Government of Canada invests up to $1.98 million to develop sustainable fertilizer technology to reduce emissions and microplastics

BURNABY, BC, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, Terry Beech, Member of Parliament for Burnaby North–Seymour, on behalf of the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an investment of up to $1,976,150 for Lucent BioSciences Inc. (Lucent Bio) under the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program – Research and Innovation Stream. This investment will help the Burnaby-based company continue to develop its sustainable fertilizer technology to protect soil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease microplastics in the environment.

Most controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture have a microplastic coating. With federal funding support, Lucent Bio will provide a more sustainable alternative by applying a biodegradable coating to these fertilizers, made from surplus starchrtilizer, which can help plants use nitrogen more efficiently. Its coating technology is designed to release nitrogen closer to when plants need it most during their growth cycle. This could allow farmers to use less fertilizer, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and fertilizer costs.

This investment supports the Government of Canada's commitment to helping the agriculture sector adopt clean technologies and adapt to climate change.

Quotes

"Canadian companies are developing innovative solutions that can help make agriculture more sustainable and resilient. Through the ACT – Research and Innovation Stream, Lucent Bio is developing technologies that could help farmers use nitrogen more efficiently while reducing fertilizer use, emissions, and microplastics. By supporting the development of clean technologies like this, our government is helping Canadian farmers reduce costs, protect the environment and build a more sustainable agriculture sector."

-      The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"Burnaby is quickly becoming the center of B.C.'s push into sustainable agriculture, and farmers across Canada stand to benefit. The tools being developed locally will help Canadian farmers save money, reduce emissions and work more efficiently. Our government is committed to supporting innovation and building a strong, environmentally responsible, and independent agricultural economy."

-      Terry Beech, Member of Parliament for Burnaby North–Seymour

"Federal government funding gives Lucent Bio the opportunity to take the technology we have been developing and move it into a new area with significant potential in agriculture. We're applying our biodegradable biopolymer technology to controlled-release nitrogen to help growers get more value from the nitrogen they apply while reducing nutrient losses to the environment. Support from the federal government allows us to improve this work faster and brings us one step closer to putting a Canadian-developed solution into the hands of growers."

-      Farah Nour, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer, Lucent BioSciences Inc.

Quick Facts

• The ACT Program provides farmers and agri-businesses funding to help develop and adopt the latest clean technologies to reduce GHG emissions and boost their long-term competitiveness.
• The intake period for the ACT - Research and Innovation Stream has now closed; however, funding remains available through initial recipient organizations under the ACT - Research and Innovation Stream - Accelerator.
• The ACT program is focused on three priority areas: green energy and energy efficiency; precision agriculture; and bioeconomy solutions. To date, 535 projects have been announced under the ACT Program, totaling up to more than $314 million across Canada.
• In 2022, Lucent Bio received up to $1,333,761 under the ACT Program – Research and Innovation Stream to develop this technology for use on seeds, known now as Nutreos.
• In this project, Lucent Bio is also partnering with A&L Canada Laboratories Inc, Bureau Veritas Canada, Simon Fraser University's Chemistry Department and 4D LABs.

Additional Links

• Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Adoption Stream 
• Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Research and Innovation Stream 
• Agricultural Clean Technology Program Research and Innovation Stream – Accelerator

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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Contacts: For media: Jennica Klassen, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, [email protected]; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 613-773-7972, 1-866-345-7972, [email protected]