Resources to Keep You Informed.
The Simpson Centre collaborates with partners to create accessible materials to support informed consumer choices, policy development, and strengthen the sustainability of Canadian agriculture.
Explore the interactive, clickable PDF document below to discover the diverse perspectives, key actors, and guiding values shaping both current understanding and the future of regenerative agriculture.
Alberta's Irrigation Expansion Controversy.
"To expand, or not to expand?"
That question drives debate over irrigation infrastructure in Alberta where $815 million has been invested to modernize and expand irrigation. But freshwater management involves competing demands: present and future water needs, economic development, water rights, and ecological health. The $133 million Chin Reservoir Expansion project in the South Saskatchewan River Basin has sparked mixed reactions, highlighting the complexity of irrigation expansion decisions.
The Chin Reservoir Controversy.
Untangle this controversy and all its layers. Explore, engage, and make your own judgements on the issue.
Discover our interactive atlas all about Alberta's Chin Reservoir Controversy.
Coming soon...
Debunking Biodigesters.
Take a closer look at biodigesters – their benefits, their challenges, and their place in sustainable development.
Debunking Biodigesters & Environmental Effects: Promises & Pitfalls
Biodigesters break down organic material to produce biogas and nutrient-rich digestate. This paper explores their environmental benefits and challenges in sustainable development.
Debunking Biodigesters & Odour: Causes, Myths & Management
A common concern of biodigesters is the bad smells they can create. This paper explores the causes of odours, dispels myths, and highlights strategies in odour management and elimination.
How Public Perception and Media Gaps Shaped The Rimrock Biodigester Controversy
Examine the Case Study of The Rimrock Biodigester Controversy and how the project became one of Alberta’s most talked-about agriculture stories, shaped by community concerns and media coverage.
As part of the our Carbon Program which took place from 2020-2023, The Simpson Centre created a user-friendly dashboard to help Canadians understand their agriculture-sourced GHG emissions.
Have you ever wanted to visit a dairy farm, but didn’t have the time, money, or connections? In late 2022, we brought the dairy farm to people with a virtual reality (VR) experience at the Calgary Central Library. Attendees even had the chance to meet a dairy farmer and one of the VR program developers in person!
Wearing a VR headset, participants learned about Albertan dairy farming and explored a dairy farm in virtual reality. They saw a milker, a calf nursery, how cows eat, sleep, and drink, and how medication is used. They met virtual farmers, a dairy nutritionist, and a veterinarian who explained their roles in keeping cows healthy.
The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy teamed up with the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary to create the virtual reality program. The information in this program came from dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists, and scientific research papers.
Our objective was to connect everyday people to critical issues in Canada’s agriculture and food system and to use innovative technology – virtual reality – to reach a broader audience with experiential learning that’s accessible and engaging.
Media Coverage & Publications