Grant: Training Grant

Few industries are so fundamental to society as is agriculture,such that our expanding global population increasingly pushes us to sustain ourselves. This also drives the growing mechanization and use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides in agriculture. While these have increased our productivity, they also take their toll on the health of farm operators and families globally. In addition, rural-based industries such as mining, petroleum, forestry and others contribute significantly to the toll on the health and wellness of inhabitants of the global rural ecosystem. These issues are complex, but must be addressed. Evidence from all countries around the world clearly indicates that the health of those who live and work in the rural agricultural ecosystem suffers disproportionately relative to that of their urban counterparts, and not just modestly so. Under the proposed program, we will bring together Canadian professionals from many disciplines to provide critical training to young scientists from across Canada as well as from abroad, in order to increase our research capacity and infrastructure, and thereby promote the health of rural-agricultural sector workers and families.