Quick recap

The Agricultural Adaptation Council presented their Agri-food 2050 initiative, which aims to envision the future of agriculture and food in Ontario through industry collaboration, policy development, and strategic planning. The initiative has completed a micro-foresight exercise and is planning upcoming events focused on industry collaboration, with discussions around technology adoption, infrastructure, and the need for objective assessments of agricultural progress. A new robotics competition for high school students was presented as a way to promote accessible technology education in agriculture, with discussions around potential funding models and industry partnerships.

Next steps

• Chantel to share the link to registration and additional event details for the Agri-food 2050 event with Dan.

• Bridget to connect Chantel with Nikki, the policy analyst at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, regarding the Agri-food Sector Sustainability Table Talk event.

• Janice to remind the event coordinator about potential collaboration between Arrell Food Institute and AAC for the October conference.

• Working Group members interested in joining the policy subcommittee to send an email to Bridget/Dan.

• Chantel to finalize facilitators for the breakout sessions for the Agri-food 2050 event next week.

• Chantel to seek outreach for subject matter experts to join the Agri-food 2050 event breakout sessions.

• Bridget to get more clarity on the time commitment required from business owners participating in the high school robotics competition.

Summary

Agri-Food 2050: Future Scenarios

The Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) presented their Agri-food 2050 initiative, which began in 2023 and aims to envision the future of agriculture and food in Ontario. Chantelle Crockett, representing AAC, explained that the initiative involves industry collaboration, policy development, and strategic planning, with support from a Strategic Initiatives Fund. The project has completed a micro-foresight exercise to map future scenarios, involving prominent agri-food leaders and stakeholders, resulting in optimistic and pessimistic outlooks for the industry's future.

Agri-Food Collaboration Stakeholder Recruitment

Chantel discussed the stakeholder recruitment for an upcoming event focused on industry collaboration in the agri-food sector, emphasizing the importance of breaking down silos. She highlighted the foresight working group's efforts, including the development of strategic frameworks, validation of scenarios, and identification of key change drivers. The event, scheduled for September in Niagara Falls, will feature four concurrent breakout sessions focusing on economic, social, environmental, and technological factors, with a keynote speaker, Jesse Hirsch, confirmed to attend.

Agri-Food Sector Strategy Planning Event

Chantel outlined plans for an upcoming agri-food sector event on September 17th, which will include concurrent breakout sessions in the morning focused on change drivers, followed by afternoon planning sessions and a closing reflection on the 2050 roadmap. The event aims to engage representatives from across the food sector, with a target attendance of 120-150 people, and will include participation from OMAFA and Ario. The initiative will focus on implementing action plans from working groups, developing sector strategies, and creating an industry dashboard for tracking progress, with the minister's office having been invited to attend.

Grow Ontario Strategy and Collaborations

The meeting focused on the Grow Ontario strategy and its relation to the Foresight Working Group's efforts. Chantel explained that while the strategy was acknowledged, the group's work was completed pre-COVID and aimed to avoid duplicating efforts. Nevin suggested that the group could provide a comprehensive view of public and private research investments in the Ontario agri-food system. Chantel confirmed plans for breakout sessions on technology and innovation, with facilitators to be finalized and subject matter experts sought. The group discussed potential collaborations with other organizations, including the Agri-Food Sector Sustainability Table Talk and Bioenterprise, and explored opportunities for sharing findings at the Arrell Food Institute's annual conference.

Technology Quotient for Canadian Agriculture

David emphasized the need for an objective assessment of technology adoption in Canadian agriculture, suggesting that provinces and the country should develop a "technology quotient" or score to benchmark progress over time. He noted the lack of such data and proposed a long-term approach to track technological adoption, comparing Canada's progress to other countries. David expressed concern about relying on subjective opinions and highlighted the importance of baselines and trends to guide future investments and strategies in agricultural technology.

Strategic Planning for Tech-Driven Agriculture

Chantel discussed plans for breakout sessions at an upcoming event, where registrants will preselect their preferred groups and participants will be carefully mixed across categories like producers, processors, and academia. Brian expressed appreciation for the 2050 focus, highlighting the importance of long-term technological planning in agriculture, and suggested that future discussions should consider not just adopting new technology but also transforming growing methods and plant infrastructure to better accommodate technological advancements.

Agricultural Technology Integration Planning

The group discussed the integration of technology and infrastructure in agricultural systems, with Brian raising questions about the preparedness of new greenhouse spaces for future technological advancements. Chantel confirmed that while their foresight exercises have been high-level, focusing on supply chain optimization, the working groups would consider more specific technological and logistical aspects moving forward. Ainsley emphasized the importance of recognizing and adapting to technological shifts, suggesting that the upcoming meeting should focus on identifying and facilitating the adoption of new agricultural technologies.

AI-Driven Livestock Future Planning

The group discussed a report by the Australian research group Cicero, which used AI to visualize the future of livestock in 2050. Chantel highlighted the need to adapt to future changes and emphasized the importance of preparing for these changes, including potential shifts in policy and program development. Ian and Chantel agreed on the necessity of creating comprehensive surveys to establish baselines for various agricultural sectors, which would help inform future decisions and collaborations.

Accessible Robotics Competition Initiative

Bridget presented an overview of a new robotics competition for high school students, developed in collaboration with Ontario College of Technology Educators. The competition aims to address the high cost of existing robotics competitions by being more flexible and accessible to schools of all sizes. Business owners expressed interest but raised concerns about the time commitment required for industry partnerships. The group discussed potential funding challenges and suggested exploring models from existing programs like Junior Achievement and the Electrical Vehicle Challenge. Ian shared insights from a recent event where robotic sensors were used to measure soil compaction, highlighting a potential area for improvement in robotic design.