OMAFRA signs $300 million dollar deal with U of G

Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Leona Dombrowsky, was in town today to announce a funding agreement with the University of Guelph.  Over the next five years, OMAFRA will contribute $300 million to ongoing innovation research. 

The money is destined for seven key areas:

• agricultural production systems
• food for health
• environmental sustainability
• industry uses for biotech products
• agriculture and rural policy
• product development and enhancement
• emergency preparedness

Dombrowsky stressed that the funding is meant to keep the Ontario sector “on the cutting edge”, and that collaboration is essential to the quest for excellence.  She believes in the power of working with educators on agricultural technology and advancement, which is the reason for the “renewed and improved partnership” between the ministry and the university. 

The previous agreement, in place since 1997, saw an annual investment of $54 million yield a return of $1 billion, according to a recent Deloitte report.

Concluding her speech, Dombrowsky promised that every time she appears at a podium from now on, she will encourage people to look for and prefer Ontario products.  “When farmers do well, the places they live do well” was the phrase she used to underline the need to support rural communities.

Dombrowsky was flanked by Liz Sandals, MPP for Guelph-Wellington, Karen Farbridge, mayor of Guelph, and Alastair Summerlee, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guelph, as she made the announcement.  Attendees included University staff and students, current and former deputy ministers, members of producer groups, sector organizations, input suppliers, and media representatives.

Food connects us all

‘Food connects us all: sustainable local food in Southern Ontario’ is the title of a report reviewed at OMAFRA last week.   The discussion panel at the session included Bob Bailey from the Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Kathryn Scharf from The Stop Community Food Centre, Jennifer Sumner from OISE at the University of Toronto, Lori Stahlbrand from Local Food Plus, and Ruth Richardson from the Metcalf Foundation.

The report was commissioned by the Metcalf Foundation and prepared by the Centre for Urban & Community Studies (CUCS).  It is intended as a backdrop for conversations on how Ontario can achieve a local sustainable food system. 

Collaboration seems to be the key, according to the 39 interviewees.  Participants included, among others, the Delta Waterfowl Foundation, FarmStart, Local Food Plus, OMAFRA, the OFA, and several universities. 

According to Richardson, there are four key findings in the report: 

1. Food is connected to every major problem we face;
2. There are many opportunities to identify and resolve issues, but we still work in isolation or silos;
3. There are many roads to change and we need to investigate all of them in order to find the right  ways to go;
4. Now is the time.

There was a definite urban, organic overtone to the event.  However, there was also some very good conversation.  Lori Stahlbrand made a point of bringing things back to the farm level by pointing out that farmers benefit when consistent multi-year demand for local sustainable products is created. 

It was also interesting to learn more about the Metcalf Foundation.  George Metcalf worked for the Weston group of companies for many years and established his foundation in 1960.  His endowment has allowed the foundation to fund Ontario food and agriculture initiatives for several years, with an aim of ‘transforming food and agriculture at a system-wide level’.  The ‘Food connects us all’ report is available on their website.