This article originally appeared on the SAIFood Blog Woodward or Bernstein, he is not! Sean Previl, a journalist with the Halifax Chronicle Herald, has shown that he is not one to let facts or the truth stand in the way of a great story. Last week, the Halifax Chronicle Herald published a story b …

by Monica Gordon, Ag-West Bio Hundreds of agricultural science experts came together on June 14-16 at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon, to discuss a one of the most pressing issues facing the human race: how can we ensure that everyone on our planet has enough to eat?  The Emerging Tech …

An international celebration created for the bioscience industry - a Canadian concept goes global: September 26 – October 2, 2016 by Nadine Lunt, BIOTECanada The world’s population is moving past seven billion and quickly towards the nine billion person mark. This rapid a …

A growing number of notable speakers will be heading to Fargo, North Dakota, Sept. 18-21, 2016, as plans take shape for the annual Agricultural Bioscience International Conference. The event, considered to be the premier global meeting promoting innovation in agricultural bioscience, is being he …

by Elizabeth Shih Agriculture faces a daunting challenge: to sustainably feed 9.2 billion–the projected world population–by 2050. Of the anticipated increase, 86% will be in the developing world. Professor Sarah Gurr, Chair in Food Security and Head of Biosciences, University …

The Emerging Technologies for Global Food Security conference, with the theme Mobilization to the Developing World, will be available for global audiences to watch LIVE via YouTube, anywhere in the world.  This international conference will bring 300 scientists, policy makers and industry re …

This year marks the 20th year of Canadian production of genetically modified crops. We recently completed a major review for the journal, Global Food Security, on what the effect of GM crops has been in Canada and globally. Our conclusion? There have been substantial benefits for consumers, farmers, …

When A&W Restaurants first rolled out their “Better Beef” marketing campaign touting the merits of beef “raised without the use of hormones and steroids” and other similar claims, the agricultural community was quick to cry foul.  Science bloggers and cattle produ …

by Nyasha Mudukuti My country’s government would rather see people starve than let them eat genetically modified food. That’s the only conclusion to draw from the announcement in February that Zimbabwe will reject any food aid that comes in the form of GMOs, despite the fact that w …

  The Census of Agriculture is on the horizon. In early May, producers will receive a letter with easy to follow instructions on how to complete the questionnaire.  Census of Agriculture data are the definitive source of community-level data. By drawing on these data, decision ma …

Risk assessment of all novel foods and plants An important question that many of us may not have thought of is, how are new food products tested to be determined safe to be eaten by humans? Each year dozens of new plant varieties, novel foods or newly imported foods, are submitted for regulator …

An exciting new conference is being launched in Saskatoon this year, hosted by the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS). Emerging Technologies for Global Food Security: Mobilizing to the Developing World is set to run from June 14-16 at the Delta Bessborough Hotel. GIFS, Ag-West Bio and the ABI …

by Noelle Chorney, TallOrder Communications On February 26, Erin Armstrong, CEO of the newly formed Limagrain Cereals Research Canada (LCRC), spoke at Innovation Place about this venture, a partnership between Canterra Seeds and Limagrain that will strengthen Saskatoon’s position as a leadi …

by Jackie Robin, Ag-West Bio Rex Newkirk seems to have found his ideal job as the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Endowed Research Chair in Feed Processing Technology at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). He gets to use the experience he has acquired over the years as an entrepreneur a …

Canadian pulses—dry beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas—are stepping into the spotlight in 2016 as the world celebrates International Year of Pulses (IYP). Chef Michael Smith is the first Canadian to pledge to eat more pulses in 2016. “Many Canadians are familiar with lentils …

by Ellen Grueter, SaskCanola Social license is a topic that is front and centre and the focus of much discussion in our industry these days. As an industry whose success has been built on innovation, the canola sector continues to advocate for evidence-based decision making. Canada has one o …

Ag-West Bio is proud to continue our official partnership with Agriculture More Than Ever. Three years ago we forged a relationship with Ag More Than Ever to help tell the real, positive story of our industry. And we’re thrilled to continue the journey together. Ag More Than Ever is a …

Dr. Keith Downey was a key member of a team of Canadian scientists who developed the first varieties of canola – now the source of one of the healthiest edible oils available and a $19 billion dollar industry in Canada. Known as one of the “Fathers of Canola”, his long list of awar …

