- Major donations will support
research to promote environmental practices and food security
SASKATOON, SK, July 4, 2024
/CNW/ - Dr. Kate Congreves (PhD) has been appointed the Jarislowsky
and BMO Chair in Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) to lead research
in regenerative agriculture, supporting the wider-scale adoption of
beneficial production and environmental practices necessary for
food security.
"As the new chair, Dr. Congreves will strengthen Canada's agriculture sector by providing
leadership in regenerative agriculture, working with producers to
identify and evaluate best practices, and creating new teaching and
mentoring opportunities for students," said Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD), Dean of the College
of Agriculture and Bioresources at USask. "This investment in USask
research means new potential to maximize environmental benefits of
agricultural systems and minimize environmental impacts, all while
maintaining and increasing food production."
The Jarislowsky and BMO Chair in Regenerative Agriculture
was established by a $4 million
endowment with a donation of $2
million from the Jarislowsky Foundation, $1 million from BMO, and $1M from the USask Greystone Heritage Trust to
significantly expand research capacity in regenerative agriculture
at USask.
"Building a more sustainable future has been a long-standing
priority for the Jarislowsky Foundation," said Stephen Jarislowsky, founder and president of
the foundation. "The research led by Dr. Congreves and her team
will make an impact on agriculture, climate and food production
through advancing the science and encouraging the adoption of
sustainable farming practices across Canada and beyond."
The Jarislowsky Foundation supports research chairs to promote
excellence in teaching, mentoring and research.
"At BMO, we are long-time supporters of the agricultural
sector and proud of our clients, who are among the most innovative
producers in the world in regenerative agriculture," said
Allison Hakomaki, Head of
Agriculture, Public Sector and Emerging Industries, BMO. "We
know how vital sustainable practices are to the resilience of our
farmers and the future of food in Canada and, driven by our Purpose, to
Boldly Grow the Good in business and life and our commitment
to a sustainable future, we recognize the importance of
supporting initiatives like the University of
Saskatchewan's research in this field."
During the Chair's five-year term, Congreves' research will
inform sustainable nitrogen (N) management for healthy
agroecosystems. Nitrogen is simultaneously an essential nutrient
for crop production and a major environmental concern. Better
understanding of N cycling is necessary and is a timely priority
with policymakers interested in developing strategies to better
manage N. Congreves will explore interdisciplinary collaborations
with agricultural researchers in other areas of expertise such as
water, livestock and health, and with social scientists,
economists, and philosophers to develop evidence-based
recommendations that will be pertinent to Canada's progress towards a sustainable
future.
"Regenerative agriculture is an ecosystem-based approach to crop
production—one that embodies reciprocity with the land by improving
soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing negative impacts
of inputs like N fertilizer. A promising strategy to design
regenerative agroecosystems is the diversification of cropping
systems," said Congreves, an associate professor in the
College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
Understanding how diversification can tighten the N cycle for
sustainable soil management and regenerative agriculture is a major
focus. Congreves' work explores the controls on soil N
transformations, plant N uptake, and N losses, and is aimed at
better understanding the flow of N and its cycling in diversified
agroecosystems.
Congreves joined USask in 2017 and leads an internationally
recognized research program focused on sustainable agriculture and
horticulture with an emphasis on diversified field crop and
vegetable crop production systems. She specializes in soil health
measurement and management, nitrogen cycling and use efficiency,
and greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation. Congreves is an
award-winning researcher and serves USask as a Sustainability
Faculty Fellow.
The chair's research will be supported by the BMO Soil
Analytical Lab at USask, recently established to help alleviate a
critical bottleneck in digital agriculture research and providing
key analytical capabilities for research in regenerative
agriculture.
About USask: The University of
Saskatchewan (USask) is located in Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory and the
traditional homeland of the MĂ©tis. Research, teaching and learning
at USask are enhanced by its array of world-class centres and
facilities. A range of excellent programs, from business, law and
public policy to engineering, agriculture, medicine and veterinary
medicine, positions USask to bring unique perspectives to key
global challenges. USask has launched the largest campaign in the
province's history to raise $500M to
tackle the world's most pressing issues through leading critical
research, supporting Indigenous achievement, inspiring students to
succeed and designing visionary spaces. With more than 25,700
students from around the globe, well-recognize experts, and the
support of our strong community of champions, together we will be
what the world needs.
About the Jarislowsky Foundation: The Jarislowsky
Foundation was founded in 1991 by Stephen
A. Jarislowsky, a prominent Canadian philanthropist and
business leader. The foundation's mission is to promote, support
and foster excellence and ethics in education, medicine and the
arts, and the environment and climate change. The foundation has 48
research chairs in areas of democracy, governance, public sector
management, environment and climate change, Canadian art, and
health across Canada. The
foundation supports programs that allow students from diverse
backgrounds to discuss contemporary issues with mentors and
recognized experts. These programs aim to develop students'
critical thinking skills so that they become leaders with strategic
vision and thinking. The Jarislowsky Foundation supports more than
80 organizations a year in the arts and culture, hospital
foundations, the community sector and climate change. The
Jarislowsky Foundation now donates approximately $10 million per year.
About BMO Financial Group: BMO Financial Group is
the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with
total assets of $1.4 trillion as of April 30, 2024.
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team
of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and
commercial banking, wealth management, global markets, and
investment banking products and services to 13 million customers
across Canada, the United
States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single
purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life,
BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and
making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and
inclusive society.
SOURCE University of
Saskatchewan