Why Research Collaboration Is Key to Sustainable Agriculture 

What first sparked your interest in plant science research and what ultimately led to focus your research on vertical farming technologies? 

My academic background has always focussed on plant sciences and my interest in controlled environment agriculture dates back to my arrival at the University of Guelph in 1985. I am also a keen student of space exploration and related technology requirements. Food determines how far from Earth we can go and how long we can stay. The technology requirements for vertical farms are virtually identical for those required to support human exploration missions on the Moon and Mars so my research passions are closely linked. 

Your work involves collaboration with companies like Intravision Group. How important are partnerships between academia and industry when developing technologies? 

For the past few decades, the progress of research and technology development in Canada, especially in the agri-food industry sectors, has been fostered by university-industry collaborations. These provide an excellent context for technology transfer and training on highly qualified personnel. Without exception these partnerships are critical to sustaining innovation. 

What excites you most about the research you’re leading today, and how do you see the work being done across Canada contributing to the future of sustainable agriculture? 

I am most excited about the direction of research and technology developments in the controlled environment agriculture space. My program’s reliance on space exploration as the technical “pull” for innovation has yielded a wide array of technology transfer and license opportunities from non-toxic residue disinfection protocols to environment control recipes. The challenges of the Canadian climate and our role in the international space exploration program come together very logically in fostering innovation for applications in both.