Investing in Canada's bioeconomy to help provide opportunities for farmers and grow the clean economy Français
BURLINGTON, ON, April 25, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian bioeconomy is an exciting opportunity for farmers, generating more than $4 billion in sales each year.
Today, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Karina Gould, Minister of Democratic Institutions were at Ecosynthetix in Burlington to announce a federal investment of up to $11.2 million to the Bioproducts Cluster under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The cluster, led by Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, will include an additional $10.9 million in contributions from industry, for a total investment of $22.1 million.
The cluster will support cutting-edge research to develop new applications for farm crops and residues; from energy, to chemicals, to industrial products. One of the projects that will be supported includes an investment of up to $2 million to Ecosynthetix, a renewable chemicals company specializing in bio-based materials, to develop new green resins for adhesive binders in wood products. This could potentially benefit the environment by providing the construction industry with a greener building product.
The goal is to provide alternatives to non-renewable based materials that will help meet Canada's commitment to reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and shift towards a renewable-based economy.
Quotes
"Our Government is proud to support the growth of the agricultural bioeconomy and to provide added value to the agricultural sector by helping create more bio-based products and opening alternative markets for Canadian farmers. Supporting cutting-edge research and investing in this project will help reduce harmful emissions, provide new opportunities for farmers, drive good jobs and grow the clean economy."
- Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"Ecosynthetix is an important partner in Canada's transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. As a leader in biochemical innovation, they continue to provide opportunities for job growth and economic development here in southern Ontario, while creating new markets for Canada's farmers."
- Karina Gould, Minister of Democratic Institutions and Member of Parliament for Burlington
"Bioindustrial Innovation Canada is pleased to receive support from the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to continue to support the development of emerging technologies and non-traditional sectors that provide benefit to Canadian farmers. The outcomes of the Bioproducts Cluster will lead to development and further commercialization of technologies focusing on biochemicals, biomaterials, biofuels and energy from the agriculture sector, as well as novel agricultural practices to assist in providing sustainable biomass feedstocks and co-products to these applications. These technologies provide added and alternative value opportunities to the sector to complement existing value chains."
- A.J. (Sandy) Marshall, Executive Director, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada
Quick Facts
- Bioproducts are renewable products other than food and feed that are derived from agricultural, aquatic or forestry resources, or municipal wastes. They include: biochemicals, biofuels, bioenergy and biomaterials.
- Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) is a not-for-profit business accelerator based in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. BIC is focused on enabling Ontario and Canada to become a global leader in converting renewable resources, such as agricultural and forestry by-products and residues, into value-added bioenergy, biofuel, biochemical and biomaterials for use in a wide range of commercial applications along the chemistry value chain to advanced manufacturing (autos and aerospace).
- The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector. The Partnership includes programs and activities to enhance the competitiveness of the sector through research, science and innovation.
- This research cluster is funded through the AgriScience Program, a five-year, $338 million initiative under the Partnership, to support leading edge discovery and applied science, and innovation driven by industry research priorities.
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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Justine Lesage, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, [email protected], Mobile: 613-404-1168; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 613-773-7972, 1-866-345-7972, [email protected]
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