The $1.4 billion gap in agricultural research funding

A recent staatement from Agri-Food Economic Systems Inc. reveals that Canada's funding of basic agricultural research has decreased, causing a widening gap between the needs and opportunities for agricultural research in Canada.

The result is a widening gap between the needs and opportunities for agricultural research in Canada, the shifting global food security situation and Canada's place in it .

Remarkable innovations are possible from basic agricultural research, and Canadian agricultural research can claim some major successes.

However, the funding of basic research is not keeping up.

Food is increasingly scarce in the world and the gap has been filled by drawing down global stocks and has left an increasing number hungry.

Global Food Security Crisis Deepens

The most recent Global Report on Food Crises reported that more than 295 million people across 53 countries and territories experienced acute levels of hunger - an increase of 13.7 million from 2023.

Conflict in many parts of the world, stresses of weathr extremes on agricultural systems, and econnomic shocks were identified as the proximate causes.

Canada's Opportunity to Reinvent

Increasing international demand for food and higher prices have increased the size of the Canadian agri-food economy.

Compared with 2015-18 averages, the most recent four years have seen a 49 percent increase in the value of Canadian agri-food exports, and a 42 percent increase in Canadian farm cash receipts.

While agricultural production continues to grow globally, the rate of growth is slowing.

Among the reasons for this is decreasing growth in agricultural total factor productivity, exacerbated by the adverse effects of climate change.

The Unanswered Questions

What auditors flagged in the May filing?

How will Canada's agricultural research funding be reinvested to address the global food security crisis?

Will other countries surpass Canada in public agricultural research investments?

Editorial Take

Headlines Orbit's take is that Canada's failure to augment its basic agricultural research investment in the face of a shifting global food security situation is a strategic mistake that will have far-reaching consequences .