Guelph, Ontario - The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food kicked off a roundtable discussion with Ontario agriculture stakeholders this week by announcing a $4.2 million investment to establish Living Lab – Ontario in the Lake Erie area.
The Living Laboratories Initiative, which brings together farmers, scientists, and other collaborators to grow, research, and exchange emerging agricultural practices and technologies, has launched its latest partnership hub, Living Lab - Ontario.
Following parallel partnerships in the Atlantic, Eastern Prairies, and Quebec territories, the Living Lab - Ontario is the fourth Living Lab. The Living Lab - Ontario is situated in the basins and watersheds of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in southwestern Ontario, where agriculture accounts for around 75% of the area. Lake Erie is especially vulnerable to nutrient runoff from human activities since it is the smallest and shallowest Great Lake.
Farmers, agricultural and environmental groups, and scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and other federal departments will be among the partners in the Living Lab – Ontario, which will be led by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA).
The Living Laboratories Initiative is part of a $70 million investment in agricultural discovery science and engineering announced in Budget 2017, with an emphasis on climate change, soil and water quality, and biodiversity.