OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO NORTHERN AGRICULTURE
Funded through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance
There is renewed interest in agriculture in northern Ontario but barriers related to economic, social and environmental issues are not well understood. The recently completed study, "Understanding the Barriers to Livestock Production in the Clay Belt: An Economic, Social and Environmental Analysis" explored these issues and developed a series of toolkits for farmers, municipalities and provincial agencies. As part of this study, an additional toolkit, aimed at overcoming perceived barriers and northern myths was also created and provides foundational information regarding the realities of northern Ontario. These toolkits provide best practices and actionable items that each stakeholder group can utilise to initiate or enhance agriculture in the north. Once disseminated, these toolkits will enhance the agricultural sector in northern Ontario. It is important to note that the initial study focused on the Clay Belt region; however, the findings of this study are applicable across northern Ontario.
RESEARCH REPORTS
September 2019
As part of the initial project funded through OMAFRA's New Directions grant and completed in partnership with Hearst University, a number of research reports were created:
GRADUATE STUDENT TEAM
February 2021
Chloe Carducci, MSc Rural Planning and Development Student (University of Guelph)
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
June 1, 2021
As research restrictions related to COVID-19 ease, we anticipate hosting in-person workshops across northern Ontario to share the toolkits and identify actionable items for local stakeholders.