The dawning of a new age in the relationship between science and society? Science is a leading factor in economic growth. New research leads to new products or ways of doing things, which are demanded by us as consumers. Knowing that consumers continuously demand and expect new products to be int …

by Stuart Smyth Were it not for the snow on the ground, I would have thought it was April Fools, not Christmas when I read the Western Producer story, Anti-GMO group says yield gains non-existent (December 3, 2015). Lucy Sharratt, Taarini Chopra and the Canadian Biotechnology Action Net …

by Michael Robin, University of Saskatchewan Farmer-driven research and development has been the hallmark of pulse crop production in Saskatchewan since the first varieties were developed at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre 40 years ago. “In terms of researc …

The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) has recruited Tim Sharbel as its first research leader, an internationally renowned plant scientist from Germany whose research into a cost-effective way to produce seeds without pollination could improve agriculture and help combat global hunger. As …

Rob Saik, CEO of Agri-Trend, presented this public lecture at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon on November 4, 2015 during National Biotech Week. Introduction is by Janice Tranberg, Executive Director of SaskCanola.

High-throughput plant imaging Over the next 50 years, farmers will need to grow more food than has cumulatively been grown since mankind emerged. While the first Green Revolution radically boosted crop production, we’re in need of another big boost. A technology with significant prom …

                License to Farm is a short documentary exploring the role of science, sustainability and food safety in modern agriculture, encouraging farmers to stand up for their right to farm. Growing concern over consumer fear …

by David Roberts, Smart Earth Seeds, Linnaeus Plant Sciences It seems ironic but a solution to the overfishing crisis in the worlds' oceans can be directly tied to the productivity and ingenuity of dryland farmers in Western Canada. A new research study confirms that meal and oil derived …

by Shayla Hertz I have been asked to share my perspective, as a current agriculture student, on environmentalism and the importance of science in agriculture. I grew up on a grain farm outside of Edenwold, Saskatchewan and was raised in a community thriving with farmers. When I graduated from hig …

by Shelley Jones Improving the public perception of agriculture is a strategic priority for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. It is written right into our business plan. As a government, it is our goal to see the industry grow. But without the public’s understanding, the public&rsqu …

by Noelle Chorney Canola oil is a key factor in McDonald’s meeting its health and sustainability goals. At the 14th International Rapeseed Congress in Saskatoon, Gail Crocket, Director of Strategic Supply and Mitch Smith, Director of Quality Systems, Agricultural Products in US Supply Chain …

by Noelle Chorney In many parts of the world, the rate of increase on grain yields is slowing. Researchers in places like Australia are racing the clock to find solutions before there is an actual drop in yield. Jose Jimenez-Berni, Research Scientist at the Agriculture Flagship at CSIRO, Austr …

Are your customers concerned about GMOs? What about getting a 'wheat belly?' Do they go out of their way to buy organic? In order for food ingredients or products company to make sound business choices it is helpful to understand how consumers are making their purchasing decisions.  …

The following blog was written by Dr. Graham Scoles in response to a column by Paul Hanley “Chemical-free farming viable” in which he poked fun at Patrick Moore for refusing to drink Roundup herbicide during a TV interview. So Patrick Moore refused to drink the Roundup. He might also …

Last weekend marked the third annual “March Against Monsanto” in which protestors took up placards in various cities around the world to voice their fears about genetic modification (GM) of crops. As earnest as these people are, their fears are baseless; after two decades of harvestin …

by Graham Scoles Despite the fact that our agriculture systems produce more food than ever, modern agricultural systems seem to be coming under increasing attack, particularly in Europe and North America. I would contend that while our present agricultural systems have their faults, no alternate …

“I cannot believe how fresh that tastes; where can I buy it?” were just a couple of the comments from people who sampled Prairie Berries’ new saskatoon berry puree at Natural Products Expo West/Engredea in Anaheim, CA in early March. In addition to the positive comments, the …

Agricultural policy is a very dynamic and interesting area of the industry. It is broad-based and the issue of the day can change as quickly and frequently as the weather. Policy development is about paying close attention to what is happening within and outside government and how various events …

