AITC-C Celebrates 10th Annual Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month

This March marks the 10th annual Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM).

 

“This year marks an important milestone for the invaluable work done by AITC,” said Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “I wholeheartedly support their mission to engage our youth in the great story our farmers have to tell about how our food is made. Hopefully, more Canadians will see the exciting and fulfilling career opportunities in the agriculture sector. Agriculture in the Classroom is helping to close the gap between urban and rural, which is more important than ever, and our Government will continue to support them in this vital work.”

 

Like most events for 2021, CALM activities and events across Canada are going virtual.

 

Each province will offer connections to local agriculture professionals and farmers while providing interactive programming for classrooms. Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) will also highlight farmers across Canada with daily ‘Our Food, Our Story’ videos on social media and the release of 10 online, interactive resources for educators to access.

 

“AITC-C is thrilled to host Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month in 2021 and celebrate ten years of sharing the Canadian agriculture and food story with students from coast to coast!” said Johanne Ross, AITC-C Executive Director. “We can reach even more classrooms this year by bringing the program totally online and making meaningful connections between tens of thousands of students and those of us that work in the agri-food sector.”

 

More information about this event can be found at: www.aitc-canada.ca/calm2021

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.