Canadian Agri-food Technology: Sowing the Seeds for Tomorrow

In fact, the food and beverage processing industry is the largest manufacturing industry in Canada, accounting for 17% of all manufacturing GDP and 18% of manufacturing employment.36 Past and present studies by ICTC focus on the impact of emerging technologies on retail, health, and manufacturing, and therefore it is important to clarify which areas of overlap are not included in this study. [...] 44 “Advancements of technology and research in the agriculture and agri-food sector that can support Canadian exports,” January 2019, House of Commons, 45 “Advancements of technology and research in the agriculture and agri-food sector that can support Canadian exports,” January 2019, House of Commons, . [...] The food and agriculture sector’s impact on the environment is significant, accounting for approximately 21% to 37% of global GHGs,48 70% of freshwater use,49 and more than 50% of the world’s habitable land.50 This makes food and agriculture instrumental in climate change, conservation, biodiversity efforts, and clean technology an important market for agri-food technology companies. [...] The production and consumption of meat and dairy products has skyrocketed over the past 50 years, as have the associated GHG emissions, freshwater withdrawals, and land use.73 In comparison with plant-based proteins, meat and dairy products use more land and emit more GHGs per unit of protein.74 With the exception of nuts, meat and dairy products also use more water.75 71 “Organic 101: What the US. [...] A recent study conducted by the Innovation and Growth Policy Division of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada looked at the adoption of precision agriculture technologies in Canada and found that the top three barriers to adoption were: overall cost of high initial investment, internet speeds and cellular data coverage, and lack of training or knowledgeable people.146 ICTC’s survey also identifies the.