporting research and innovation throughout much of the province’s history. Originally founded in 1921 as the Scientific and Industrial Research Council of Alberta (SIRCA), Alberta Innovates is celebrating its centennial year. In a fitting tribute to the role that agriculture has played over the past century in helping to build the province, Alberta Innovates is now helping to shape the industry’s role in the future.

“Agriculture continues to be a cornerstone of the Alberta economy so we’re contributing to a very important sector in our province,” says Stashko.

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