For more than a decade, Canada’s pork producers have relied on the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) to help drive innovation, strengthen on-farm resilience and build confidence among consumers and trading partners. Today, the sector’s progress is grounded in a continuum of initiatives — from world-leading traceability to new training resources and forward-looking sustainability tools — that together support a more efficient, profitable and future-ready industry.

Digital Traceability Empowering Trust and Market Access

Canada’s livestock sector is recognized globally for its commitment to strong animal-health safeguards, and CPC’s PigTRACE program remains central to that leadership. Developed 15 years ago, becoming mandatory under federal regulation in 2014, and now a benchmark in the international marketplace, PigTRACE is a national traceability system designed to protect animal health, support biosecurity and maintain the trust of consumers and trading partners.

PigTRACE showcases how digital innovation is safeguarding animal health, enabling faster response, and strengthening confidence among consumers and trading partners.

Jeff Clark, Director of PigTRACE Canada

The system tracks the movement of pigs across the country in near real time, helping producers and regulators respond quickly and accurately in the event of a disease outbreak. By providing a standardized digital record of animal movement, PigTRACE plays a crucial role in maintaining market access — ensuring Canadian pork continues to reach global customers that require rigorous traceability. What began as an innovative response to emerging health and trade challenges has become a foundational tool that continues to evolve alongside the sector.

Innovating Skills Development for a Modern Workforce

As the industry grows, so does the need for a trained workforce equipped to meet today’s expectations around animal care, workplace safety and on-farm consistency. To support producers, CPC recently launched PigLEARN — a digital education platform designed to help workers build essential skills and reinforce best practices.

PigLEARN offers accessible, up-to-date modules developed with subject-matter experts from across Canada’s pork sector. Its goal is to equip staff at every experience level with practical, evidence-based guidance, from biosecurity and safe animal handling to daily care routines. By centralizing these resources, PigLEARN helps producers strengthen training, reduce risk and cultivate a knowledgeable and confident workforce. With new modules added over time, the platform will continue to grow with the industry and its evolving needs.

PigLEARN modernizes on-farm training by blending digital learning with best practices, building confidence, strengthening skills, and supporting world-class animal care in five languages across a diverse workforce.

Mark Fynn, Training Resources Coordinator

From Sustainability Metrics to Market Advantage

Looking ahead, CPC is developing the sector’s next major innovation: a comprehensive sustainability index designed to help producers measure and improve their environmental performance. The digital tool will translate farm-level data into clear, actionable metrics, giving producers deeper insight into efficiency, environmental stewardship and long-term economic viability.

By providing credible, transparent indicators, the sustainability index aims to support responsible production, reinforce consumer trust and prepare the industry for future regulatory and market expectations. Once launched, it will serve as an important resource for producers committed to continuous improvement and long-term resilience. With each new initiative, CPC is helping producers meet today’s demands while laying the groundwork for a future-ready pork sector.

The Sustainability Index turns data into a competitive advantage, delivering credible insights that strengthen market access, build trust, and future-proof Canadian pork economically, environmentally, and socially.

Katerina Kolemishevska, Associate Executive Director

To explore these tools or connect with your local producer organization, visit cpc-ccp.com and discover how innovation can move your farm forward.

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From reviving a family farm to launching Canada’s largest “Ugly Potato Day,” Potato Ty is redefining what it means to be a modern farmer—through technology, social media, and a mission-driven approach to food sustainability. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into farming? 

What does innovation mean to you in agriculture and on your farm? 

You’ve built a strong social media presence as Potato Ty. How does that connect to your work on the farm and your approach to innovation?

Can you give an example of a project or initiative you’re especially proud of? 

What do you see as the biggest challenge for agriculture today, especially for young farmers? How can innovation help?

What advice would you give someone considering a career in agriculture or ag innovation?

Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you’d like to share? 

