Reading Time: 5 minutes Ben Scott builds proteins. You got that? He is not looking for proteins. He creates them, from scratch. Scott is an engineering biology expert at the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. He is helping GIFS build an engineering biology foundry to design, build and test new enzyme […] Read more
Get more shots on goal with AI
The Global Institute for Food Security in Saskatoon is planning to lead the world into a future where computers can re-design and improve natural compounds and where science will make bigger strides than ever before
Better wheat varieties ahead
Genome editing and CRISPR technology are scoring bigger wins in shorter time frames for cereal breeding
Reading Time: 5 minutes Last November, the 10+ Genome Project and its international team of researchers were hailed for their role in sequencing the genomes of 15 wheat varieties from around the world. It was an astounding accomplishment with great potential for cereal breeding, particularly for a sector that struggles to keep up with the investments being made in […] Read more
Can innovation soothe consumer fears?
CRISPR promises huge potential gains for the entire world, but first it must develop signs of consumer acceptance
Reading Time: 7 minutes Agriculture has done a better job of creating advanced genetics than of gaining public acceptance for them. Ever since the arrival of Bt corn and RR soybeans, growers have seen yield increases and simplified weed and pest management spread across crops and across the country. Yet in 2020, a segment of society still opposes those […] Read more
The next green revolution
In this Ontario lab, bacteria are working to drive nutrient uptake and accelerate crop growth
Reading Time: 4 minutes Scientists are delving deeper into the soil in hope of finding that next innovation to boost yields while enhancing soil health and reducing pollution concerns. And it seems they’re onto something. Or, better yet, some things. In particular, a scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has looked inside decomposing corn roots in southern Ontario […] Read more
Fraser: In ag marketing, emotions need to start trumping facts
Emotional transparency 'actually goes a long way'
Reading Time: 3 minutes Go to an agricultural event and someone will inevitably point out how bad farmers are at getting their message to consumers. As annoying as it is, those comments underscore an increasingly important theme in Canadian agriculture: communication. It used to be enough to grow and market your crops, but that has changed dramatically over the […] Read more
Why farm innovation is faltering
Farmers are being left behind as they get squeezed between new regulations and consumer activism
Reading Time: 8 minutes The turn of the millennium was an amazing time to be involved in agriculture. Technologies like Roundup Ready, LibertyLink and Bt corn hybrids were in their infancy, with the promise of more to come from GMO labs. GPS yield monitors were new too, and the fledgling world of molecular “pharming” and “farmaceuticals” seemed to promise […] Read more
We’ve been misinformed
Put this eight-page debunking handbook on the top of your reading list, and let’s stop making consumer misinformation worse
Reading Time: 6 minutes The good news is that farmers are finally recognizing the damage that misinformation is doing to our industry, and we are responding to it. The bad news is that the way we respond may actually be increasing consumer opposition rather than alleviating it. We’ve been misinformed about fighting misinformation. Agriculture is not the only industry […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
