By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday May 25, 2021

May 25, 2021 | 12:29 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — Phase two of the $20-million Food Waste Reduction Challenge has been launched by the federal government.

Agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the challenge was set up to help spark new ideas in order for innovators to create solutions for the complex issue.

The next round of applications will close Aug. 31. Up to $6.5 million in prize funding will be awarded for plans that can extend the life of food or transform food that would otherwise be lost or wasted.

Every year, over half of Canada’s food supply is wasted, and nearly $50 billion of that food waste is avoidable.

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Court proceedings

Drugs and weapons bust in Stanley Mission, results in two year sentence

16h ago

health care

La Loche recipient of new portable blood analyzer, printer kit

17h ago

Crime

Dangerous driving report at Red Wing, leads to arrest of man with gun

21h ago

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers have made a submission to Health Canada’s proposed new guidance for the Novel Foods Regulation, focused on plant breeding.

The consultation addresses issues like gene-editing and the importance of understanding the technology needed to address production and environmental challenges.

The Wheat Growers said it supports the recommended changes and believe that efforts in this area will help to address some of Canada’s pressing domestic food, health, and environmental challenges.

The 2017 Barton Report identified Canada’s Agri-Food sector as having potential to drive economic growth which is even more important moving out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group added Canada’s regulatory approach for plant breeding must be updated so the federal government’s target of $85 billion annually in exports by 2025 can be achieved.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW