Event Reports.
Key Takeaways & Insights from Events We Have Hosted.
Water Update 2024
The Water Wealth in Agriculture event convened leading experts from industry, government, and academia in October 2022 to address critical water management challenges facing Canadian agriculture.
Hosted by the University of Calgary's Simpson Centre, Schulich School of Engineering, Faculty of Science, and the University of Saskatchewan's Global Institute for Water Security, participants identified four fundamental barriers to water security:
- Lack of multi-stakeholder collaboration and shared values
- Commodification of water over social and environmental considerations
- Insufficient public understanding of water systems
- Fragmented management approaches.
This report synthesizes expert recommendations on holistic water governance, including groundwater quality protection, Indigenous water rights, and regional disparities in water valuation, to inform evidence-based policy for Canada's agricultural water security.
Energy in Ag Roundtable Proceedings
“I'll just close with a little story of a farmer who was asked to list his assets. And he said, 'Well, that's quite simple. It's the land, the water, and the grass. Everything else you see on my farm are just tools to manage my assets.'” - Kevin Hoppins, Chair of the Board, UFA Co-operative Ltd.
Alberta's agriculture and energy sectors are advancing decarbonization through renewable fuels, anaerobic digestion converting manure to renewable natural gas, and cross-sectoral innovation. Key barriers include investment gaps, data governance, and standardized sustainability metrics.
The Simpson Centre convened stakeholders—producers, researchers, and industry—to examine how agriculture-energy integration enables farm diversification, operational efficiency, and new revenue streams through renewable energy and biofuel production.
Roundtable Proceedings: Carbon in Agriculture
Canada faces the dual challenge of feeding a growing global population while reducing agricultural emissions 30% by 2030.
Our 2023 roundtable in Edmonton convened government officials, producers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to address barriers to sustainable agriculture. Discussions highlighted needs for financial incentives, improved technology access, better data collection tools, and enhanced collaboration across the innovation ecosystem.
Key recommendations emphasize government support through tax credits and responsive regulations, alongside demand-driven innovation to help Canada maintain its global market position while achieving climate goals.
Beef Focus Group: Challenges Facing the Sector
A focus group on Canada's beef industry identified critical challenges in financial sustainability, intergenerational succession, and regulatory complexity. Participants emphasized that high capital requirements and bureaucratic barriers impede new producer entry and program access.
Key concerns included:
- Insufficient policy consultation with industry stakeholders
- Public misperception of the sector's sustainability efforts
Recommendations:
- Targeted education funding
- Regulatory streamlining
- Enhanced intergovernmental collaboration for supply chain optimization
- Expanded stakeholder engagement in policy development
- Evidence-based communication strategies to improve public understanding of environmental initiatives
Poultry Focus Group: Challenges Facing the Sector
A Simpson Centre focus group convened Canadian poultry stakeholders in 2021 to address sustainability challenges as chicken consumption rises with population growth and cultural dietary shifts, while producers face pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Challenges – Participants identified critical tensions: supply management provides price stability but creates entry barriers and tight margins; federal red tape impedes efficiency; and public misconceptions burden farmers with unrealistic expectations.
Policy Recommendations – Increase funding for science-based research with producer input, streamline vaccine approvals aligned with comparative markets, reduce red tape through international supply chain analysis, and enhance federal-provincial collaboration for evidence-based policy development.
Beef and Plant Protein: Stronger Together
A Simpson Centre roundtable brought together beef and plant protein stakeholders to explore synergies within Canada's protein sector. Participants advocated for a unified market approach where both industries present a cohesive, sustainable brand to attract investment, strengthen infrastructure, and enhance Canada's competitive position in global protein markets.
Strategic Opportunities
Working collaboratively offers significant benefits:
- Increased lobbying effectiveness for policy reform
- Improved investment attraction, enhanced consumer education on industry partnerships
- Stronger branding of Canadian protein as sustainable and reliable
Key synergies include using plant protein by-products as cattle feed, demonstrating environmental benefits and supply chain resilience.
Policy Implications
Governments should develop policies recognizing beef and plant proteins as complementary commodities within one integrated market, facilitating collaboration through supportive regulations and addressing consumer misconceptions with evidence-based communication strategies.