Members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food were at the University of Guelph today to learn about research that could boost trade and innovation in agri-food.

The day included a meeting with U of G President Franco Vaccarino, a roundtable discussion with U of G researchers and industry stakeholders, and a tour of U of G’s Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC).

 U of G is one of the stops the Committee is making during a cross-country travel week aimed at exploring new technology and developments in the agri-food industry.

The Committee is seeking to understand the challenges, problems and other factors affecting Canadian companies and their innovation efforts.

It is also examining projects and programs that promote the discovery, development or marketing of new products or technologies.

“This is an opportunity to highlight the role that academia, particularly U of G, can play in increasing exports and trade,” Vaccarino said.

“It also allows us to demonstrate U of G’s global reach and connections, and the impact of our research and discovery.”

During Tuesday’s tour, the Committee learned how BDDC researchers made the world’s first compostable coffee pods and are now pursuing innovations. This includes investigating the use of low-value agricultural residues to develop lightweight biocomposite products for the automotive industry and developing products for the greenhouse industry.