Canada Agriculture Grants

Business Canada lists many agriculture grants available in 2010.

The government of Canada lists several hundred federal and provincial agriculture grants available in 2010 (see reference 1). Grants are available from a range of sources, and they are designed to support many purposes. Agriculture grants are offered to for-profit businesses as well as non-profit organizations and research institutes. Application processes vary and can include online applications and reports, bids, interviews and perhaps even tests. Government grants may also target a recognized minority or disadvantaged group.

Federal Grants

Canadian federal agriculture grants are typically offered to encourage the technological development and competitive strength of the Canadian agriculture industry as a whole. They are available to for-profit and non-profit companies and organizations through Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada. Grant programs offered in 2010 include the Agri-Food Program, the Agriculture Flexibility Fund, the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, the Eco-Agriculture Bio-fuels Capital Initiative, and the Agri-Marketing Program (see reference1). These programs provide funding to projects designed to advance technological innovation, support market opportunities nationally and abroad, increase industry competitiveness internationally, and improve environmental sustainability. Some of these programs will be expiring in March of 2011 and some are set to expire in 2014.

Provincial Grants

Each province offers agricultural grants for local projects.

Provincial agriculture grants are geared to advance the specific interests of the province. They are designed to improve the ability of producers to deliver quality and sustainable food crops, animal stock and dairy products to the people of the province and elsewhere, and they may be geared to improve provincial regulatory systems and safety practices. All provinces and the territory of Yukon offer agriculture grants of some type or another, though the number of grants available and their value are generally higher in provinces with large agriculture industries. The list of provincial agriculture grants is long and specific to particular provinces. Examples include the Business Opportunity Grant offered by the government of Alberta, Ontario's Food Safety and Traceability Initiative, Saskatchewan's Farm Business Development Program, and Manitoba's Industry Innovation Fund.

Non-Government Grants

Grants not directly delivered by governments usually target non-profit initiatives organized by local institutions, associations, or local governments. Examples include the Island Coast Economic Trust, which offers Green Grants for particular agriculture projects in Northern British Columbia; Vancity's Community Project Grants, available to projects combating climate change and poverty; the Investment Agriculture Foundation's Agri-Food Grants, offered to support the development of agriculture area plans; and Farm Folk City Folk's Feast of Fields Grant, available for sustainable food system initiatives.

References

• Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada; Programs and Services
• Island Trust; Food Security Funding Opportunities

Resources

• Canada Business; Find Grants, Loans and Financing