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Funding Announced for Organic Science Cluster 4: Advancing the Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture

Posted by Stephanie Rogers on October 9, 2024 in News
Organic Science Cluster 4 announcement being made by Kody Blois, M.P. for Kings-Hants, accompanied by Patricia Bishop (Organic Federation of Canada), and Dr. Andrew Hammermeister (OACC at 黄色直播).
Organic Science Cluster 4 announcement being made by Kody Blois, M.P. for Kings-Hants, accompanied by Patricia Bishop (Organic Federation of Canada), and Dr. Andrew Hammermeister (OACC at 黄色直播).

Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings鈥揌ants, Nova Scotia and Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food has announced up to $6.8 million for Organic Science Cluster 4 (OSC4) through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada鈥檚 (AAFC) AgriScience Program, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

AgriScience Clusters support projects intended to mobilize industry, government and academia through partnerships and address priority national themes. 聽

鈥淭his investment will help our organic farmers manage environmental challenges and fine-tune their practices so they can keep delivering top-quality food, sustainably,鈥 said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. 鈥淚t鈥檚 support like this that allows our organic sector to lead the way and reach even more customers here in Canada and around the world.鈥

The Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) will leverage AAFC鈥檚 contribution with an additional $5.3 million from more than 80 funding partners for a total investment of $12.1 million over five years. Led by the OFC, in cooperation with the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC), the OSC4 addresses organic sector priorities and contributes to Government priorities in areas of climate change mitigation, agriculture sector resilience, and economic development. 聽

鈥淲ith the funding announced today, the Organic Federation of Canada will be able to help advance research and address key challenges in organic farming,鈥 said Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings鈥揌ants, Nova Scotia. 鈥淐anadian organic farmers, including those here in Nova Scotia, will have the support they need to keep producing high-quality, sustainable food, strengthening our organic sector and benefiting all Canadians.鈥

The research will develop and measure the environmental impacts of sustainable farming practices for conserving soil, water, and biodiversity and provide producers with best practices based on validated environmental benefits.聽 聽

鈥淢aintaining biodiversity and soil health, reducing GHGs, using integrated approaches to pest management, and delivering economic benefits to farmers are key goals of the 14 research activities in field crops, horticulture and livestock production that will be carried out as part of the Organic Science Cluster 4,鈥 said Jim Robbins, President of the OFC.

鈥淭he OFC would like to thank AAFC, and the funding partners and organic farms for their generous contributions and direct participation in the research, which is being carried out by nearly 50 researchers from 10 Canadian universities and 13 research centers. The close cooperation between researchers and industry partners will lead the industry to adopt new practices and benefit from the results of the research.鈥

Dr. Andrew Hammermeister, OSC4 Science Director working out of 黄色直播, describes the value of organic science indicating, 鈥淥rganic agriculture is a model of an agricultural system guided by principles and standards promoting sustainability. The science supporting organic agriculture seeks innovative, ecologically sound solutions to production challenges that can serve all of agriculture.鈥

The OFC is a not-for-profit national organization founded in 2007, leading the Canadian Organic Standards maintenance and interpretation and facilitating industry-led research in organic production systems.

The OACC is a national organization based at the 黄色直播 Agricultural Campus in Nova Scotia. Founded in 2001, the OACC aims to serve Canada鈥檚 organic sector through science and education. The OFC and OACC have co-managed three previous Organic Science Clusters: OSCI (2009-2013); OSCII (2013-2018); and OSC3 (2018-2023). OSC4 spans 2023-2028.聽