Ethanol's future bright in Canada Wednesday, April 13, 2011 by SUSAN MANNFederal and provincial governments in Canada have supported the ethanol industry’s launch and a Greenfield Ethanol spokesman expects that will continue as innovative companies develop new biofuels and renewable chemicals.Barry Wortzman, Greenfield vice president of business development, says in its budget Quebec just announced “support of next generation ethanol by way of operating support in order to ensure the industry can get a kick start.”Wortzman says he thinks the federal government and other provinces will adopt that model.“I think Canada is in the forefront of being supportive of the new industries,” he says.He made the comments during a teleconference from Washington. D.C. organized by the Biotechnology Industry Association (BIO) held to preview some speeches and presentations at BIO’s upcoming congress on industrial biotechnology and bioprocessing. The congress will be in Toronto May 8-11. Brent Erickson, BIO executive vice president, says industrial biotechnology is the bridge between industry and agriculture that’s creating an economic transformation away from the current petroleum-based economy. The world wide bio-based economy, which uses renewable agricultural resources to produce fuel, chemicals and other consumer materials, such as synthetic rubber, is projected to generate $230 billion in economic activity by 2020, according to a report from the World Economic Forum released at last year’s congress. “This sector has really grown.”The United States and Canada are well positioned to lead in the development of the bio- based economy and “in capturing its value,” he says. Seven per cent of Canada’s economy, equal to about $78 billion, is already driven by biotechnology and a significant additional portion is driven by agriculture.BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centres and related organizations in the United States and more than 30 other countries. BF Province delays cap and trade plan Decision delayed
Saskatchewan Startup Unveils Portable Device to Detect Crop Diseases in the Field Friday, May 29, 2026 With global crop losses from pests and diseases reaching as high as 40 percent annually, a Saskatchewan-based startup is working to equip farmers with faster, more practical tools to protect their yields. PathoScan Technologies, founded in Saskatoon, has developed a portable... Read this article online
Falling Behind on Direct Alcohol Shipping Deadline Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada’s small alcohol producers are growing increasingly frustrated as a promised timeline for direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol shipping reforms approaches with little visible progress. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling out federal and provincial... Read this article online
Rural Canada Is Critical to Trade, Food Security and Economic Recovery Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada is facing global instability, affordability pressures and growing urgency to rebuild its economic foundations. Rural Canada is one of the country’s most important economic assets. Although only about 16% to 18% of Canadians live in rural communities, leaders say those regions... Read this article online
Feds say Provinces Need to Act on Interprovincial Alcohol Sales Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada’s federal government is intensifying pressure on provinces and territories to complete negotiations and implement direct-to-consumer alcohol sales, a move expected to benefit agricultural producers, small businesses, and consumers across the country. The statement comes out... Read this article online
$15.1M to Scale Whole-Cut Plant-Based Protein Wednesday, May 27, 2026 Protein Industries Canada has announced a $15.1 million co-investment in a multi-partner project aimed at scaling advanced manufacturing technology for whole-cut protein alternatives and strengthening Canada’s domestic agri-food value chain. The initiative brings together NS/TX... Read this article online