Agricultural Intelligence: Harvesting a Future Where Tradition Meets Tech

By Tabitha Caswell for Bioenterprise

As we peel back the layers of Dr. Rickey Yada’s storied career, we find a life marked by experiences that underscore the importance of staying curious and open to the unexpected. Pivotal moments in his life appear accidental, yet profound as if the universe conspired to guide Dr. Yada to a future in food. 

Today, as a trusted member of the Science and Innovation Advisory Committee (SIAC) at Bioenterprise Canada, Dr. Yada tells his story and gives his insight into both the challenges and opportunities found within the Canadian food and agriculture sector. Join in as we learn from a leader whose passion for sharing knowledge is as organic as it is impactful. 
  
Food and Family 

Like the dog-eared pages of a favourite book, Dr. Yada’s story unfolds rich in detail and character. To find the origin of this expert’s fascination with food science, we visit each chapter and step back in time, rewinding through the hallowed halls of academia, past lab experiments and summer jobs, to the heart of his family’s kitchen.

The multi-generational Yada home was a hub of creative culinary activity where days revolved around the steady rhythm of meal preparation. For this large family, food symbolized not only sustenance but a celebration of their Japanese heritage, a ritual that both nourished and bound them tightly together.

Food, quite literally, supported the Yada family in more ways than one. The aisles of his father’s grocery store served as young Rickey’s first classroom in the study of edible delights. Behind the meat counter, a Ukrainian butcher introduced him to the idea of cultural food fusions, and it was there, among the colourful fresh produce, custom cuts of meat, and the diverse selection of prepared and packaged goods, that he learned the foundational elements of food as both a necessity and a luxury.