Woman in greenhouse looking at tablet

Harvesting the Power of Digital Agriculture.

Our Alberta Digitalization Agriculture Program is empowering producers, innovators, and policymakers with the insights to transform agriculture together.

This Alberta Government-funded three-year program unites agriculture stakeholders to build data literacy, identify solutions, and enable widespread ag tech adoption for a more transparent and productive food system.

The Challenge We're Addressing.

Agricultural technology holds immense potential, yet its benefits remain out of reach for many. While digital tools promise transformative benefits – from enhanced sustainability to significant cost savings – adoption remains fragmented. Success requires more than technology alone: it demands understanding the real barriers different stakeholders face, establishing trusted data practices, and creating policies that support meaningful change across our entire agri-food supply chain.

ABDIAG Objectives & Outcomes.

Digital agriculture transformation works best when built on real-world experience and stakeholder collaboration. Over three years, the Alberta Digitalization Agriculture Program (ABDIAG) is gathering insights from agricultural producers, food processors, ag tech innovators, and policymakers to develop data-driven solutions that serve everyone in Canada's agri-food system.

Through targeted agricultural research and direct stakeholder engagement, The Simpson Centre will focus on three core areas:

  1. Research & Assessment

    We are conducting a comprehensive review of commercialized ag tech solutions and farming data practices across Canada and internationally, creating a clear picture of what's working, what is available, and where opportunities exist for the agriculture sector.

     

  2. Stakeholder Engagement

    Through in-depth interviews, industry roundtables, and collaborative "Living Labs," The Simpson Centre is listening directly to producers, processors, innovators, and other key players to understand their real-world requirements, challenges, and ideas for moving forward.

  3. Knowledge Sharing

    The insights we gather will be shared widely through accessible formats like research reports, webinars, policy briefs, and digital communications – ensuring every stakeholder has the information needed to make informed decisions about digital agriculture adoption.

  • Raise awareness and create buy-in for available ag tech and its benefits in improving productivity, as well as land and animal stewardship.
  • Promote the value of adopting digital technologies for data collection and regional risk management.
  • Build capacity for data literacy and data use, enabling data-driven decision-making in the agricultural sector.
  • Assess infrastructure requirements for digitalization (e.g., bandwidth in rural Alberta).
  • Prioritize policy effectiveness (e.g., farm equipment subsidies).

For More Information About the Alberta Digitization Agriculture Program, Contact Us.

RESEARCH PROGRAM.

Hanan Ishaque
Senior Policy Analyst
The Simpson Centre

Email Hanan.

TO SUPPORT.

Sarah Parker
Director of Development
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
 

Email Sarah.