Collège Boréal is stepping up its efforts toward food security in the North.
The Sudbury-based school is using $386,174 in federal funding to undertake a number of initiatives that will support the region’s agri-food industry.
"We understand that food insecurity is a significant challenge and is exacerbated by the impacts of climate change in Northern Ontario,” Daniel Giroux, president of Collège Boréal, said in a news release.
“That's why Collège Boréal is partnering with FedNor to support the region by working with communities, organizations, and businesses to learn about their food security goals and needs. Together, we're working to meet this challenge through joint action that builds on our shared efforts in food sovereignty."
With the funding, announced by FedNor on March 13, the school will be able to maintain the salaries for two positions in its agriculture department, in addition to hiring an agriculture technician.
Planned work includes the creation and modernization of two agri-food business incubators and the maintenance of 14 strategic alliances including colleges, agri-food associations, one provincial ministry, and an economic development organization.
Ultimately, Boréal’s goal is to “support new and emerging agri-food businesses and organizations by providing access to technical and specialized services and research and development, which will help generate business expansion and enhance productivity.”
Boréal has been a postsecondary leader in the field of agriculture and agri-food.
Among the applied research projects undertaken by the school, Boréal has sought alternatives to pesticide use, looked for ways to strengthen northern supply chains, studied the viability of growing ethnic vegetables, and contributed to a study on growing berries year-round in Northern Ontario.
Funding for this most recent project comes from FedNor’s Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation Fund, which supports the growth of Northern Ontario businesses, their expansion into new markets, and their adoption of new technologies and processes.
