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Governments select Guelph, Ont. to host 2020 gathering of agriculture ministers
July 12, 2019 By Top Crop Manager
Guelph, Ont., home to several of Eastern Canada’s agriculture research programs, will host the annual conference of federal, provincial and territorial agricultural ministers in 2020.
Taking place in July next year, the focus of the 2020 Federal-Provincial-Territorial Agriculture Ministers Conference will be ‘Strong Agrifood: Strong Economy.’ The event will highlight leading issues to help grow the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector as well as highlight Ontario’s and Guelph’s role as a hub for research and economic development in the sector.
“Guelph’s agricultural roots stretch back to our city’s founding in 1827, and we are proud to be a hub of agri-food and agri-innovation today. We are thrilled to be chosen to host this conference. This will be a chance to shine a spotlight on local innovations and opportunities, such as Guelph and Wellington’s successful bid to become Canada’s first circular food economy,” said Cam Guthrie, mayor of Guelph, in a statement.
The city of Guelph won the Smart Cities Challenge for their circular food economy proposal. The city will receive $10 million from Infrastructure Canada to increase access to nutritious food and reduce or transform food waste.
The Guelph area is home to several leading agri-food research centres of excellence supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Government of Ontario, such as the University of Guelph, the Livestock Research Innovation Centre, and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario. It is also the headquarters of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The announcement took place immediately following a roundtable session on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 where Minister Hardeman and Ontario agri-food industry leaders met to discuss Ontario’s priorities heading into the 2019 event.
The 2019 Federal-Provincial-Territorial Agriculture Ministers Conference will take place in Quebec City, from July 17-19, 2019.