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These priorities were chosen because they address the real pressures farmers face today—from shifting markets to climate challenges—while helping the sector stay competitive, adopt new tools and practices, and better manage the risks that are out of producers’ control.

Your 2025–26 Departmental Plan highlights trade, innovation, and risk management as your three core priorities. Why were these areas chosen and how do they make a difference for farmers? 

What new research or practical farm practices is your ministry supporting to help producers increase productivity, adopt modern techniques, and adapt to a changing climate? 

Farmers face many uncertainties, from fluctuating markets to unpredictable weather. What programs or tools is your ministry providing to help them manage these risks and stay resilient?

You recently completed your first mission to China and your government announced a $75 million increase in AgriMarketing funding. How do these efforts help Canadian producers, including smaller operations, reach new markets?

Looking ahead, how are you balancing trade growth with sustainability and what programs or projects are you focusing on to shape the future of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector? 

The post Why Trade, Innovation and Risk Management Are at the Core of AAFC’s 2025–26 Plan appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Ontario farmers’ partnerships with government, universities, and industry are the foundation for innovative, competitive, and sustainable food production.

The increasingly complex world of food production requires broad participation from all parts of the value chain. Ontario farmers’ partnerships with government, universities, and industry are the foundation for innovative, competitive, and sustainable food production.

Farmers have always been huge supporters of research and innovation. Since Day One, they’ve answered the challenge to efficiently produce abundant, affordable food in a safe, sustainable manner. Research and innovation have been central to their success.

Farmers’ participation and advice in setting research priorities and policy decision-making is vital. In agriculture, no one is closer than farmers to the impact of research and policy decisions on sustainability, profitability, and strong communities.

Farmers at the centre of research

Collaboration with research partners is key to maximizing investment in innovation to drive a successful agri-food sector. We need decision making that supports evidence-based policies, along with a robust, right-sized regulatory environment and an effective, efficient research ecosystem…from research funds to people and infrastructure.

Grain Farmers of Ontario is the largest commodity organization in the province, with 28,000 farmer members. We have developed partnerships through the value chain and recognize the strengths everyone brings to the table. 

Strategic partnerships drive innovation

We value the capacity and funding Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and other federal research organizations bring to important activities such as plant breeding and policy development. 

We place great importance in the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and the University of Guelph — a key driver for agri-food research and innovation in the province.

Ontario grain farmers are doing their part, too. Over the past 10 years, Grain Farmers of Ontario has invested more than $16.4 million in 150 research projects. Leveraging other funding sources, the value of these projects is over $65 million. Additionally, we have invested $2.5 million in professorships for field crop pathology and wheat breeding.

Such investments have helped underpin the progress we’ve made as Ontario grain farmers on many fronts. Through research, we’ve become North America’s leader in sustainable, regenerative agriculture, through techniques such as cover cropping and soil conservation. We’ve secured a niche as the suppliers of choice for food grade soybeans to Japan. And we’ve developed one of the strongest biofuel markets in North America.

Powering Ontario’s agri-food future

The crops grown by Ontario grain farmers cover more than six million acres of land in the province. They generate over $4.7 billion in production value and result in more than $27 billion in economic input. They are responsible for more than 90,000 jobs.

This kind of progress wouldn’t happen without partnerships and it all starts with innovation in the field.

To learn more about Ontario’s innovative grain farmers, visit gfo.ca.

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Farmers are advancing a proven model of environmental stewardship — one few Canadians realize could reshape resilience across the country.

Across the country farmers are taking the lead, quietly strengthening Canada’s natural defences against a changing climate.  

Long before climate volatility entered the national conversation, farmers understood how water moves, how soils respond and how landscapes shift — and they’ve been applying that knowledge to protect the land we depend on. Today, their role as environmental problem-solvers is becoming more widely recognized, as communities and policymakers increasingly look to farmer-led projects that restore nature and build resilience from the ground up. 

