"While the November budget unveiled the value of the cuts, the apparent depth of the cuts to research caught many off guard. The cuts to people, labs and decades-long collaborations will be felt across the sector. The grief, anger, and anxiety are understandable. However, that energy needs to quickly turn to a focus on the future and mitigating the impact on agricultural R&D in Canada."
"The reality is that the R&D and innovation system, and AAFC's R&D activities, have been under pressure for years. For many, the system has become increasingly disconnected from the sector's success. AAFC has been able to shrink its investment over decades with little pushback or concern. The department faced a choice: spread scarce dollars thinly or consolidate and renew. It appears the department has chosen the second option. At least they have chosen to consolidate, hopefully they also choose to renew."
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) reduced staff, closed research centres, and cut R&D spending despite the country's need for food security. Public R&D underpins adaptation, innovation, and productivity gains that allow farmers to produce more with fewer inputs. Recent budget cuts have eliminated people, labs, and long-term collaborations, creating grief and anxiety across the sector and threatening future agricultural R&D capacity. AAFC's R&D system has been under long-term pressure, with public funding flat or declining as private investment pulled back. The department chose consolidation over spreading scarce dollars; renewal and strategic action will determine whether contraction deepens or resilience can be rebuilt.
Read at Realagriculture
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