Protein Industries Canada announced a co-investment into a new platform intended to increase the efficiency of farmer decision-making and expand Canada's plant-protein market opportunities.
The $21 million project is being led by Winnipeg-based Farmers Edge Inc. and OPIsystems Inc based out of Calgary. Farmers Edge and OPIsystems are capturing farm-level data related to crop and storage health management. This data in turn will be used to develop predictive models that use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help farmers enhance production practices, as well as make better storage and marketing decisions. This is expected to increase return on investments related to all areas of seed selection, irrigation, equipment selection and post-harvest management.
Once the initial phase is complete, Farmers Edge and OPIsystems will partner with the Standards Council of Canada to improve traceability along the plant-protein value chain. By using the data captured on farms, the partners will use a comprehensive digital platform to show consumers and trade partners how the products they're buying were produced and managed. The platform will include transparency related to production practices and any applicable regulatory or trade compliance checkoffs.
"Canada's farmers are on the cutting edge of technology, which gives consumers around the world the best quality food products. Enhanced traceability across the plant-protein value chain will help our farmers expand market opportunities and boost consumer confidence in our protein crops," said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
When complete, the final products from both phases of the project will provide full traceability along the entire plant-protein value chain. This platform is expected to lead to approximately 200 new Canadian jobs by 2025.
"The markets this platform could open for the plant-protein sector is incredible to think about," commented Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel. "From a single sign-in, our buyers will be able to access all of the compliance information they need related to the plant-protein commodities they're buying. And our consumers can check in to rest assured the food they're eating was produced in the manner they value most."
Farmers Edge and OPIsystems are together investing $13.6 million into the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing an additional $7.4 million.
"We're excited to work with OPIsystems, the federal government and Protein Industries Canada on this important project," Farmers Edge CEO and co-founder Wade Barnes said. "The expertise OPIsystems brings in remote grain monitoring combined with our robust data sets, comprehensive platform and AI-driven technologies will forever transform the plant-proteins sector, ensuring high-quality crop production and complete traceability from field to market. The value of data is priceless for growers and consumers alike; growers will be able to share verified crop records with a simple click, opening doors to new market opportunities, and consumers will gain transparency on the origin of their food, enhancing their level of trust with farms across Canada."
"OPI is grateful for the support Protein Industries Canada has provided, and excited about the opportunity to partner with Farmers Edge," co-founder and CEO of OPIsystems Dave Crompton said. "The knowledge and expertise Farmers Edge brings to the project is key to our ability to deliver an end-to-end solution that can benefit everyone across the agricultural value-chain, from producers to consumer alike. This is where the rubber hits the road in terms of turning the ever-increasing volumes of data we generate into tangible benefits to the agricultural community. We very much look forward laying the groundwork in a platform solution that can extend out to partnerships across our industry, from field to fork."
Protein Industries Canada and its industry partners have invested more than $163 million into projects that will advance Canada's plant-protein sector. This is its 11th project announcement. It is currently accepting its third round of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for its Technology and Capacity Building programs.
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