Minister MacDonald announces up to nearly $895,000 to develop and test new clean technology to benefit Canada's indoor agriculture sector

CALGARY, AB, Sept. 8, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, while visiting Hydragreens Produce Ltd. in Calgary, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced funding of up to $894,673 for SmartGRO Bioengineering Inc. (SmartGRO) under the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program – Research and Innovation Stream.

Building on the recently announced $3.2-billion National Food Security Strategy and its $750 million dedicated to controlled environment agriculture, this investment will help the Calgary-based start-up to develop and test new clean lighting technology to make year-round indoor agriculture more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

SmartGRO is developing a unique system that uses ultra-fast pulsing LED lights, combined with plant sensors and artificial intelligence (AI). The sensors collect information about the plants such as temperature, health, and growth, and the AI then changes the lighting to give the plants exactly what they need to thrive. Unlike regular LED lights that stay on continuously, SmartGRO's lights turn on and off very quickly, which can help plants use light more effectively for photosynthesis. Controlled tests showed that plants grown under SmartGRO lights produced the same harvest weight as plants grown under regular LED lights, while using up to 80% less electricity.

SmartGRO's technology will help strengthen Canadian agriculture by enabling farmers to grow more while using less electricity, helping to lower costs, reduce environmental impacts and support more efficient year-round food production in Canada.

The Government of Canada continues to support the research, development and adoption of clean technology to help the sector reduce emissions and adapt to the realities of climate change.

Quotes

"Canadian agri-businesses are leading the way in creating innovative solutions to reduce emissions and build a more resilient agricultural sector. With support from the ACT – Research and Innovation Stream, SmartGRO can develop new technology that has the potential to help Canadian farmers grow more food while using less electricity. By making indoor agriculture more efficient and sustainable, this innovation can help reduce costs and environmental impacts, while strengthening year-round food production across Canada."
   -   The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"Canada has the talent and technology to lead the next generation of controlled-environment agriculture. This support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will help SmartGRO validate at commercial scale a patent-pending, Canadian-developed lighting and intelligent control platform designed to help growers produce more food, year-round, using dramatically less electricity."
    -    Jared Wolfe, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SmartGRO Bioengineering Inc.

"We're excited to partner with SmartGRO to test this advanced technology under real-world commercial growing conditions. Improving energy efficiency is essential to the future of indoor agriculture, and innovations like this can help growers reduce costs, increase productivity, and make year-round food production in Canada more sustainable. We're proud to support its development."
   -    Marc Schulz, President, Hydragreens Produce Ltd.

Quick Facts

• In addition to today's announcement, the National Food Security Strategy is a 10-year, $3.2-billion investment designed to open the market for independent retailers, boost domestic food production and build a stronger and more affordable food system in Canada.
• Part of the Strategy includes an investment of $750 million to drastically expand year-round Canadian production of fruits and vegetables, including through greenhouses, vertical farms, and other enclosed growing spaces.
• The Agricultural Clean Technology (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 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.
• Hydragreens Produce Ltd. is host to SmartGRO's commercial-scale trials at its greenhouse in Calgary and is investing $916,197 toward the project. This collaboration focuses on product demonstration, validation, and prospective large-customer adoption.
• SmartGRO is also collaborating with the University of Windsor, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (Ontario), Lambton College, H&A Mastronardi Farms, and Freeman Herbs to help validate its lighting technology. 

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]