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Volume 15, Number 10
October 2009

Working well together

With the appointment of David Sparling, Ivey is recognizing the potential of a bio-based future

When former President George Bush announced his support of ethanol as a way of increasing energy independence, critics felt that the move would do little to reduce carbon emissions. But with new breakthroughs in science, biofuels are becoming a viable green alternative. “The amount of research going on in the bioproduct and agri-food industries is incredible,” says Ivey professor David Sparling. “And the potential for change is really dramatic.”

Sparling is Ivey’s Faculty Chair of Agri-Food Innovation and Regulation, a position recently created with a $2 million grant from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Adaptation Council. Sparling joins Ivey from the University of Guelph, where he served as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Management and Economics. In his research he focuses on the issues facing the agri-foods, agriculture, and biotechnology industries.

Recently Sparling conducted a study of Canada’s bioproducts sector, based on surveys from Statistics Canada from 2003 to 2006. Sparling expected to see an industry undergoing growth, but was surprised to find that the bioproduct industry actually shrunk in Canada during this time. Although the number of bioproduct firms increased slightly from 232 to 239, the number of people employed dropped by half, and the revenues declined from $3.1 billion to $1.8 billion. “One reason was the lack of policy and direction in Canada with respect to bioproducts,” he says. “Now that we’re seeing new government programs and support, I expect that the results will be dramatically different in the next survey.”

Sparling is looking forward to his new role at Ivey. The agri-food and bioproducts industries have become increasingly complex and interlinked, creating huge regulatory challenges. The key to change, he says, is creating a good policy environment to support the industry. “Whether you’re looking at agriculture, biotechnology or bioproducts, what’s coming across loud and clear is that collaboration and partnerships matter more than ever,” says Sparling. “Success depends on partnerships between universities, research institutes, businesses and governments – everyone sitting around the table when policy decisions are being made.”

The green energy conference held at Ivey’s Lawrence Centre in April brought together participants from all these areas to address renewable energy issues related to the production of food. One of its recommendations was a single coordinating group to shepherd firms through the regulatory process, identify areas for streamlining, and promote co-ordination across ministries.
Sparling has a number of current research streams. He is studying the challenges facing firms in the biotechnology industry, such as managing the regulatory framework, and developing an infrastructure. He’s also looking at the impact of regulation in the agri-food business. For example, there are many functional foods, such as blueberries, that have proven health benefits. Yet Canada’s regulatory system makes it very hard to make health claims without a significant investment.

Over the next months Sparling will be examining federal government support for agriculture. Currently 90 percent of the money directed to agriculture goes into business risk management programs, like farm income support. “We’re exploring how we can shift policy and resources toward things that will really matter to the industry in the future, like food health and innovation and the environment,” he says.

About 70 percent of farms in Canada have revenue of less than $100,000 per year. Local food initiatives, which tend to result in higher prices, may be one way to support small farms. Sparling feels that government policy does not distinguish adequately between the different roles and needs of small and large farms, and he wants to change that.

Small farms also depend greatly on their off-farm income, and Sparling is tracking business patterns in rural Ontario to see where the job opportunities are. “Bioproduct and biomass refineries tend to be located in rural areas because that’s where the biomass is,” says Sparling. “These create jobs in rural communities, which often help Ontario farmers.”

Sparling says that his new role as Chair is to “make change”. His goals are to help streamline the regulatory role, support innovation through research, and reach out to bring all the stakeholders together. “Canada has the resources, the science, and the people to be ahead in these areas,” he says, “but we haven’t had the coordinated focus to be really successful on a global scale. To succeed in the future we need to adopt new technologies, processes and policies, and get everyone working well together.”

Professor David Sparling holds the Agri-Food Innovation and Regulation Chair
 

Professor Sparling's Homepage