The Eastern Canada Oilseeds Development Alliance (ECODA) is pleased to announce an investment from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to increase the profitability and sustainability of oilseed production and associated supply chains.

Oilseeds, including canola, soybeans, and mustard, are a vital component of Canadian agriculture and agri-food. Investing in research and innovation in this sector is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of supply chains and rotational systems that utilize these important crops.

Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, along with Rory Francis, President of ECODA, announced up to $4.3 million over five years to ECODA through the AgriScience Program – Projects Component, an initiative under the Sustainable CAP. This funding will be matched with $4.0 million from industry partners including Sevita Genetics, Semican, McCain Foods Ltd., CXC, Oxford Frozen Foods/Bragg Lumber Co., the PEI Potato Board, ResearchNS, and the provincial agriculture departments of PEI, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

“Oilseed crops are a vital part of farming here in Eastern Canada,” said Minister Lawrence MacAulay. “This support will help farmers stay ahead of challenges like climate change, while keeping their crops healthy and their farms productive. By working together, we’re ensuring a bright future for the oilseed industry and for Canadian agriculture.”

Established in 2009, ECODA brings together Eastern Canadian oilseed stakeholders to expand market opportunities throughout the value chain. ECODA facilitates innovation in oilseed supply chain partnerships that capture economic value for the Eastern Canada agrifood sector by coordinating integrated and innovative oilseeds research initiatives.

“ECODA is pleased to coordinate the work of researchers, growers, processors, and exporters, working together to increase the economic value of sustainable Canadian oilseed supply chains,” said Rory Francis, President of ECODA.

The ECODA research program announced today includes 12 multi-year research projects, focused on a range of crops including NON-GM IP soybeans, canola, camelina, mustard, and pulses along with research on crop rotation potential with potato and carrot production.

The research will be carried out at lab and field sites in the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, with outstanding research partners that include Sevita Genetics, Semican, Dalhousie University, McGill University, and several AAFC Research and Development centres across the country.

“Sevita Genetics benefits greatly from working with ECODA,” said David Hendrick, founder of Sevita Genetics, a funding and industry partner of ECODA. ”The research program to date has provided producers with yield-competitive and agronomically strong soybean varieties, helping us register Canada’s first high oleic soybean variety. Consumers and the marketplace are demanding more non-GMO plant protein, and we aim to commercialize the research results to the benefit of growers, processors, exporters and consumers.”

The projects included in ECODA’s research program under the Sustainable CAP program represent a concerted effort among scientists and industry partners to provide opportunities that balance the commercial needs of industry collaborators with national policies on climate change and environment, GHG emission reduction, increased carbon sequestration, economic growth and development, and sector resilience. This funding will allow ECODA to continue to provide quality research to meet industry challenges for long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability.