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New Artificial Intelligence Program Could Move Canada Closer to Net-Zero Goal

Protein Industries Canada announced the launch of a new string of programming, funded by a $30 million commitment from the Government of Canada’s Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS), according to a release.

The program will join collaborative projects that employ artificial intelligence to grow plant-based food, feed and ingredients “ecosystem efficiently and sustainably” in Canada, shared the release.

“By providing $30 million through our government’s Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy to the Protein Industries Cluster, we are helping to drive the commercialization and adoption of AI,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “This funding will help to generate new partnerships and create new investments, and it will tap into the potential of AI and digital technologies in a sector that is growing to become a $25 billion industry.”

Protein Industries Canada hopes the adoption of the new technology will enhance Canada’s plant-based sector and strengthen the economy. The programs will work towards the goals set by The Road to $25 Billion, a framework created to set direction for the plant-based ecosystem in Canada.

The increase in artificial intelligence technology could also boost the existing environmental benefits provided form the plant-based protein sector, pushing the country even closer to its net-zero goals.

“Canada’s plant-based processors and manufacturers have proven time and again how innovative they are, as shown by the incredible outcomes of the projects they’ve undertaken through our current programs,” said Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada. “Providing them with easier access to artificial intelligence technology is the next step in ensuring they have the tools and resources they need to create new healthy and sustainable ingredients and food options. This new program, in combination with our existing programs and the dedication of Canada’s trailblazing companies, make Canada a leader in the supply of plant-based protein, and in reaching our goal of $25 billion in global plant-based sales by 2035.”

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Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.