GIFS Connect
A Newsletter from the Global Institute for Food Security
The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) works with partners to discover, develop, and deliver innovative solutions for the production of globally sustainable food. Serving as ‘agriculture’s innovation catalyst’, GIFS is connecting the agri-food ecosystem, advancing innovation, and bridging the gap to commercialization to deliver resilient and sustainable food security for all stakeholders.
In this Issue:
Dear Partners and Stakeholders,
Welcome to our latest newsletter. Once again, it has been an eventful few months at the Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan, which you will see throughout this issue and in our 2024-25 Annual Report.
Over the last year, GIFS has continued to build our Programs, establish new Technical Services, and grow our network, which includes the advancement of new partnerships through the FCC Breeding Acceleration Program at GIFS.
This fall, we also welcomed Dr. Karen Churchill to GIFS as our new Chief Scientific Officer. Karen is a skillful leader whose expertise and experience will greatly support GIFS’ operations and help foster impactful collaborations.
More recently, I announced my upcoming retirement in early 2026. Serving at GIFS has been the greatest honour of my career and I’m so proud of how our team has transformed the institute and strengthened our global impact.
In the coming months, I will continue to do everything I can to advance our mission while our Board of Directors launches a search for a new Executive Director and CEO.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for GIFS. In the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing some exciting news about new initiatives to drive agricultural productivity, resiliency, and more.
— Dr. Steven R. Webb (PhD), Chief Executive Officer of the Global Institute for Food Security
Partnerships, Collaborations, & Other Updates
GIFS 2024-25 Annual Report Now Available
In GIFS’ 2024-25 Annual Report, we provide updates on the advancement of our Programs and Technical Services, highlighting our technologies, people, and growing connections.
Striving to be the World’s Preferred Partner for Agriculture and Food Innovation
At GIFS, ambition meets action. From genomics to biomanufacturing to data analytics and more, our strengths place us among a select group of global institutions equipped to drive innovation at scale.
Collaborations to Unlock Breeding Acceleration
The FCC Breeding Acceleration Program at GIFS is providing breeders and organizations with access to a comprehensive suite of tools designed to accelerate breeding, enhance agricultural resilience, and boost competitiveness.
GIFS at USask Announces Retirement of CEO
GIFS’ Board of Directors has announced the upcoming retirement of its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Steven Webb (PhD). Webb will remain at GIFS into the first quarter of 2026 as the Board launches a formal search for a new Executive Director and CEO.
We’re Hiring: CEO and Executive Director
GIFS is seeking an experienced executive to help us advance agri-food innovation in Canada and beyond. With cutting-edge technology platforms, a bold strategic plan, and a growing international reputation, GIFS offers an exciting opportunity for a leader to make a global impact.
Dr. Karen Churchill Joins GIFS as Chief Scientific Officer
In September, Dr. Karen Churchill began her new role as GIFS’ Chief Scientific Officer. As a member of GIFS’ Executive Leadership Team, Churchill will foster impactful collaborations with industry, government, and academic organizations, including the development and advancement of unique partnerships.
MLAs Tour Saskatchewan's Biotechnology Sector
On Oct. 17, GIFS welcomed Members of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly to its facility in Saskatoon where they got an up-close view at the leading-edge technologies that are helping to advance agriculture and food innovation from Saskatchewan-out.
GIFS Announces New Competitive Pricing for PacBio Revio Sequencing Services
GIFS has announced new and reduced pricing for its PacBio RevioSMRT Cell. As a PacBio Certified Service Provider, GIFS combines certified HiFi quality with pricing that makes long-read sequencing more accessible to researchers and partners.
Innovate UK Delegation Visits GIFS
In September, GIFS hosted a delegation led by Innovate UK that toured our facility, including our engineering biology biofoundry. During a later panel forum, we dug deeper into engineering biology, exploring how stakeholders can work together to address technical, regulatory, and scale-up challenges — accelerating the path to real-world impact.
GIFS at USask receives $1.6 million investment from PrairiesCan
GIFS has received a $1.6 million investment from PrairiesCan to support a genomic selection-based accelerated breeding program. The funding was part of a $4.6 million announcement to support multiple initiatives within Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector.
BioTalent Canada Names Chelsea Platzke as Board Chair
Chelsea Platzke, Head of People and Strategy at GIFS, has been named as BioTalent Canada’s Board Chair. In this role, Platzke will help guide BioTalent Canada in delivering workforce solutions that ensure Canadian bioscience companies remain competitive globally.
From Design to Data: Leveraging Automation for Engineering Biology
In September, GIFS celebrated the launch of its new engineering biology technical services with a seminar exploring lab automation and engineering biology.
Innovation Thought Leadership
GIFS-Supported Carbon Life Cycle Analysis Published in Nature Food
Canadian farmers are using innovative tools and practices to produce canola, wheat, and field peas with a smaller carbon footprint than international competitors, according to a new study published in Nature Food.
The study, conducted by the Food Systems PRISM Lab at the University of British Columbia (UBC), was supported by GIFS and builds off research originally commissioned in 2022.
Biofoundries as a Pillar of Canada’s Defence and Bioeconomy
Drs. Megha Bajaj and Benjamin Scott (PhD) are the authors of a new editorial published by the Canadian Science Policy Centre exploring Canadian biomanufacturing as a driver of stronger defence and supply chain security.
Open Tools and Strategies to Accelerate the Bioeconomy
GIFS’ Dr. Benjamin Scott is an author of a new publication exploring approaches to support the development, competitiveness, and security of Canada’s bioeconomy.
GIFS at CAPI Exchange Conference
GIFS CEO Dr. Steven Webb participated in a panel discussion at the recent Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute Exchange Conference.
Artificial Intelligence Roundtable
GIFS’ Drs. Megha Bajaj and Hakimeh Emamgholi Begli participated in a recent Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan (AISK) Leadership Roundtable.
GIFS in the News
- Dr. Steven Webb on innovation, sustainability, and the future of food security • Asia’s Farm to Fork
- Modern farming and the science that goes into our food system • Canada’s Food System Podcast
- GIFS at USask study shows Western Canadian farmers produce barley and oats with lowest carbon intensity • CKOM
- Saskatchewan agriculture sector receives federal funding • Western Producer
- Ottawa boosts Saskatchewan Ag industry with $4.2M funding • Sask Today
- Canadian growers get A+ in growing low-carbon-intensity oats and barley • Real Agriculture
- Study: Saskatchewan barley, oats have comparatively small carbon footprint • StarPhoenix
- Barley, oats sustainability quantified by study • Western Producer
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