Agri-Food Research

Overview

The OFA believes that agri-food research is a critical tool for Ontario farmers, providing new technologies and practices that improve agricultural productivity, develop new agricultural products, and sustain Ontario's soil, air, and water resources. OFA's role is to help advocate for greater investment in agri-food research, in terms of direct public investment in Ontario agri-food research infrastructure as well as incentives/support to private sector research and development. Note that while OMAFRA funding for agri-food research has been declining over the last five years, there are increasingly other sources of public support available to Ontario agri-food research institutions (i.e., Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, Genome Canada).

These funds place an emphasis on developing integrated project proposals between university and industry partnerships. OMAFRA funding for agri-food research through the University of Guelph agreement has decreased over the last five years. Where funding has been increased, it has been channeled through Healthy Futures and other project-specific or special research funds. Greater investments in both UG support and project-based funding arrangements should be increased to ensure that research needed to address farm-specific and public good research is undertaken.