Bridging agricultural science and real-world impact.
Since 2020, The Simpson Centre has been Canada's leading bridge between agricultural research and tangible outcomes. We mobilize cutting-edge science to inform smarter policy, strengthen public understanding of our agri-food system, and advance Canada’s sustainable food future for all—from trade policy and supply chains to climate action and public health.
Explore Our Work.
Impact & Outreach.
Event Reports.
Explore key findings from our gatherings on critical issues facing Canadian agriculture. Our reports synthesize expert perspectives from producers, researchers, and policymakers to inform evidence-based solutions for the sector's most pressing challenges.
Publications.
Issue Briefs.
Concise, evidence-based documents to provide a clear overview of pertinent policy issues. Understand why the issue matters, and the key findings and recommendations to make informed policy decisions.
Interactive Resources.
Knowledge Mobilization.
Explore how the Simpson Centre makes agricultural research accessible. Our knowledge resources include interactive atlases, issue stories, and explainer videos that help you understand what is really at stake in Canadian food and farming debates.
Navigating Agri-Food Controversies: What is Controversy Mapping?
The Simpson Centre team explains why controversy mapping & controversy atlases are useful tools to learn more about where our food comes from.
Latest Insights.
Our most recent publications, news stories, and events.
Digitalizing water governance in Alberta's agriculture
A three-session policy lab brought together producers, irrigation districts, funders, and researchers to map a path to water sustainability by 2030. Storage and peak flow, ecological services, and extreme events came out as the highest urgency, highest effort challenges, while water allocation was flagged as politically contentious but lower urgency. The resulting roadmap puts farmers and ranchers at the centre, backed by shared data infrastructure, simplified financing, and inclusive governance including Indigenous knowledge integration.
The referendum vote narrowed where ag is a bigger employer
On October 19, 74.95% of valid votes on Question 10 of Alberta's referendum supported remaining a province of Canada. In ridings where agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting employ 5% or more of the labour force, the “Remain” share was 58%, compared with 83% where they employ less than 1%.
Canola under fire: The price of market concentration
Canada's canola industry faces mounting pressures from Chinese trade retaliation and U.S. policy uncertainty, illustrating the vulnerabilities that come with export market concentration.
See our analysis of the economic fallout of ongoing trade disputes facing Canadian canola.
Controversy Mapping: Exploring Complex Agri-Food Topics
Our interactive agri-food Controversy Atlases use an innovative "controversy mapping" approach to make complex agricultural issues, debates, and food system realities accessible, letting you explore Canadian agriculture issues through data-driven, neutral resources you can navigate freely, zooming in on the angles and details most relevant to you.
John Simpson
Dr. Kee Jim & G.K. Jim Farms
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