Supporting B.C. jobs, food security through agritech

Press Release

Jan. 26, 2023

ABBOTSFORD – Four B.C. businesses that are developing solutions to help ensure the province’s food systems remain secure, resilient and sustainable are the first to receive funding through the recently launched B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation (BCCAI).

“We need to be continuously innovating and working together to improve local food production and access to food for people here in B.C.,” said Pam Alexis, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture and Food. “Agritech is the future and the work these four companies are doing in partnership with the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation is helping ensure B.C.’s food systems are secure, resilient and sustainable.”

The four companies receiving a total investment of $540,000, including $122,500 from BCCAI, are:

Aeroroot Systems (Surrey);
Agrotek Industries (Burnaby);
Bakerview EcoDairy (Abbotsford); and
Lucent BioSciences (West Vancouver).

Each project is contributing to long-term priorities of agriculture in B.C., such as Indigenous food security and vertical farming, as well as increased and sustainable crop production. It is anticipated these projects will be farm-ready for commercialization in two years, creating more than 30 well-paying jobs.

“The B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation brings together academia, industry and government to create new opportunities in food production,” said Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, on behalf of Harjit S. Sajjan, federal Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada. “As we build Canada’s agriculture sector for the future, the Government of Canada will be here to support innovative, inclusive projects like the ones announced today to ensure the sector’s prosperity and competitiveness for years to come.”

These four projects, supported by the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, were unveiled at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford.

“SFU is grateful for the generous support from the federal and provincial governments to advance the vital work of the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation and our partners,” said Dugan O’Neil, vice-president research and international, Simon Fraser University. “We are pleased to be working with academic, industry and community partners across the sector to improve food security locally and globally, create jobs and position B.C. as a world leader in the agritech space.”

Quotes:

Brenda Bailey, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation –

“Through the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, our province is supporting agritech businesses and entrepreneurs to revolutionize the industry and grow, while helping people get the skills needed to fill jobs in this rapidly expanding sector. Agritech is a key pillar of the StrongerBC Economic Plan, helping us tackle climate change while contributing to a sustainable and resilient agriculture industry for all British Columbians.”

Peter Atwal, founder and senior engineer, Aeroroot Systems –

“Aeroroot, with the partnership of B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, is testing the future of sustainable crop production in B.C. Vertical farming will play a crucial role in the future of agriculture in B.C. and with the support of BCCAI, we are able to develop new technology that requires less space and resources to grow and produce more crops.”

Jonathan Mathias, CEO, Agrotek Industries –

“Agrotek’s vision is to manufacture top-quality organic fertilizers and biostimulants from naturally sourced ingredients extracted from Canadian mines. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with SFU scientists and for the funding provided by BCCAI. This will help Agrotek to create innovative and sustainable agriculture products to expand business and will contribute to strengthening First Nations agriculture and food security.”

Bill Vanderkooi, general manager and founder, Bakerview EcoDairy –

“We welcome the leadership and meaningful commitment that the government, through SFU, is taking to accelerate agritech development in B.C. The support for our rice research project from the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, along with the opportunity to collaborate with University of the Fraser Valley, will help to ensure our consortium successfully establishes rice production methods in B.C.”

Michael Riedjik, CEO, Lucent BioSciences –

“The B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation is filling a gap in industry-academia-government collaboration with programs that effectively support scale-up activities. Industrial scale-up of new technologies costs time and money and bears a high risk. By leveraging the know-how of academia to bring innovation to the agritech sector in B.C., projects like ours can make a lasting impact on a global scale.”

Sylvain Moreno, scientific director, B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation –

“Investment in agriculture is the best way to fight hunger, poverty and climate change. These four champions are leading the B.C. agritechnology revolution and will guide British Columbia toward a better future.”

Quick Facts:

With more than 150 agritech companies, B.C. is a leading the way in areas such as food processing, soil/crop technology and food safety/traceability.
Through the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, it is projected that by 2025, B.C. could see as many as 30 new industry projects developed, as many as 200 new jobs and 750 people trained with the skills they need to succeed in the agritech sector.
The B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation is funded by the Province of British Columbia and Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan).
PacifiCan is providing $10 million over five years and the Province is investing $6.5 million over three years.
BCCAI is led by SFU in collaboration with B.C. universities, including the University of the Fraser Valley and Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Learn More:

July 2022 announcement of new B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation Centre:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022JERI0039-001146

A backgrounder with details about the four projects follows.

Contacts:

Robert Boelens
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
250 356-1674
250 882-2485 (mobile)

Jillian Glover
Communications Manager
PacifiCan
[email protected]

Braden McMillan
Director, Media Relations and Public Affairs
Simon Fraser University
[email protected]
236 880-3459

BACKGROUNDER

Jan. 26, 2023

Details on agritech projects receiving support

The four projects represent a total investment of $540,000, including $122,500 in support from the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation.

The goal of these projects is to help companies generate commercially viable products that meet the needs of the agricultural sector, while reducing the impacts on the environment and climate.

Aeroroot Systems is developing quality standards for basil cultivation using vertical farming. Aeroroot designs vertically automated aeroponics growing equipment called AeroWalls, allowing farmers to grow crops anywhere with no soil and 90% less water. Cultivation trials using the Aerowall equipment will be conducted inside a greenhouse at Kwantlen Polytechnic University to develop best management practices. The project represents as much as $34,000 in investment.
Agrotek Industries, an Indigenous-owned fertilizer and biostimulant manufacturing company, will test the effects of an innovative and organic soil amendment on blueberry plants and grapevines grown in the Okanagan through its $186,000 project. The company also wants to test its products on greenhouse crops. Agrotek products use naturally sourced ingredients extracted from Canadian mines. Agrotek is partnering on the project with the Westbank First Nation Indian Band, IAS Labs, Wapaw Bay Inc. and Simon Fraser University.
Bakerview EcoDairy in Abbotsford experiments with new technologies and innovations in sustainable agriculture, including rice cultivation. The company is using hydroponic farming systems to enhance rice-growing capacity on the Lower Mainland and is partnering with Granville Island’s Artisan Sakemaker to make sake from rice grown on the farm. The company’s project represents a $53,000 investment to help develop a sustainable method to address weed control, which is a major challenge in rice production.
Lucent BioSciences accelerates sustainable agriculture by delivering crop nutrition that improves yield and soil health while sequestering carbon. Lucent is looking to develop a new fertilizer called Soileos copper as an important essential plant micronutrient. Copper-deficient soils cause significant yield loss and the company’s $267,000 project will assess copper application on various crops cultivated in a controlled environment. Lucent is partnering with SFU on the project.
The criteria for projects to be accepted for funding by the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation include:
- The company has at least four, but fewer than 100 employees.
- The company must be a private corporation, incorporated and headquartered in B.C.
- The company must have been in operation for at least two years with a clear plan for business scale-up.
- The project must be related to agriculture, agri-technology and agri-foods and have the potential to be commercialized within 24 months.

Contacts:

Robert Boelens
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
250 356-1674
250 882-2485 (mobile)

Jillian Glover
Communications Manager
PacifiCan
[email protected]

Braden McMillan
Director, Media Relations and Public Affairs
Simon Fraser University
[email protected]
236 880-3459

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