The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) named four agri-food experts as Distinguished Fellows.
Dr. Susan Wood-Bohm, Dr. Ellen Goddard, Ted Bilyea, and Nicolas Mesly will contribute to a thriving and sustainable agri-food system through policy research in the critical areas of environmental sustainability, innovation and animal health, trade, and water.
“CAPI is pleased to bring together such a rich and diverse group of leaders,” said managing director Tyler McCann.
“As part of CAPI’s mandate to develop policy solutions, collaborate more and enhance dialogue, these distinguished fellows will use their expertise to develop solutions that turn the challenges the agri-food system faces today and tomorrow into opportunities.”
They will be leading projects over the next year, building on CAPI’s interdisciplinary approach, leveraging data and insights from across the agri-food system, and translating it into actionable next steps.
They will also act as ambassadors encouraging deeper, bolder policy thinking about critical issues affecting Canada’s agri-food system.
Policy research is essential to a better agri-food system, but it can’t drive our agri-food system forward if it sits on a shelf,” said McCann.
“Our Distinguished Fellows will play a pivotal role in sharing their results across the agri-food system and beyond.
“It is only when we share our knowledge of the challenges of today and tomorrow, and our research-based solutions, that can we hope to achieve our shared vision of a thriving and sustainable agri-food system,” he said.
On September 29 at 11:30 Eastern time, they will share their views on the critical actions and decisions needed in the first 100 days by the next federal government if Canada is to have a thriving and sustainable agri-food system
In May CAPI convened leaders from across the country in government, industry, academia and non-government organizations (NGOs) for its Big Solutions Forum.
They talked about how to Create Prosperity from Chaos in light of the pandemic, climate change, trade disruptions, food security concerns and the future sustainability and prosperity of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food system.
CAPI’s Distinguished Fellows will build on the outcomes of the forum, which concluded that the Canadian agri-food system has great potential, but the sector needs aspirational leadership, strategic thinking, a systems approach, and greater public-private partnerships if it is to advance sustainable intensification, adopt a One Health approach, promote rules-based trade, and increase value-added agriculture.
