AAFC researchers aim to turn agriculture's value chains into value circles

AAFC Researchers at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre want to turn Canadian agriculture’s value chains into value circles.  

Dr. Emma Stephens and a team of data analysts are taking the most comprehensive look yet at Canada’s entire agriculture and agri-food industry, from the field, to processing and exports, to the end use by consumers.

"What that means is looking for additional value-added opportunities within our agri-food value chain through co-products and current waste byproducts to find additional ag-based resources," she explained.

Using a concept called Circular Agriculture, Dr. Stephens wants to know where agricultural resources are being used and potentially lost in the system.

"The agricultural sector historically has been good about finding additional use for those resources because they're so costly to produce so nobody wants to see anything go to waste but there's new food science being done on co-products on canola meal for example if there's human food that can be developed with that."

The goal is to re-imagine and divert the waste as value-added raw material for new value-added products and renewable energy, or to come full circle to improve agricultural production by bringing surplus resources back to the land.