Alberta's Results Driven Agriculture Research Group Hires A CEO

Feb 25, 2021

Dr Mark Redmond will begin his new role as Chief Executive Officer on March 1st.

The board feels Redmond will help drive RDAR forward in a continued collaboration with producers, scientists and researchers pushing the boundaries of Alberta's agricultural potential.

He has 25-plus years’ experience in senior business, research, and academic positions in the agriculture sector.

Redmond says he's excited to be part of this group, to build on this foundation, and to extend RDAR’s commitment to excellence and resolve to respond to the needs of Alberta’s producers.

"I look forward to meeting and engaging with the agriculture industry, research community, and government. Together we will build strong relationships based on trust and understanding and fulfil RDAR’s vision for Alberta: to see our agriculture and food sectors achieve their full potential through producer-led investments in research and innovation."

RDAR is a new organization with a mandate to guide Alberta's agriculture research in a new direction.

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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.