Grant: Alliance Grants
Toronto Metropolitan University
$35,000.00
Building a Sustainable Agriculture: Engineered Net-Zero Solutions for Resilient Fruit & Vegetable Production in Canada and Globally
EF 2023-24
Résumé
This proposal aims to address the critical need for Canada to adopt sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient methods for producing fruits and vegetables with minimal environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Currently, the indoor and greenhouse industry heavily relies on fossil fuel-derived energy and fertilizers, leading to significant land use and other environmental impacts. To transform the CEA industry in Canada and globally, the TMU Canadians' Environmental Agriculture Technology (CanEAT) Research Alliance proposes to develop the next-generation, modular, distributed, and efficient technology for controlling the environment, introducing nutrient cycles, and monitoring Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA).The mission of CanEAT is to shift Canada from a polluting and wasteful CEA industry to a circular CEA economy, promoting multidimensional social, environmental, and economic growth while accelerating the widespread adoption of these technologies. The CanEAT team is composed of a diverse group of industrial and academic experts who have been working collaboratively since 2017 to advance CEA and expand their innovative solutions. By leveraging their expertise and knowledge from different areas, the CanEAT team aims to achieve their goal of shifting Canada from a polluting and wasteful CEA industry to a sustainable, resilient, and circular CEA economy. Through their ongoing collaboration, the CanEAT team will develop the next-generation, modular, distributed, and efficient technology for controlling the environment, introducing nutrient cycles, and monitoring CEA to ensure that the industry moves towards a more sustainable and profitable future. The proposed solution aligns with the program's objectives as it aims to develop innovative technologies to automate processes, recycle energy and nutrients, minimize energy loss, increase crop yield, and measure the environmental impact of additional technological enhancements, resulting in a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system.
Programme
Alliance Grants
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
Ontario, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
Tel que publié
Application id
584911-2023
Name nom
Campbell, Lesley LG
Department département
Chemistry and Biology
Organization id
43
Institution établissement
Toronto Metropolitan University
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2023
Competition year année de concours
2023
Award amount
35000
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
100
Area of application group en
Agriculture and primary food production
Area of application group fr
Agriculture et produits alimentaires primaires
Area of application en
Agriculture and primary food production
Area of application fr
Agriculture et produits alimentaires primaires
Research subject code
2100
Research subject group en
Mechanical engineering
Research subject group fr
Mechanical engineering
Research subject en
Génie mécanique
Research subject fr
Génie mécanique
Application title
Building a Sustainable Agriculture: Engineered Net-Zero Solutions for Resilient Fruit & Vegetable Production in Canada and Globally
Keyword
Effective Communication Strategies; Engaging Early Adoptors; Highly Efficient Controlled Environs; Measuring Greenhouse Energy Usage; Microbial Nutrient Recycling; Modular Automation Technologies; Private-Public Partnerships; Realtime Phytometric Sensors; Scalable CEA Platforms; Systems for Power Recovery
Application summary
This proposal aims to address the critical need for Canada to adopt sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient methods for producing fruits and vegetables with minimal environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Currently, the indoor and greenhouse industry heavily relies on fossil fuel-derived energy and fertilizers, leading to significant land use and other environmental impacts. To transform the CEA industry in Canada and globally, the TMU Canadians' Environmental Agriculture Technology (CanEAT) Research Alliance proposes to develop the next-generation, modular, distributed, and efficient technology for controlling the environment, introducing nutrient cycles, and monitoring Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA).The mission of CanEAT is to shift Canada from a polluting and wasteful CEA industry to a circular CEA economy, promoting multidimensional social, environmental, and economic growth while accelerating the widespread adoption of these technologies. The CanEAT team is composed of a diverse group of industrial and academic experts who have been working collaboratively since 2017 to advance CEA and expand their innovative solutions. By leveraging their expertise and knowledge from different areas, the CanEAT team aims to achieve their goal of shifting Canada from a polluting and wasteful CEA industry to a sustainable, resilient, and circular CEA economy. Through their ongoing collaboration, the CanEAT team will develop the next-generation, modular, distributed, and efficient technology for controlling the environment, introducing nutrient cycles, and monitoring CEA to ensure that the industry moves towards a more sustainable and profitable future. The proposed solution aligns with the program's objectives as it aims to develop innovative technologies to automate processes, recycle energy and nutrients, minimize energy loss, increase crop yield, and measure the environmental impact of additional technological enhancements, resulting in a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system.
