The Canadian food and agriculture sector is for the most part competitive and export-oriented: although challenges and opportunities vary significantly between regions, primary agriculture benefits from an abundance of natural resources and faces limited environmental constraints. Negative environmental impacts of agriculture relate mainly to local water pollution by agricultural nutrients. Productivity growth, resulting from innovation and structural change, has driven production and income growth without significantly increasing pressure on resource use. Nonetheless, the capacity to innovate is crucial to take advantage of the growing and changing demand for food and agricultural products at the global level.
The review Innovation, Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability in Canada examines the conditions surrounding innovation in the food and agriculture sector business and allowing for increased productivity and environmental sustainability. It starts with an overview of the food and agriculture sector and outlines development challenges and opportunities (Chapter 2). A wide range of policies which influence incentives for innovation are then examined: economic stability, governance and trust in institutions (Chapter 3); a favourable and predictable environment for investment (Chapter 4); capacities and public services enabling business development (Chapter 5); agricultural policy (Chapter 6) and the operation of the agricultural innovation system (Chapter 7).