University of Guelph appoints inaugural Assistant Vice-President to oversee research innovation and knowledge mobilization

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020
Headshot of Jessica Bowes

 

Innovation sector leader Jessica Bowes will be University of Guelph’s inaugural Assistant Vice-President, Research Innovation and Knowledge Mobilization. Currently Vice-President, Commercialization at Bioenterprise Corporation Canada, Ms. Bowes will take charge of University of Guelph’s Research Innovation Office. In that leadership role she will devise and implement strategy to advance research innovation at one of Canada’s most innovative universities. This will involve providing leadership for the university’s efforts around knowledge mobilization and...

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Short-term solutions and quick action helped supply chain in pandemic’s early days

Monday, July 20th, 2020
Cows standing side by side eating hay

 

By Mya Kidson

Short-term solutions and quick action helped Canada’s dairy and poultry sector weather the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, say U of G researchers.

U of G Profs. Mike von Massow and Alfons Weersink, and MSc student Brendan McDougall from the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, say that poultry and dairy supply chains adapted quickly to the demand shifts from hospitality to retail sectors.

These approaches include diverting the food supply from food services to the retail sector. A single-desk...

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Household food security still uncertain months after pandemic

Monday, July 13th, 2020
Ontario produce on a counter - tomatoes in green plastic baskets, cabbage, cucumbers parsnips and beets in a bowl

 

By Alicia Bowland

 

Months after the start of Canada’s emergency quarantine orders, some Canadian households are still left wondering if they will continue to have access to food at affordable prices in the case of a second wave of COVID-19 cases.

Should another outbreak occur, it will be crucial to monitor a few major factors that are influenced by the pandemic and that are essential to maintaining a stable food supply at affordable prices, says Prof. Brady Deaton, Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics.

“While...

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What we’ve learned about consumer choice from the COVID-19 pandemic

Monday, July 6th, 2020
Fresh vegetables on shelves at a grocery store

A rise in the demand for storable and shelf-stable items was clear during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. So what happens to our consumption of vital perishable goods, such as vegetables and fruit?

 

By Maleeka Singh

Experts say it's not a question of if we get a second wave of the COVID-19 virus it's a matter of when. So, what lessons have we learned about consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic that can help Canadians and the food industry be more prepared for the next one?

The first thing we've learned, says University of Guelph's Prof. John Cranfield, Associate Dean- External Relations in OAC, and Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural & Resource Economics, is that consumer purchasing behaviors have changed...

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Agriculture in Canada will remain resilient amid COVID-19 pandemic

Monday, June 29th, 2020
Close up of corn on the stalk next to a combine.

 

By Alicia Bowland

Will current Canadian agricultural government programming be sufficient in the case of a second outbreak of COVID-19?

In these uncertain times, farmers and agribusinesses face unprecedented obstacles that challenge current risk management strategies. Black swan events – rare and unpredictable events, like the COVID-19 pandemic -- are almost impossible to plan for.   

Business Risk Management (BRM) programs that are part of the Canadian Agricultural Policy framework -- AgriInvest, AgriStability, AgriInsurance and...

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Using One Health-informed strategies to reduce COVID-19 impact on pets, livestock and wildlife

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020
SPARK writer Sydney Pearce holds her dog Riley, a white poodle-cross, in her arms.

SPARK writer Sydney and her dog Riley are following Dr. Weese’s guidelines to limit Riley’s interactions with humans and animals outside of their family bubble.

 

By Sydney Pearce

World-wide efforts to prevent further deaths from COVID-19 are in full effect, but experts at the University of Guelph say that focusing solely on humans can’t effectively address the pandemic or prevent future ones. They’re responding with rapid research to look at health broadly – including the health of pets – to give governments the tools to improve their strategies.

Here’s why. COVID-19 doesn’t adhere to species boundaries or even affect all humans at an equal level. A One Health approach fills in these blanks by...

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Just peachy – Ontarians can look forward to earlier, tastier peaches

Tuesday, June 16th, 2020
A basket of filled with ripe peaches in the background, three peaches sit on the grass in front of it

by Dianne Priamo

How about getting the ultimate taste of summer – fresh, mouth-watering Ontario peaches – two weeks earlier than normal, and with even better colour, taste and texture?

That’s what U of G plant breeder Jay Subramanian is aiming for.

As part of the Department of Plant Agriculture, Subramanian is using molecular genetics to pinpoint favourable traits in stone fruits – specifically peach and plum – and incorporate them into superior fruit that meets the desires of producers and consumers.

One of the desirable traits in...

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Reframing society’s views of “difference”

Tuesday, June 9th, 2020
A whiteboard graphic showing guiding principles for Prof. Rice's work

By Mya Kidson

Eugenics –- that is, race improvement through heredity – has continued to be practiced in Western societies through forced sterilization of Indigenous women and forced assisted suicides for those deemed disabled or “non-vital.” These abhorrent ideas have also surfaced in the wake of the current COVID-19 crisis, through the treatment of seniors and disabled people – those who our society may consider more expendable.  

University of Guelph researchers, along with community partners, are doing their part to transform the way society sees...

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U of G Awards Funding for COVID-19 Research Projects

Friday, May 15th, 2020

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

 

The University of Guelph has awarded nearly $700,000 to U of G researchers for 51 projects designed to support the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impacts.

The projects, involving faculty, staff and students from all of the University’s colleges, are aimed at reducing the spread of the COVID-19-causing virus SARS-CoV-2, preventing or treating the disease, and navigating the effects of the pandemic on people and communities.

Each project will receive up to $10,000 from the Research Development and Catalyst Fund, with...

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Canada’s $4.2-billion pork industry needs open trade

Friday, May 15th, 2020
piglets

 

By Dianne Priamo

The economic turmoil brought on by COVID-19 has not spared Canada’s pork industry, a sector that depends significantly on export markets. A U of G professor says open trade and a healthy labour force will be key to the sector’s recovery.

Prof. Ken McEwan warns that there would be huge economic repercussions and food security issues if protectionism or import restrictions were enacted to help the pork sector, which is grappling with a $675-million loss this year according to industry estimates.

“It is of upmost...

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