Current Initiatives
As Saskatchewan’s bioeconomy catalyst, Ag-West Bio continually searches for opportunities and potential partnerships, both within the province and far reaching. Some of these initiatives are listed below.
Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP)
The Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP) is a new entity resulting from collaboration between Ag-West Bio, the Global Institute of Food Security, the Food Industry Development Centre, Innovation Place, and private sector partners. GAAP was created to support early and rapid growth stage companies within all areas of agriculture and food.
GAAP combines the benefits of significant investment capital, long-term incubation in a world-class facility (with access to laboratories, greenhouses, and offices), along with guidance and training from sector-specific experts.
Diverse Field Crops Cluster
Led and administered by Ag-West Bio, in February 2019 this agri-science cluster was awarded $13.7 million from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program over five years, with an additional $11 million coming from industry.
DFCC will help transform the footprint of seven high-potential emerging crops to larger acreage and higher economic value. Diversifying the cropping mix will help extend rotations, break disease and pest cycles, and insulate producers from the volatility of commodity prices.
Prairie Food Link
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to walk into a room where you have access to all kinds of expertise? Where you could talk to seasoned CEOs, ask investment experts what they look for in an investee, and troubleshoot solutions with other people who get it?
Sounds like a dream. In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, it’s called Prairie Food Link.
Prairie Food Link is an industry-led cluster, supported by Ag-West Bio, Saskatchewan’s bioscience industry association and Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan). Prairie Food Link currently spans Saskatoon and a wide region outside of the city into northern Saskatchewan. We believe that by working together we can create enhanced opportunities for investment and job creation for the benefit of the province’s agri-value sector.