A baker’s dozen of research projects across Canada investigating sustainable uses for otherwise low-value leftovers from agricultural processes received a federal funding boost Monday.
Article content
London North Center MP Peter Fragiskatos, on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was in Sarnia to announce up to $6.6 million during five years through the federal agri-science program for the projects.
“You have businesses across the country that want to emphasize green, see a market out there for it, but want to understand how they can move in that direction, and research is key to that,” said Fragiskatos.
Projects include using low or no-value leftovers from agriculture and food production to create more sustainable replacement chemicals for things such as food packaging, for making car parts lighter, and as fuel, said Michael Faba, project manager with Bioindustrial Innovation Canada.
The federally funded Sarnia agency helps emerging biochemical companies, and applied about two years ago for funding for the 13 research projects, Faba said, noting project pitches originated with companies and university academics.
Article content
The funding period announced Monday is retroactive to April 2023, he said.
“The ideal scenario out of this program is, come the end of it (in March, 2028), we have projects that are either ready to go or very close to being ready to go for further commercialization support and scale-up for entrance to market,” he said.
Then, there’s the potential for local jobs, he said.
“But even if it’s not here, it’s creating jobs in Canada, which is ultimately the overall goal.”
Total funding for the projects is about $13 million, he said. A similar amount of money is being invested by industrial partners and other sources.
The only local project, in Alvinston, involves taking residual material and adding it to soil to help crops, he said.
Other projects are being conducted across the country, including in Manitoba, Toronto, Guelph and Nova Scotia, he said.
“Climate change is the challenge of our time and finding ways to be sustainable is crucial,” Fragiskatos said, praising Bioindustrial Innovation Canada for working with businesses to find solutions.
Those businesses are “coming here to talk to researchers who are engaged, who know their stuff, and that will help them get products to market that are ultimately going to be profitable,” he said.
Share this article in your social network