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The Alberta Institute for Agriculture, Forestry and the Environment will be chaired by well-respected educator, former farmer and politician Dr. Ken Nicol. The Alberta government will provide the virtual institute $800,000 to support its work with the renewable resources sectors and government.
“Consumers and businesses are actively seeking products and companies that are more environmentally friendly,” said George Groeneveld, Minister of Agriculture and Food, who will oversee the development of the institute. “We’re confident industry will embrace solutions that are a smart investment in their own future success, and government is committed to helping to shape a business environment that further supports positive changes.”
The institute’s board of directors will look at how our renewable resource sectors can evolve and adapt to benefit from increasing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, services and production processes. The institute will examine current research and development activities, as well as recommend directions and actions the provincial government can take to enhance and coordinate support to industry in their goal to be more environmentally friendly.
Government will work with the agriculture and forestry industries to identify two nominees from each industry to complete the five-member board. The Ministries of Agriculture and Food, Sustainable Resource Development, Environment, and Advanced Education and Technology will provide guidance and assistance to the institute.
The institute is part of Premier Stelmach’s plan to secure Alberta’s future by building communities, greening our growth and creating opportunity.
Attachment: Backgrounder on the Institute
Media inquiries may be directed to:
John Donner, Assistant Deputy Minister |
Alberta Ag Media line |
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
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Institute for Agriculture, Forestry and the Environment
The agriculture and forest industries manage approximately 80 per cent of Alberta’s landscape. The Institute for Agriculture, Forestry and the Environment will help Alberta to ‘green its growth’ and brand Alberta as an environmental leader and innovator.
Role of the Institute
Biography of the Chair
Dr. Ken Nicol brings an extensive combination of agricultural, academic and political experience to his position as the Chair of the Institute for Agriculture, Forestry and the Environment. Nicol has been involved in farming throughout his personal and professional life, including as a dairy manager, owner/operator of a 200-acre irrigation farm, and a landowner. He is currently an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Management at the University of Lethbridge (U of L). His tenure at the U of L includes a period as Associate Dean in Management, and instructor in courses on farm management, agriculture policy, economics, government-business relations, and managing in a global environment. His academic credentials are enhanced by research that includes examining agricultural responses to technological innovation and public policy, government policy’s impact on rural communities and the agriculture sector, and projects involving the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and the Canadian International Development Agency. Having served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Lethbridge East for 11 years, and leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and official opposition in his last three years as an MLA, Nicol has a keen understanding of how government may contribute to creating a supportive environment for industry development. Nicol is also a Board Member of the Alberta Rural Development Fund.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
John Donner, Assistant Deputy Minister |
Alberta Ag Media line |
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
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