Technology and research advancements have changed how farmers use chemicals on their crops. Even with these improvements, there’s a lot of misinformation out there amongst consumers about how chemicals are used on crops.
On the Dec. 14 episode of Seed Speaks, we’re taking a closer look at what the ag industry do to stop these rumours dead in their tracks. We’re joined by Ian Affleck, vice-president of plant biotechnology at CropLife Canada, and Stuart Smyth, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S).
Affleck works with domestic and international agricultural stakeholders and governments on the development of policies, regulations, and science related to plant biotechnology. Prior to CropLife Canada, he worked at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for 10 years, focusing on the regulation of novel plants and new varieties. Affleck has a bachelor of science in agriculture from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, and a master’s degree in agriculture from the University of Guelph.
Smyth is the Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair at the U of S. His research focuses on sustainability, agriculture, innovation and food. Smyth has over 150 academic publications and is recognized as a leading expert on barriers to innovation and regulatory efficiency. He specializes in research on regulatory barriers to food security, especially those that restrict investments into new plant breeding technologies, such as genome editing and that delay, or prevent, the commercialization of genetically modified and genome-edited crops.
Join us on Dec. 14 at 12 p.m. CST on Seed World‘s Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn pages to watch the discussion.
Episode link — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X8rgp3d–U
