GIFS Connect
A Quarterly 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,
On behalf of everyone at the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan, I’m excited to share updates on the development of our institute’s programs, technical services, and growing network.
Of course, as summer unfolds, we hope you’re finding time to enjoy meaningful moments with family, friends, and loved ones. Looking ahead to fall, we extend our best wishes to everyone for a safe and successful harvest season.
It’s been a busy and productive few months at GIFS. Notably, we were excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Karen Churchill (PhD) as our new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Karen is a highly respected leader with expertise and experience across both industry and the not-for-profit sector. Her strategic insight and track-record of impactful collaboration will greatly benefit our team, partners, and ecosystem.
Read More: GIFS CSO Appointment
Karen will be joining GIFS in September and will be connecting with many of you to discuss how we can work together to leverage GIFS’ expertise, programs, and technologies to drive agriculture and food innovation.
We are grateful to Dr. John Davies (PhD) for his leadership as Interim CSO throughout 2025. His guidance has ensured the continued growth of our programs and the delivery of seamless, high-quality technical services. We also extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Nancy Tout (PhD), our former CSO, who played a key role in this transition and continues to support GIFS as Chair of our International Scientific Advisory Panel.
Read More: Carbon Life Cycle Analysis
More recently, we shared the results of new GIFS-commissioned carbon life cycle analyses examining barley and oat production. The studies compared production in Western Canada to other leading agricultural regions and found that Saskatchewan and Western Canadian farmers produce these crops with the lowest carbon intensity globally.
The findings align with previous GIFS-commissioned studies into other crop types and show the positive impact of innovative tools and practices within our agricultural operating system. You can explore all our studies at gifs.ca/sustainableag. I encourage you to review the materials and share the compelling results, which tell a great story about sustainability within our sector.
Indeed, this is a dynamic time at GIFS as we bring our programs and technical services to more partners — and there is so much more to come.
Enjoy the newsletter!
— Dr. Steven R. Webb (PhD), Chief Executive Officer of the Global Institute for Food Security
GIFS to Welcome Dr. Karen Churchill as New Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Karen Churchill (PhD) is joining GIFS as our institute’s new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) on Sept. 2. Churchill, an accomplished leader in Canada’s agriculture and food sector, will lead the institute’s Science Leadership Team and provide strategic guidance to the institute’s programs and technical services.
Advancing Discovery with HiFi Sequencing
This spring, GIFS hosted a seminar celebrating our status as a PacBio Certified Service Provider. The event featured a keynote address from Dr. Andrew Sharpe (PhD), who discussed his team’s work developing reference genomes for Canada’s forage crops.
P2IRC: Interdisciplinary Research Delivers Results
The Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre at USask, which was managed by GIFS, completed its work in 2024, but its positive impact lives on through current initiatives at GIFS and USask.
Technical Services at GIFS
GIFS has established a complete suite of technical services that can help researchers and organizations in diverse fields to discover, develop, and deliver. Learn more about our genomics, bioinformatics, engineering biology, and other technical services below.
Flashback: FCC Announces Investment into GIFS at USask
It’s been one year since we announced Farm Credit Canada’s $5 million investment into the FCC Accelerated Breeding Program at GIFS. If you missed it, you can see last year’s announcement below. Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting initiative supporting sustainability and competitiveness for Canadian agriculture!
GIFS at USask Study Shows Western Canadian Farmers Produce Barley and Oats with Lowest Carbon Intensity Globally
A GIFS-commissioned carbon footprint study of barley and oats production shows that Saskatchewan and Western Canadian farmers are producing these crops with the lowest carbon intensity relative to other jurisdictions in the study.
Related:
- Barley, Oats Sustainability Quantified by Study • Western Producer
- Study: Saskatchewan Barley, Oats Have Comparatively Small Carbon Footprint • Saskatoon StarPhoenix
- Canadian Growers Get A+ in Growing Low-Carbon-Intensity Oats and Barley • Real Agriculture
Navigating Geopolitical Shifts: Canada's Innovation Strategies for the Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector
In May, GIFS CEO Steven Webb participated in a webinar hosted by the Canadian Science Policy Centre. The event, moderated by Senator Mary Robinson, brought together sector leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities within the agri-food sector.
SynBio 7.0 Conference
In June, Dr. Benjamin Scott (PhD) of GIFS presented at the SynBio 7.0 conference at the University of Toronto, providing a keynote address about designing and engineering agricultural enzymes.
Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada Convention
GIFS CEO Dr. Steven Webb discussed the GIFS-commissioned carbon lifecycle analysis of Canadian field crops — and the innovative tools driving agricultural sustainability — at the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada (AMC) Convention in June.
BioNet and Protein Structure, Function, and Malfunction Meeting
In recent months, GIFS’ team has attended the BioNet 2025 conference in Calgary, as well as the Protein Structure, Function, and Malfunction Meeting (PSFaM) at the University of Saskatchewan. At these events, our team connected with researchers across diverse fields and shared information about GIFS’ suite of technical services.
Solving for the P in NPK Using Enzymes
Sustainability is Dead? Long Live Sustainability
David McInnes of the National Index on Agri-Food Performance discussed agricultural sustainability, including the GIFS-commissioned carbon life cycle analysis of Canadian field crops, in a recent editorial.
Save the Date: Engineering Biology Seminar and Open House
GIFS is getting ready to celebrate the launch of its engineering biology technical services.
Join us on Sept. 23 for a seminar and open house exploring applications for the suite of leading-edge technologies our team has established to support innovative research and product development.
- Strain engineering
- Cell growth and phenotyping
- Proteomics and metabolomics
Event agenda and registration coming soon! Watch gifs.ca and LinkedIn for details.
Global Biotech Week Saskatchewan
Global Biotech Week is coming in September!
A great series of events are planned to help you celebrate Saskatchewan’s biotechnology sector and the people behind it.
