Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture Conference 2022
Farming for sustainable food systems
MARCH 16-18, 2022
Co-hosted by the University of Manitoba's National Centre for Livestock and the Environment and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

About
Photo credit: Emma McGeough
This online conference provides practical information and considers the future of our agricultural production systems as we strive to further develop sustainable food systems. The three-day conference offers a hands-on interactive morning workshop on the Holos model designed to better understand and effectively estimate on farm greenhouse gas emissions. Three separate sessions each day will feature brief presentations followed by facilitated panel discussions addressing how we can redesign our food systems, forge the road to carbon neutrality and manage agriculture production from a broad land perspective to achieve sustainability in agriculture.
This conference is intended for a diverse audience. The aim is to bring together researchers, students, producers, government, commodity organizations and industry representatives with a range of perspectives to collectively share ideas and experiences about how to improve agricultural sustainability in Canada.
The three days will provide opportunities to explore novel ideas and concepts, including an exciting session with graduate students who will share their research through short videos.
Registration is required to attend this free conference - register today!
Conference Planning Committee
University of Manitoba: | Kim Ominski, Christine Rawluk, Emma McGeough, Doug Cattani, Marcos Cordeiro, Mario Tenuta, David Lobb, Peter Frohlich |
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: | Roland Kroebel, Sarah Pogue, Aaron McPherson |
Ducks Unlimited Canada: | Kristine Tapley |
Industry/Farm Production: | Melissa Atchison |
Conference Hosts
Schedule at a Glance
Day | AM Workshops | PM Presentations |
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March 16, 2022 | Keynote Speaker - David Kanter CCA CEU's: Nutrient Management (0.5), Crop Management (0.5) |
Food systems redesign: What are the opportunities? |
March 17, 2022 |
Holos model workshop |
Road to Carbon Neutrality |
March 18, 2022 |
Managing from a landscape perspective |
Day 1 - Wednesday March 16, 2022
Keynote
9:00 am CT | Welcoming Remarks Kim Ominski and Roland Kroebel, Co-chairs |
9:00-10:00 am | Keynote Speaker Dr. David Kanter, NYU Leveraging the agri-food system for a post-carbon world The current toolbox of environmental policy instruments in the agricultural sector is woefully inadequate for transitioning to a post-carbon agri-food system. This keynote will focus on two crucial changes that need to occur: the first is shifting the regulatory burden away from farmers towards other actors in the agri-food chain that can influence farm-level behavior. This could transform the non-point pollution problems that constitute agriculture’s environmental footprint into a series of more tractable point-source approaches. The second is more visibility into the trade-offs and synergies of transitioning to a post-carbon agri-food system, i.e. what are the implications for the Sustainable Development Goals and their successor(s)? This talk will explore these questions through the lens of two ongoing projects: the first is Governing Nutrient Pollution Beyond Farmers, which aims to design a new governance framework for nutrient pollution that would go hand-in-hand with a broader transition towards a post-carbon economy. The second is the Sustainable Agriculture Matrix: the first integrated decision-support tool to help policymakers understand the implications of different agricultural management and policy choices in the context of the SDGs. |
Food systems redesign: What are the opportunities?
10:15-10:45 am | Day 1 Student video competition entries: Student Videos Competition | |
10:45-11:45 am | Food systems redesign: What are the opportunities? Presentations
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11:45-12:30 pm | Panel Discussion | |
12:30 pm | Adjourn |
Day 2 - Thursday March 17, 2022
Road to Carbon Neutrality
9:00-12:00 am | Farming for sustainable food systems and Holos workshop
Participants will have the opportunity to join a workshop where we will have a hands-on training & demonstration of the Holos 4 modelling software. Training will consist of short demonstrations of the Holos software (5-10 minutes each), followed by short pauses (5-10 minutes) with audience members repeating what was demonstrated on their computers. Aaron McPherson (AAFC), Sarah Pogue (AAFC), and Roland Kroebel (AAFC) will be available to assist during the training. Training will be 3 hours in length, and there will be 3 short bio-breaks during this time. A training guide and instructions on how to install the software will be sent out a couple of weeks before the conference starts. |
12:00-1:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00–1:45 pm | Day 2 Student video competition entries: Student Videos Competition |
1:45-2:45 pm | Road to carbon neutrality Presentations
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2:45 – 3:00 pm | Break |
3:00 – 3:45 pm | Panel Discussion |
3:45 – 4:30 pm | Q & A With Researchers and a virtual "Barley Sandwich" |
4:30 pm | Adjourn |
Day 3 - Friday March 18, 2022
Managing from a landscape perspective
1:00-1:45 pm | Day 3 Student video competition entries and voting: Student Video Competition | |
1:45-2:45 pm | Managing from a landscape perspective Presentations
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2:45-3:00 pm | Break | |
3:00-3:45 pm | Panel Discussion | |
3:45-4:15 pm | Wrap up and Concluding Remarks | |
4:15 pm | Adjourn Open mike and a virtual "Barley Sandwich" - optional |