NEW YORK — Genome British Columbia said on Thursday that it has partnered with the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF) on a grant program focused on the use of genomics to advance food innovation and security in the Canadian province.
Through the initiative — called the Genomic Innovation for Regenerative Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries Program — Genome BC and IAF will each contribute C$1 million (US$794,432) that will be used to fund competitive grants of up to C$250,000 each for projects using genomic technologies to drive growth, competitiveness, and sustainability for British Columbia's agriculture, food, and fisheries sectors.
"This program will develop and deploy novel genomic technologies to support food security," Federica Di Palma, CSO and VP of sectors at Genome BC, said in a statement. "We will also leverage innovative genomic solutions to improve the health of crops, livestock, and ecosystems impacted by climate change."
Genome BC said that projects funded under the new program will address some of the challenges identified by the British Columbia government's Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech Network, a four-year plan launched in mid-2021 that is using agri-tech and regenerative agriculture to help benefit farmers, food system resiliency, and the environment.
Earlier this year, Genome BC was awarded C$78 million from the Canadian provincial government for genomics research.