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Government of Canada invests to help reduce pesticide applications for Fruit and Vegetable Industry

The Government of Canada encourages the fruit and vegetable industry to develop alternative approaches to pesticide use with a $1.4 million investment. 

Jean-Claude Poissant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, recently announced an investment of over $1.4 million to the Mirabel Agri-Food Research Center (CRAM) to help develop alternative approaches to pesticide use for Canadian fruit and vegetable greenhouse growers. The investment was made through the AgriScience program of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

“Supporting innovation and research in agriculture is a priority for our government. Leading-edge research is essential to help our industry stay competitive and grow. With this investment, our farmers will have access to state-of-the-art tools and innovative practices that will reduce environmental impacts and enable farm families to thrive,” said Minister Poissant.

The project will focus on 12 activities to explore alternative tools and practices for the use of pesticides in greenhouse fruit and vegetable production. Grouped under four themes (physical control, biological control, biodiversity and genetics), these methods will help producers reduce the impact of pesticides on the environment, reduce crop damage and optimize control methods to increase production and profitability.

“Canadian farm businesses are facing growing issues related to climate change, pests and chemicals that have a negative impact on the environment. The various challenges faced by producers are sometimes difficult to overcome, and alternatives must be explored to ensure the productivity and profitability of the agricultural industry, while reducing environmental impacts. This project brings together several activities offering solutions as alternatives to pesticides in fruit and greenhouse production in the context of climate change. It will also allow the development of biological control agents that could be produced and marketed in Canada,” said Caroline Provost, director and research scientist with CRAM.