Quebec Minister of Higher Education, Research and Science and Technology (MERST), Pierre Duchesne, the Deputy Premier of Quebec and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, François Gendron, as well as Christian Paradis, federal Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture), are proud to inaugurate the Platform for Innovation in Organic Agriculture, an initiative of the Institut de recherche et de développement en agroenvironnement (IRDA), in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec.
The federal Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture) Christian Paradis stated the following: “The creation of this infrastructure will definitely strengthen growth in Quebec’s organic agriculture sector, by improving not only the competitiveness of producers but also the environmental performance of farms. This is a compelling demonstration of an effective use of the Agricultural Flexibility Fund.”
“This platform is turning out to be a world-class facility that will allow the IRDA to increase its competitiveness in a growing sector and thus attract and retain top researchers. Research, development and knowledge transfer in the field of organic crop production will draw on the expertise of our researchers and agricultural producers. Supporting excellence in research and innovation to benefit all Quebecers remains a priority,” said Minister Duchesne.
The Platform for Innovation in Organic Agriculture is a platform for R&D, knowledge transfer, and training in organic crop production. For the IRDA and its partners, it is a huge, open-air laboratory with a range of exclusive, state-of-the-art equipment and services that are not available elsewhere in Quebec or in Canada.
“Organic production is meeting the growing demand by Quebec consumers for healthy foods produced using techniques that have a minimal environmental impact and are as natural as possible. The new infrastructure will support the organic agriculture industry by accelerating the discovery and application of solutions that meet the needs of farmers and Quebec companies working in this sector,” added Minister Gendron.
The Platform will benefit companies certified in organic production, as well as those in the process of converting to organic production. The results of the research will also be of use to producers practicing sustainable agriculture.
The IRDA is a non-profit research organization formed in 1998 by the Government of Quebec and the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA).
The IRDA’s mission is to carry out agri-environmental R&D and knowledge transfer to encourage innovation in agriculture with a view to sustainable development. Each year, the Institute carries out some 100 research projects in partnership with various stakeholders in the fields of agriculture and research.
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada