The Growing Challenge Part 2: Beef, Biogas, Dairy and Data

March 30, 2023 | By Jennifer Marron


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When people are asked to name the most innovative industries in North America, Canada’s beef and dairy sectors probably aren’t the first ones to come to mind. But it turns out the agrifood business in our country has been undergoing a rapid and dramatic evolution for a number of years now—and it’s going to need to keep on innovating if it’s going to meet one of the most pressing challenges of our time: climate change. Because while the beef and dairy industries contribute more than $40 billion to the economy, they're also a key source of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. So which new technologies, data systems, and processes will be critical if Canada is going to meet the needs of a growing population while simultaneously reducing emissions?

That’s the central question at the heart of this second episode in a special, three-part series, “The Growing Challenge”, this fall on Disruptors, an RBC podcast. Join co-hosts John Stackhouse and Trinh Theresa Do as they share first-hand insights from their own experiences, and speak with guests working up and down the beef and dairy supply chain, like Dr. Calvin Booker, a veterinarian and General Manager for Services and Research at Telus Agriculture and Consumer Goods; Alison Sunstrum, the CEO of CNSRV-X Inc and General Partner of The51 Food and AgTech Fund; and John van Logtenstein, the vice-president of Dairy Lane Systems DLS Biogas, and Kristjan Hebert; managing partner of Hebert Grain Ventures.

Together, they discuss the skills, talent, technology, and innovation that are needed to maximize production while minimizing our environmental impact—and make Canada a world leader in sustainable agriculture without compromising on its Net Zero goals.

 

"Agtech is already playing a huge role in boosting productivity while reducing emissions from the meat and dairy industry. There are a number of fascinating tech revolutions underway, which is exactly where we’re going to go today."

John Stackhouse
Disruptors, an RBC podcast

 

Listen to this Podcast and more at thoughtleadership.rbc.com/rbc-disruptors