Promoting Digitalization in Crop and Beef Production

​Join us for a full-day roundtable event in Edmonton that brings together influential leaders from government, industry, and academia to address critical policies surrounding digital agricultural technologies (DATs) for crops and livestock in Alberta.

​Event Highlights:

• ​Welcome Address
  Opening remarks from Honorable RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, introducing the Alberta Digitalization Agriculture Program and its mission to address challenges and opportunities in the agri-food sector.

• ​Keynote Presentation
  Jonathan McFadden (USDA) on Digital Agriculture: Opportunities, Challenges, and Gaps.

• ​Panel 1: Closing the Gap Between Data and Decisions
  Discussions on how to improve the adoption of DATs in Canada, demystify return on investment (ROI), and leverage policy support for digitalization.

• ​Focus Group: Derisking DAT Adoption
  A deep dive into reducing barriers to DAT adoption, including the new extension model, policy frameworks, and incentives designed to help producers embrace digital technologies.

• ​Panel 2: Digital Future and Data Governance
  Presentations by experts on emerging technologies and policy gaps that need to be addressed for responsible agricultural innovation and effective data governance.

• ​Eye-Opener Session
  This session will tackle real-world challenges in the agri-food sector, including issues in government, academia, and industry, and offer potential technological solutions.

​The Alberta Digitalization Agriculture Program aims to develop policy recommendations that foster the effective use of digital AgTech, enhance data management, and promote transparency, helping Alberta’s agriculture sector grow sustainably and compete on a global scale. This roundtable is a crucial step in shaping the future of agriculture in the province.

​ABOUT THE SIMPSON CENTRE.
The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy at the University of Calgary is an academic policy institute that supports Canadian agri-food and agriculture. Our aim is to mobilize research for better policymaking and decision-making to realize a more sustainable agricultural industry. Strengthening the sustainability of agri-food and agribusiness means increasing food production to feed a growing global population, while attending to social and health impacts and the natural environment. Our three key areas of research: 1) Agriculture and Society (population health and environment), 2) Agriculture and Economics (sustainable productivity), and 3) Agricultural Literacy (public education and outreach). The Simpson Centre remains neutral throughout its research process and in its research outputs. We connect researchers, citizens, industry stakeholders and government actors to scientific issues critical to the future of Canada’s agricultural and food system.