Ontario farmers grow more than 125 different fruit and vegetable crops. They range from traditional favourites like carrots, asparagus, strawberries and apples to more unusual options like bok choy, sweet potatoes and haskap berries.
As our climate changes, we have to make sure that we can continue to produce enough of our own food right here at home.
This means we need crops that are better able to handle cold and heat, drought and wet weather conditions, as well as be resistant to pests and diseases that are also adapting to their evolving environment.
At the same time, this must be balanced with ensuring that new varieties meet the taste, texture and other expectations of consumers – which continue to change as Canada’s demographic makeup shifts.