Alberta has long been a powerhouse in Canada’s agricultural sector, with a strong legacy in farming, ranching and agribusiness innovation. Recently, over 200 people from firms like Nutrien, BASF, Baker Tilly Canada, TELUS Agriculture, University of Calgary and United Farmers of Alberta met to attend the Calgary Chamber of Commerce annual Alberta Next: Agribusiness event to discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the sector locally, nationally and globally. Here are some of the key themes that emerged during the panel discussions.
Addressing Market and Workforce Challenges
With fewer young professionals entering the sector, many farms and agribusinesses are struggling to find skilled workers. Additionally, market volatility, global trade uncertainties and the evolving tariff landscape, makes long-term planning more difficult for producers. Potential strategies to address these issues range from policy support and removing internal barriers to the need to diversify and trade within Canadian borders and fostering innovative workforce development initiatives.
The Role of Technology and Innovation
Agricultural technology development, with innovations in precision farming, see and spray technology and automation are helping to shape the industry’s future. AI-driven farm management systems and advancements in crop genetics and soil health are changing agribusiness on the world stage and revolutionizing food production. However, there are still some rural communities in Canada and Alberta specifically that do not have high-speed internet access, so while technology does have the ability to enhancing agricultural efficiency, it was acknowledged that we need to solve the problem of who has access to it first.
Building a Sustainable Agricultural Future
Sustainability is at the core of agribusiness with countries committing to balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility. It is recognized that social sustainability of rural communities is vital and helping these communities to be at the forefront, driving advancements in regenerative agriculture and having a bigger say in water conservation, and carbon footprint reduction is crucial.
Key Takeaways
What is clear is that the future of agribusiness is every-one’s business and the importance of collaboration between industry, academia and government to create a more resilient agricultural ecosystem locally, nationally and globally is vital.
Bennett Jones partnered with Bioenterprise Canada in 2024 to support Canada’s path to becoming a global agri-food superpower. Bioenterprise held a national roundtable series last year, which culminated in the report A National Call to Action. The report provides key findings and recommendations to improve the productivity and competitiveness that will drive Canada’s agri-food innovation ecosystem forward.
