Science and Innovation

This component receives strong support from across the sectoral chain. Most participants agree that science and innovation is the key to industry competitiveness.

Areas of Support

Participants endorse the APF's focus on increasing communication and collaboration opportunities as a way to share the benefit from scientific advances.

The APF states that governments must work together with all players in a more strategic manner to establish research priorities, funding models, and technology integration plans. While participants support this, they note that it has tended not to be done very well to date, with some sectors feeling they have not received their fair share of research attention and funding.

Areas of Concern

The APF should clearly support increased research and devwlopment(R&D;) funding for the agricultural sector. Current funding models need to be improved in order to achieve maximum benefit:

• Improving tax incentives to encourage R&D;
• Ensuring that all Canadians benefit from research that was funded with public money; and,
• Pursuing greater flexibility in “matching fund” requirements to make funding more accessible.

In addition to pure research, which many suggest is important, funding should be allocated to technology transfers in order to expedite the application of new and innovative technologies and products.

• Overview
• General Observations
  
• Business Risk Management
  
• Renewal
  
• Food Safety and Food Quality
  
• Environment
  
• Science and Innovation