Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Emerging Opportunities for Farmers in the Bio-Economy

Emerging Opportunities for Farmers in the Bio-economy.

By Nathan Stevens
August 21, 2009

The emerging bio-economy has the potential to provide Ontario farmers with new and
innovative ways to improve the profitability of their farms. There are currently large hurdles
that are slowing down this process, from regulatory adjustments to policy challenges to
technological speed bumps to mature markets that make it profitable to produce for the bioeconomy.
An example of one of these potential areas for innovation is the use of biomass for large-scale
electricity generation. The province of Ontario has mandated that all coal-based electricity
production in the province be stopped by 2014. For Ontario Power Generation, or OPG, this
presents a huge challenge. The organization operates the Nanticoke, Atikokan, Thunder Bay
and Lambton generating stations, all of which currently use coal to generate electricity. OPG
is working with agriculture and forestry to develop an alternative source of power in the form
of compressed pellets.
This new industry represents a tremendous opportunity for many farmers, but it is an
extremely challenging one. First and foremost, there is the massive hurdle of price that needs
to be resolved. From the perspective of OPG, the lower the price, the more likely it is that it
will be able to export energy to the United States, which will increase the overall demand for
biomass. On the other hand, farmers and pelletizing operations need the price to be high
enough for them to get real value from the operation.
Another major hurdle is the need for a demonstration plant in Ontario that can serve to iron
out the bugs and serve as the model for future projects. Establishing a working model will
improve the confidence of farmers and other investors considering biomass production.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is the need to ensure that the public
understands that this initiative is sustainable. The first step is completing the research that
provides concrete evidence of the environmental benefits of using biomass. There is also the
concern that using biomass will feed into the Food Vs Fuel debate. Proponents need to be
ahead of the media curve on this issue, explaining that many of the materials used for this
process, such as corn stover, do not have to impact food production.
Agriculture has the potential to benefit immensely from the emerging bio-economy. The new
and varied uses of the crops that farmers grow, including the use of materials that were once
viewed as waste, could increase the margins of each acre grown, sustaining agriculture in
Ontario for the long-term.

Nathan Stevens is the Research and Policy Advisor for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario.
The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, and CKNX Wingham, Ontario and is
archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org/index.html. CFFO is supported by 4,350
farm families across Ontario.

Views: 37

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Secretary Rollins Takes Decisive Action and Shuts Down U.S. Southern Border Ports to Livestock Trade due to further Northward Spread of New World Screwworm in Mexico

Yesterday, Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) reported a new case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz in Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid, on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border. This new northward detection comes approximately two months after northern detections were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of our ports to Mexican cattle, bison, and horses on May 11, 2025. While USDA announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison, and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025, this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7-September 15. There

University of Manitoba appoints Dr. Filiz Koksel as Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein

The University of Manitoba is pleased to welcome Dr. Filiz Koksel as the new Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein, a role that continues to advance sustainable agri-food innovation and leadership in plant and animal protein research and innovation. Dr. Koksel, an associate professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, leads an interdisciplinary research program that aligns closely with Manitoba’s Protein Advantage Strategy. She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Food Engineering and earned her PhD in Food Science from the University of Manitoba.  “My vision for this Chair is to position Manitoba as a global leader in sustainable protein innovation by uniting scientific discovery with industry partnerships,” said Dr. Koksel. “Together, we will create solutions that advance food security and climate resilience for generations to come.” Dr Koksel’s current work focuses on developing novel, environmentally friendly protein ingredients from crops such

Support staff recognized for contributions to Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Each year the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences calls for nominations of a support staff member or team who have made outstanding contributions in support of the teaching, research, service and outreach goals of the Faculty. At a celebratory barbecue to celebrate all nominees held on July 9, six individuals and four teams were recognized for their service to the Faculty. Sheldon Beichter, Technician, Carman Research Station Becky Dueck, Technician, Department of Plant Science Atanas Karamanov, Technician, Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research Minami Maeda, Technician, Department of Biosystems Engineering Finley Makila, Technician, Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research Donna Ryland, Technician, Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences Charlene Hawryluk, Wajiha Shahzad, Uldis Bourne, Jennifer St. Laurent, Dianne Dugald and Vanessa Ryplanski, Departments of Animal Science & Entomology and Glenlea Research Station Minami Maeda, Daniel Benedet an

Some crops look good and other not so good in Saskatchewan

A drive around Saskatchewan provides a wide range of crop conditions, based on rainfall received. Timely thunderstorms, combined with spring rain, are producing decent-looking crops in some locations, particularly the southeast. The poorest crops are in the southwest, but there are areas across the northern grainbelt that are much drier than normal as well. Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report puts provincial cropland topsoil moisture conditions at 55 percent adequate, 33 percent short and 12 percent very short. Many fields are at relatively uniform stages, but there is some inconsistent staging which is making spray timing challenging. Areas that have received moderate to high rainfall over the last few weeks are applying fungicides to some of their pulse, cereal and oilseed crops.

AGRI-FOOD 2050 Industry Event

The Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) is bringing industry leaders together to envision the future of agri-food in Ontario. The inaugural Agri-food 2050 Event will draw attendees from across the broader agri-food sector including representatives from primary agriculture, agri-business, food processing, agri-food research, and government.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service