Canola Council of Canada releases updated Innovation Strategy

The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) has released an updated Canola Innovation Strategy.

The strategy articulates a path for innovation and research to achieve the industry’s Keep It Coming 2025 strategic goals and beyond.

“Canola’s position as one of the world’s most important oilseeds and Canada’s most valuable crop is built upon continued investment in research and innovation,” said Curtis Rempel, CCC vice president of crop production and innovation. “Canola needs constant innovation to increase productivity per acre, maintain high demand for its oil and protein, and continue to improve its environmental footprint.”

The Canola Innovation Strategy was developed through in-depth consultations with stakeholders throughout 2021, including canola grower organizations and companies along the value chain, to identify innovation focal points to achieve these objectives.

It focuses on four key pillars – performance, precision, protection and product, and calls for a predictable and science-based regulatory system.

“These discussions also helped identify current gaps and opportunities in various aspects of canola innovation, pointing the way to our research funding priorities for the Next Policy Framework for agriculture and other funding opportunities,” added Rempel. Through the vision of this strategy, growers, government, universities and private researchers can collaborate to increase the likelihood of success. “The Innovation Strategy provides the direction and framework for that collaboration.”

The four key pillars of the strategy are:

Performance – Increase productivity and meet current and future customer needs for oil and protein. Remain a top crop for Canadian producers, sequester more carbon in the soil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to biodiversity.

Precision – Use current and new field tools and technologies to increase productivity and reduce the environmental footprint of canola.

Protection – Protect the crop from pests and other threats to productivity, including climate change factors, while also protecting markets.

Product – Ensure Canada’s canola industry can supply current customers while also being flexible to adapt to changing market demands for oil, meal, protein and fuel.