info@gifs.ca

Our Services

September 2024 Newsletter

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:

Update from the CEO

Partners & Collaborations

Policy & Regulation

GIFS in the News

Recent Events

Upcoming Events

Dear partners and stakeholders,

It’s been a full few months at the Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan — and we know that we’re not the only ones who’ve been busy.

As we travelled Western Canada this summer, we saw many signs of the great work and collaboration occurring across our sector.

We were excited to see many of you recently at Canada’s Farm Show, Ag in Motion and the Doolie Project, hosted by Delage Farms. All of these occasions provide us with great opportunities to connect and remind us why we do the work we do. Western Canadian farmers produce safe, nutritious food in a sustainable manner that is driven by innovative tools and technologies — all of which were on display at these events.

In these forums, we were proud to contribute to the conversation with news of Farm Credit Canada’s investment into the newly named FCC Accelerated Breeding Program at GIFS and the GIFS-commissioned carbon life cycle analysis of Canadian field crops. Recently, you may have heard of a new report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), which was supported by GIFS, examining risks and opportunities within the agri-food sector.

These are just some of the initiatives we’re advancing to support — and accelerate — innovative research and development benefitting partners and stakeholders across the ag and innovation ecosystems.

You can learn more about these and other items in the newsletter below. As always, if you have any questions about GIFS, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at partnerwithus@gifs.ca.

— Dr. Steven R. Webb, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Institute for Food Security

Partnerships & Collaborations

FARM CREDIT CANADA ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION INVESTMENT INTO GIFS AT USASK

Canadian agriculture is set to thrive further with a $5 million investment from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) into the accelerated breeding program at GIFS.
Read more >>

NEW AGRICULTURAL GENOMICS RESEARCH HUB CO-LED BY GIFS AT USASK

GIFS’ Dr. Nancy Tout (PhD) is co-lead of the Agriculture Genomics Action Centre project — a collaborative initiative to share information, inform policy and support sustainable innovation for Canada’s ag sector.
Read more >>

PARTNERS INVESTING IN NEW TECHNOLOGY FEATURING AI

GIFS is a partner in a new Protein Industries Canada-supported project developing an AI-powered early detection system to help farmers and agronomists identify and treat herbicide-resistant weeds.
Read more >>

USASK DELEGATION IN GERMANY TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS

GIFS was part of a USask delegation that visited Germany to strengthen ties with government, research institutions and industry in that country. The initiative included a forum hosted by the Saskatchewan Germany Office, Innovation Saskatchewan and the Embassy of Canada.
Read more >>

SUPPORT INNOVATION IN CANADIAN AGRICULTURE

A donor fund for GIFS has been established via the University of Saskatchewan’s donor website. Select GIFS to support our programs and platforms while contributing to the University of Saskatchewan’s ongoing fundraising campaign.
Read more >>

SERVICES TO ACCELERATE YOUR RESEARCH

Genomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics and more. Learn more about the comprehensive services GIFS provides to help accelerate and scale research.
Read more >>

Policy & Regulation

CAPI'S INAUGURAL AGRI-FOOD RISK REPORT FINDS SECTOR IS OPTIMISTIC, BUT HAS CONCERNS

Policy, weather, and trade are among the biggest concerns of agri-food stakeholders according to a new report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute that was supported by GIFS.
Read more >>

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN CANADA

GIFS is continuing to share information about the carbon life cycle analysis of Canadian field crops that we released earlier this year. In recent months, our team has discussed the results of the analysis at major ag events, including Canada’s Farm Show and Ag in Motion, as well as events hosted by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, CropLife Canada, Seeds Canada and the American Oat Workers.
Kristjan Hebert, a farmer and member of GIFS’ Grower Advisory Panel, recently discussed the analysis at the Canadian Crops Convention. The study has also been referenced in recent editorials that can be accessed below:

GIFS in the News

ANIMAL BREEDERS BLAZED THE TRAIL ON COMPLEX TRAITS

GIFS and the team behind the FCC Accelerated Breeding Program at GIFS, including Dr. Hakimeh Emamgholi Begli (PhD), are featured in this article from Canola Digest.

Read more >>

EXPLORING ENGINEERING BIOLOGY

GIFS and its Engineering Biology team, led by Dr. Ben Scott (PhD), are featured in these articles from the Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership examining engineering biology and its applications in agri-food.

GENE EDITING, DROUGHT TOLERANCE, AND AGRICULTURE

GIFS CEO Steve Webb discussed innovative tools and strategies that are advancing research and development and promoting climate-resilient agriculture in this CBC Radio feature.

Listen to the interview >>

Recent Events

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TRENDS IN ENGINEERING BIOLOGY

We discussed the ABCs of IP and more during a recent engineering biology webinar featuring GIFS’ Megha Bajaj and Kristal Allen, a Partner at Dentons in Calgary.
Watch the webinar >>

NEW PROTEINS FOR NEW PRODUCTS

GIFS CEO Steve Webb recently led a panel at an event hosted by Alberta Innovates discussing the global demand for protein, including plant-based alternatives, cellular agriculture and more.
Watch the panel  >>

Upcoming Events

GLOBAL BIOTECH WEEK SASKATCHEWAN

From Sept. 22-28, a series of events will spotlight and celebrate Saskatchewan’s innovative biotechnology sector, including Biotech on the Road, which will feature a discussion on GIFS’ Engineering Biology Platform.
Learn more >>

Stay Connected

Not a subscriber? Sign up for our quarterly newsletter below.

Sign up

Partner with Us

We are helping partners to decrease the time between the discovery of innovative science and its delivery to market.

Learn more