Launch of collaboration to develop biodiversity indicators for Québec investors

Dec 08, 2022

Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Fondaction, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS Quebec), the Québec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS) and Université de Sherbrooke have joined forces to conduct research with the goal of creating a series of biodiversity indicators specific to the Québec territory and its investors.

These indicators will be used to provide a better measurement of the impact investments have on biodiversity. Once created, they will allow a first in Canada: mobilizing players in conservation, biodiversity, research and finance to rally around protecting Québec's biodiversity.

"The way our collective savings is invested can reduce our impact on nature, and in some cases, even help restore it. This is why CPAWS Québec is working with teams researching how to balance economic activity with the limits of our ecosystems, as well as with investors seeking to be leaders in environmental protection, in order to further the dialogue on the best local indicators for measuring impacts on biodiversity," explained Diego Creimer, Finance and Biodiversity Director, CPAWS Québec.

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Video: Democratizing Gene Editing - Pairwise’s Vision for the Future of Agriculture

Pairwise has built its business around an idea that runs counter to how many companies approach innovation: make transformative technology easier to access.

In this Seed World interview, CEO Tom Adams discusses why broader access to gene editing could speed crop improvement, expand innovation opportunities and help agriculture address emerging challenges. He explains why Pairwise believes no single company can solve all of agriculture's problems alone—and why making advanced breeding technologies available to more organizations could accelerate progress across the industry.

The conversation explores how consumer trust influences technology adoption, why innovations like pitless cherries and seedless blackberries matter beyond convenience, and how future crop improvements could help address labor shortages, automation, harvest efficiency and other production challenges. Adams also shares his perspective on what the industry may be underestimating about the next wave of gene editing innovation.

Watch the full interview to hear why Pairwise believes agriculture is approaching an important inflection point for gene editing, and why the pace of innovation over the next decade could surprise the industry.

Topics Covered:

o Democratizing agricultural innovation

o Consumer trust and technology adoption

o The business case for sharing innovation

o Expanding innovation beyond major crops

o Next-generation breeding technologies