Growing Forward in Ontario

Drawing on extensive input from our industry partners, Growing Forward programs in Ontario were developed to reflect the province's agriculture and food processing diversity.

Under the Growing Forward initiative, the federal and provincial governments will make significant investments in Ontario in two suites of programs: Best Practices and Innovation and Science.

Best Practices: Addressing the Fundamentals

It is important that producers and processors have the tools and skills they need to be profitable and innovative. The Best Practices suite helps improve performance in four key areas:

• Environment and Climate Change
• Food Safety and Traceability
• Business Development
• Biosecurity

Innovation and Science: From Idea to Market

We are encouraging the commercialization of research ideas through the following initiatives:

• Science Clusters are industry-led applied science and technology research centres. In Ontario, the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is a focal point for excellence in research and commercialization focused on the horticulture sector.
• The Farm Innovation Program will support the development and adoption of innovative on-farm technologies that can increase the ability of producers to respond to changing demands and opportunities and improve on-farm profitability.
• The Agri-Tech Commercialization Centre will expand opportunities for new agri-based products in Ontario by accelerating the commercialization process and attracting investment. 

For more information on Growing Forward, please call 1-888-479-3931 or e-mail growingforward@ontario.ca