For nearly two decades, ALUS has advanced this leadership through a community-led, farmer-delivered model of environmental stewardship. The national charitable organization supports the creation and enhancement of nature on marginal or uneconomic farmland, reframing conservation as natural infrastructure — living systems that help manage flooding, improve water quality, support biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience. 

“When farmers build natural infrastructure, entire communities become more resilient.”

— Bryan Gilvesy 

Small changes, big impact 

Bryan Gilvesy, a rancher and ALUS’ Chief Strategy Officer, has been instrumental in helping expand the organization nationwide.  

“Farmers are not just food producers; they are environmental solution providers.”

— Bryan Gilvesy 

Gilvesy notes that nature-based solutions are often among the most practical and cost-effective tools communities have for addressing a changing climate, biodiversity loss and water security. Many of these projects begin with simple but strategic changes to the landscape. Planting trees and shrubs along riverbanks can stabilize soils, protect fish habitat and prevent topsoil and runoff from entering waterways. Restoring wetlands helps create natural catchments that slow and store water, reducing both flooding and drought risk. These projects are grounded in local knowledge and designed to benefit the broader community. 

“Nature-based solutions are among the most practical and cost-effective tools we have to build climate resilience.”

— Bryan Gilvesy 

Farmers’ growing role in climate resilience 

Today, ALUS supports more than 2,100 farmers and ranchers across 41 communities, who together steward over 57,000 acres of nature-based projects — an area equal to more than 40,000 football fields. These projects are managed, maintained and adapted over time, delivering environmental benefits that can be measured on the ground and felt across surrounding regions. 

“Fifty-seven thousand acres is more than 40,000 football fields — each acre now working as natural infrastructure.” 

The results illustrate a shift in how Canadians understand working lands and the people that manage them. Rather than viewing marginal farmland as unproductive, ALUS encourages communities to see these areas as opportunities — places where small investments can yield long-lasting environmental returns. The model also strengthens rural economies by supporting farmers in managing the land in ways that contribute to climate adaptation and ecological health. 

What began as a local program in Manitoba has grown into a national movement, demonstrating that when farmers have the tools and support to create natural infrastructure, entire communities stand to benefit. And as climate pressures continue to grow, their role in building a more resilient Canada is becoming impossible to ignore. 

To learn more about ALUS visit Alus.ca. 

The post How Farmers Are Strengthening Canada’s Climate Resilience  appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Rising costs, succession pressures and the need for modernization are creating new challenges across the farm and agribusiness value chain. Flexible long-term financing models are helping operators access the capital they need to grow, transition and plan for the future.

Canada’s agricultural sector is undergoing significant change. Rising input costs, elevated interest rates, supply chain challenges, tariff uncertainty, and the growing cost of modernizing operations are placing pressure on farmers and agribusiness operators alike. Access to capital is increasingly a barrier across the entire value chain.

This strain is intensified by the demographic realities within the sector. With the average Canadian farmer now in their late fifties, the industry is preparing for a major succession shift. An estimated $300 billion in farmland is expected to change hands over the coming decades, and many agribusiness operators face similar transition and growth challenges. Ensuring access to stable, long-term capital is essential to supporting a competitive and resilient sector.

Growing investor interest in Canadian agriculture

The good news is that investors are taking notice. Agriculture is increasingly viewed as a sector that can provide stable, long-term returns, and Canada is recognized globally for its sophisticated operators, high-quality production, and strong resource advantages. Yet investing directly in the industry has traditionally been difficult due to its private, fragmented structure.

Flexible financing models that complement traditional debt are playing a growing role in helping operators plan for the future. 

At Bonnefield Financial, we’ve built an investment approach aimed at bridging this gap — giving investors exposure to the attractive attributes of Canadian agriculture while providing farmers and agribusiness operators with capital solutions that support growth, transition and stability.

