Agriculture is vitally important to Canada’s economy and food security. It plays a major role in the country’s exports, employment, and overall GDP. The country’s agriculture and agri-food sector generated $150 billion in Canadian GDP in 2023. That represents around 7% of Canadian GDP. The sector employs 2.3 million people, representing one in nine jobs in Canada. These are significantly higher rates than in other developed economies.

The government sees investment in precision agriculture as a fundamental way to help the Canadian agricultural sector grow and remain competitive. It sees it as an approach helping farmers better manage operations, become more efficient, preserve valuable resources, and provide protection against diseases and insects.

By supporting the adoption of these technologies, the government aims to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and employ technology to mitigate climate change. This approach contributes to the country’s overall sustainability goals.

The Canadian government employs various funding programmes and research initiatives, often in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, to encourage the development and adoption of precision agriculture technologies as a means to achieve both economic competitiveness and critical environmental sustainability targets.

The Canadian Agricultural Partnership

The main Government programme to promote sustainable and precision agriculture in Canada has been the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). The CAP began in 2018, and ran through to 2023. It was a $3 billion investment by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to strengthen and grow the sector. It included $438 million for environmental programming.

In 2023, CAP was replaced by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). This programme is scheduled to last through to 2028, and is a $3.5 billion investment aiming to boost Canada’s agri-food sector as a global leader for environmentally and socially sustainable agriculture. It has a particular focus on fostering innovation and adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies and practices.

Under CAP, and its successor Sustainable CAP, the AgriInnovate programme repayable contributions for projects that accelerate the commercialisation, adoption, and/or demonstration of innovative products, technologies, processes, or services that increase agri-sector competitiveness and sustainability.

An example of AgriInnovate programme investments is the contribution of $875,000 to Ukko Agro Inc. to support the development of a predictive analytics platform for controlling diseases and insects, aiming to improve food production sustainability and increase yield.

The Agricultural Clean Technology Programme

The Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Programme is a $167.5 million programme, with an additional $330 million announced, to support the development and adoption of clean technologies. The Adoption Stream specifically supports the adoption of clean technologies, including precision agriculture, with a priority on those that significantly reduce GHG emissions.

This aligns with the government’s goal of making farming practices more environmentally friendly. An example is funding for a farm to acquire a fertiliser spreader with variable rate technology to reduce fertiliser use and save fuel. The ACT Programme is part of a larger commitment of over $1.5 billion from the Strengthened Climate Plan and Emissions Reduction Plan to accelerate the agricultural sector’s progress on reducing emissions.

The Sustainable Agricultural Research Initiative

The NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative (SARI) is a joint initiative with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) that has invested $87.5 million over four years in 16 collaborative research projects focused on developing solutions towards sustainable agriculture.

These projects include advancing research on innovative and climate-smart precision agriculture systems, technologies, and practices. SARI supports research through NSERC’s Alliance Grants and SSHRC’s Partnership programme and aligns with the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan.

The AgriScience programme, under CAP, supports research and pre-commercial science activities that benefit the sector, including projects supporting climate and environment outcomes.

The Canadian Government Budget in 2022 announced a further $100 million for fundamental and applied research supporting a path to net zero emissions. In addition, ongoing Canadian Government funded research evaluates crops, practices, and technologies and develops monitoring, assessment, and forecasting tools.

Satellite and Drone Crop Imaging

A major development in agri-tech in Canada has been the extensive promotion and adoption of high resolution satellite-based crop imaging. This is seen within the country as a key tool within precision agriculture to help Canadian farmers optimise their operations over vast, and sometimes difficult to access, terrains. Latterly, research and development has focused on the integration of satellite with drone crop imaging into an integrated system. A market leader in this area is Canadian firm Farmonaut.