The third edition of the Saskatchewan's Bioscience Resource Guide (Ag-West Bio's 'Little Green Book) is now available, both in hard copy and online. This publication, which features 94 companies and organizations active in Saskatchewan, is produced as a tool to promot …

by Brad Bly, Ag-West Bio The first quarter or 2015 saw a number of long-standing dominoes fall for Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF), a Canadian biotechnology company based in Summerland, BC. The company’s flagship project, nonbrowning Arctic® apples, received commercial approval in both …

by Noelle Chorney Saskatchewan grows 96% of Canada’s lentils, 90% of its chickpeas, and 70% of its peas, and is projected to produce three million metric tons of lentils in 2015. But while we have tapped many of the traditional export pulse markets, there is great potential to expand in …

by Jackie Robin, AWB In a California lab in the 1980s, U.S. researcher Richard Jorgensen tried to develop an intense-purple petunia by adding an extra gene. He got a white flower instead. It took more than a decade for scientists to fully understand what had happened, but now they know: Jorgen …

As readers of this blog may recall, the federal government tabled Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act, in late 2013. The Bill was to amend some eight agricultural statutes, including the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act. The government’s intent has been to create stronger intellectual pr …

by Stuart Smyth My kids love apples. I can’t even fathom how many times I’ve wished I could have included sliced apple into their school lunches when they were in elementary school. The inability to include apple slices in children’s school lunches is something that has not only …

Sustainability, agriculture, innovation and food are the themes set for a new blog launched out of the University of Saskatchewan. The blog, SAIFood, is the brainchild of Stuart Smyth, an agricultural economist who holds the Industry Funded Research Chair in Agri-Food Innovation. In his introdu …

February 24 & 25, 2015 9:00 am - 5:30 pm Food Centre (Peterson Building) 54 Innovation Boulevard Saskatoon, SK U of S Campus Objectives: Increasing interest and demand by consumers around the world for safe, high quality foods are pressuring food processors to develop and implement …

14th International Rapeseed Congress (IRC 2015) July 5-9, 2015 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Once every four years, industry and research leaders gather from around the globe to discuss advances and challenges around rapeseed and canola. This summer, the 14th International Rapeseed Congress …

by Michael Robin, U of S On Campus News Older adults looking for an edge with their new year’s exercise program might consider some judicious use of dietary supplements such as whey protein and bovine (cow) colostrum to help build strength, guard bone and even keep their brains humming alon …

How do we assure consumers that the food grown in our province is healthy, safe and responsibly produced? How can farmers and ranchers let people know about the care and attention they give their land and animals? What strategies can we employ to get our message out effectively? These are just so …

John Gormley, host of NewsTalk 650 John Gormley Live, took the opportunity to interview Dr. Nina Fedoroff when she was in Saskatoon last fall to speak at the Agricultural Bioscience International Conference (ABIC 2014). Fedoroff pioneered in DNA sequencing, determining the nucleotide sequence of the …

Camelina meal has been approved for the first time in Canada for use in broiler chicken feed.  Camelina is a drought tolerant oilseed crop that can be grown with low inputs on marginal land while providing valuable crop rotation benefits. Rich in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, the incl …

  by Noelle Chorney Three months in to his new role as Executive Director and CEO of the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS), Maurice Moloney is focused on its strategy and long term goals.  With over 25 years of plant research innovation, and leadership roles that have incl …

Attracting Australian and international delegates from a broad range of industries and backgrounds, ABIC 2015 will be a valuable opportunity to promote your brand, products and services to the global agricultural biotechnology community. ABIC 2015 will be held in Melbourne, Australia from Septemb …

Robert Saik, CEO of The Agri-Trend Group of Companies, talks about the benefits and importance of agricultural science, including genetic modification. Know GMO: An uplifting discussion about food Saik is spear-heading the production of a movie called “Know GMO: An uplifting discussi …

Dr. Nina Fedoroff (Penn State University) discusses her ABIC 2014 presentation on society and biotechnology with Bruce Sargent of Farmboy Productions.

by Robert Wager A Tuesday morning in Nanaimo and the fog is thick. I am headed to Saskatoon to speak at the Saskatchewan Young Ag-Entrepreneurs/ Canadian Association of Farm Advisors conference. The heavy fog leads to a series of flight delays, turning what should be a seven hour trip into a 25 h …

I sell my flax product at various trade shows and I am amazed at how the average consumer just goes on hearsay about genetically modified (GM) food, without researching it. From hormones in beef to organic produce to ‘gluten is killing our society,’ and even how the poor farmer is &lsquo …