Addressing capital constraints across the value chain

Our model is designed to deploy investor capital to address long-standing financing challenges facing the industry. Through our buy-and-lease farmland approach, we provide farm operators with secure, long-term access to land while freeing up capital they can reinvest in the areas that matter most. Farmers maintain full control of their operations and can work toward regaining ownership of the land over time as their financial position evolves. For many families, this flexibility makes succession planning more achievable and less financially burdensome.

For agribusiness operators, our minority investment strategy delivers patient, long-term capital that strengthens the broader value chain — from input suppliers to processors and service providers. These businesses face their own modernization and expansion needs, and benefit from capital solutions that complement traditional lending.

Across both farm and agribusiness operations, our goal is the same: to provide flexible tools that enhance competitiveness, support transition, and enable long-term planning.

A committed partner for Canadian agriculture

As farmers and agribusinesses contend with rising costs, succession pressures, and shifting market dynamics, the need for reliable, long-term capital is becoming a defining issue for the sector. Flexible financing models that complement traditional debt are playing a growing role in helping operators plan for the future. By aligning capital with the long-term nature of agriculture, these models can help strengthen the value chain and support Canada’s position as a global agriculture leader in the years ahead.

To learn more about our approach, visit bonnefield.com.

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Jeremy Lang

Director of Business Development & Innovation, Ag-West Bio

Monica Pollard

Director of Ecosystem Development Ag-West Bio

This AgBio start-up supporter turns Canadian entrepreneurism into innovation, driving the AgBio industry forward and paving the way to the future of Canada’s food and agriculture industry. 

Canada is a nation renowned for its abundant resources: fresh water, timber and farmland may be the first to come to mind. Often overlooked is Canada’s entrepreneurial community, a collection of like-minded individuals who continue to push innovation and industry exploration across the country. While this entrepreneurial mindset has a place in all industries, perhaps one of the most ambitious is Canada’s agriculture and food biotech – better known as AgBio. It merges Canada’s aptitude towards natural resources with the nation’s leading entrepreneurism and represents companies building innovative agriculture and food business. Leading the mission towards continued innovation in this space is Ag-West Bio, an economic development agency dedicated to helping grow the agriculture and food bio-business in Saskatchewan. 

“Agriculture innovation affects everyone,” explains Jeremy Lang, Ag-West Bio Director of Business Development and Innovation. “It determines how we feed the world, steward our environment and build resilient rural economies. Supporting AgBio ensures a sustainable and competitive future for Canada.”

A nonprofit rooted in community

For over 35 years, Ag-West Bio has been committed to helping grow biobusiness in the province. A government-funded, membership-based non-profit, Ag-West Bio acts as a conduit to providing solutions to AgBio businesses that are starting up, helping them commercialize and grow. “We help businesses succeed where they are at, in all and any area of business and we do it through community,” says Interim Ag-West Bio CEO, Mike Wonnick. Ag-West Bio recognizes the immense need for AgBio in Canada and advocates for Saskatchewan-based organizations that show promise in the space.

It’s a niche market, but it’s integral to the continued success and adaptability of the Canadian food industry as a whole. “There are challenges facing the sector that are too complex for any single organization to solve alone. When industry, academia, startups and producers come together, risks shrink and more companies can turn research into real products,” says Monica Pollard, Ag-West Bio’s Director of Ecosystem Development. 

Spearheading initiatives that move industry forward

Ag-West Bio identifies gaps in the AgBio market and aims to create and find initiatives that help fill them.

The Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP) is one such initiative connecting agri-food and biotech innovators with the expertise and ecosystem they need to move from concept to product. “GAAP offers open-access biomanufacturing infrastructure so companies can develop and scale bioproducts,” says Jeremy. 

The Prairie Food Link (PFL) is an initiative that connects food and ingredient entrepreneurs together. “It’s about bringing the right people, ideas and resources together so an industry can grow and innovate faster,” Monica explains. By connecting local agri-food businesses of all sizes, the industry can lean on community and connectivity, working as a team as opposed to siloed. 

