BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on new Centre for Agri-Tech Innovation

In response to today’s announcement by the Government of B.C. that it is co-funding the establishment of a new Centre for Agri-Tech Innovation with the Government of Canada, Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement:

“The BC Chamber of Commerce welcomes today’s announcement that the new Centre for Agri-Tech Innovation will be established at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey Campus, bringing together academia, industry, and government to create more productive, diverse, and resilient food-supply chains.

Agriculture is a rapidly changing sector, and the realities of climate change and a growing population mean we are facing challenges in the systems that feed us every day. With land reserved for agriculture, strong industrial sectors, access to ports and highways, and a growing tech sector, B.C. is uniquely positioned to become a leader in the global agri-tech sector.

Creating an agri-tech institute was a policy recommendation adopted by our members in 2020 (Investing in BC’s Growing Agri-Tech Sector). The policy called on the provincial government to invest more in agri-tech to help drive excellence in priority areas and deepen the knowledge base and talent pool in the agri-tech sector. Today’s announcement is therefore a very positive development.”