Finally, the Ag-West Bio Technology Commercialization Fund, active since 1989, provides funding to innovative, early stage agri-food companies that show potential in the way of developing new industry technology. 

Environmental and socioeconomic challenges are requiring Canada’s AgBio industry to adapt and evolve. Ag-West Bio is ensuring the industry stays competitive both locally and abroad. “Canada has world-class research institutions, abundant natural resources and a growing network of entrepreneurs, making it a hub for agri-food and biomanufacturing innovation,” says Jeremy. “For Canadians, this means economic growth, a sustainable food system and leadership on the global stage.”

To learn more about Ag-West Bio and its initiatives visit agwest.sk.ca.

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Windset Farms show how greenhouse-grown produce boosts local food production, reduces the environmental footprint, and ensures high-quality produce for consumers year-round.

A healthy diet includes a wide variety of vegetables. There is no shortage of vegetable varieties at Windset Farms® in Delta, BC. For 30 years, this Canadian greenhouse-produce grower has provided a year-round novel array of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuces, and specialty items to local communities.  

Why so many different varieties of the same vegetable? “Consumers want snackable options, convenient formats, and brands that stand out on the shelf, so new flavours and shapes help keep the produce aisle exciting,” says Steven Newell, CEO, Windset Farms. 

There’s also a creative angle. “The Windset brand was inspired by art and music because growing food feels like both,” says Newell. “Every variety we grow is like a new composition, balancing colour, flavour, texture, and aroma. Our Maestro® Bell Peppers, for example, are a symphony of colour, each one vibrant, crisp, and perfectly tuned for sweetness,” he says.

Advanced growing techniques at new facility

Windset grows these vegetable medleys at their 92-acre headquarter facility in Delta, BC, and is supported by an extensive partner grower base in British Columbia and Mexico and a 168-acre greenhouse facility in Santa Maria, California. Using state-of-the-art technology, responsible growing practices, and a gentle hand, Windset brings freshness and quality to the table all year round. “All our plants are non-GMO seedlings grown in carefully controlled environments,” says Newell. Integrated pest management techniques, such as introducing beneficial insects to control the populations of harmful pests in our greenhouse, allow us to grow naturally and sustainably. For pollination, Windset uses bumblebees. “As they move through the greenhouse, they help each flower set fruit, which is essential for healthy tomato production,” says Newell.

To meet increased demand, Windset recently expanded its Delta, BC facility. The upgrade includes the installation of LED lighting across two 24-acre greenhouses, powered by renewable hydroelectricity from BC Hydro. “LEDs use significantly less power than traditional high pressure sodium lighting and allow us to grow high-quality tomatoes and cucumbers year-round,” says Newell. 

As well as LED lighting, Windset installed additional hot-water grow pipes to maintain consistent crop temperatures, vertical airflow fans to recirculate air, and double energy curtains to save energy and enhance light abatement. 

This upgrade makes Delta the largest LED-lit greenhouse operation in Western North America. Windset’s commitment to sustainable growing has earned the company BC Hydro’s Clean Energy Champion Award and FortisBC’s Efficiency in Action Award. “Our Delta facility expansion is a major step forward in producing great-tasting food while using fewer resources,” says Newell. Windset is continuing its growth trajectory with another expansion at its Delta site, adding 38 acres of new “ultra-lit” production in 2026.

Benefits to consumers, retailers, and communities

This is good news on many fronts. More consumers across Canada will be able to access a consistent supply of fresh, locally grown, healthy produce regardless of the season. Windset is a one-stop shop for greenhouse vegetables, growing high-quality produce using state-of-the-art technology and responsible growing practices. This means fewer food miles, better food security, and fresh, high-quality produce for our communities to enjoy year-round. 

Learn more about Windset Farms’ sustainability initiatives and facility expansion by visiting greenhousegrown.com.

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