Priorities

The goal of the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (ACAAF) Program is to position Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector at the leading edge to capture new opportunities. Ideas that lead to better products, processes and technologies need to be developed, tested and advanced for use throughout the sector. Information needs to reach the right people at the right time. ACAAF is about the future of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector and finding new approaches for advancement and innovation.

The agriculture and agri-food industry is constantly changing and requires flexibility and the capacity to address new issues as they emerge.

Under the ACAAF program, funding is available for eligible projects identified and carried out by the agriculture and agri-food sector. The ACAAF program complements the objectives set out under the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) and will further advance progress toward its goals by engaging industry stakeholders in undertaking new activities which complement existing programming. ACAAF will also encourage the sector to contribute to future agriculture and agri-food policy directions.

ACAAF Objectives

The objectives of the ACAAF program are to:

• Expand the sector's capacity to respond to current and emerging issues.
• Position the sector to capture market opportunities.
• Actively and continuously engage the sector to contribute to future agriculture and agri-food policy directions.
• Integrate sector-led projects tested and piloted under ACAAF into future government or industry initiatives.

The Three "Pillars"

The ACAAF program is delivered under the following three "pillars," which were confirmed through extensive consultation with industry:

Pillar I
Industry-led Solutions to Emerging Issues

(supports projects that test or pilot approaches and solutions)

Pillar I of the ACAAF program, "Industry-Led Solutions to Emerging Issues," expands the agriculture and agri-food sector's capacity to respond to current and emerging issues and to seize new opportunities through the implementation of national, multi-regional and regional projects that test new ideas and approaches. This includes the capacity to address new value-added products and processes which will enhance the sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Pillar I provides the opportunity for industry-led projects which further advance progress to goals and objectives of a single or multiple elements of the APF (e.g. Environment, Food Safety and Food Quality, Science and Innovation, Renewal) in a complementary manner without duplicating existing programming. In addition, Pillar I activities can act as an incubator for pilots or projects which address emerging issues or hold promise for setting the direction of future policy or program approaches.

Funding for applied research on an emerging issue that is recognized as an industry priority would be considered, with the condition that the project proposal demonstrates how results will benefit stakeholders and be shared broadly by them.

Pillar II
Capturing Market Opportunities by Advancing Research Results

(supports projects that transfer research results into market opportunities)

Among the challenges facing the agriculture and agri-food sector is to make research readily transferable into the marketplace, and thereby foster the development of value added opportunities and generate economic growth. Governments and non-government institutions alike have been making large investments in agriculture and agri-food research, but moving the results of this research into mainstream industry practice requires adaptive research and various other pre-commercialization activities.

Pillar II of the ACAAF program, "Capturing Market Opportunities by Advancing Research Results," focuses on helping to create market opportunities within the agriculture and agri-food sector by supporting the transfer of research results from governments, industry, and educational institutions. Pillar II is aimed at leveraging research results into market/economic opportunities within the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector, strengthening commercialization capacity of the sector's stakeholders to commercialize research results, and encouraging business growth and improving international competitiveness through adoption of research results. Eligible Activities

A suite of activities may be considered under a Pillar II project, including:

• technical analysis and technical feasibility studies
• market and venture assessments
• economic feasibility studies
• adaptive research (eligible for partial funding)
• support for engineering prototypes
• strategic market plans and strategic business plans

Proponents must be able to demonstrate that there is potential for market application of the product, process, or technology at the end of the project. The project should either directly or indirectly benefit the sector and contribute to the "public good" (a good or service aimed at maximizing societal, community, environmental and/or economic benefits).

Pillar III
Sharing Information to Advance the Sector

(supports projects aimed at gathering, analysing and sharing information to contribute to future agriculture and agri-food policy directions)

Given the increasing interdependencies within the agriculture and agri-food sector as well as with other sectors such as health, environment, and transportation, there is a need for timely and effective information dissemination throughout the sector. This is important so that new ideas and information on best practices, for example, can be communicated widely for the benefit of all and so that new market opportunities can be realized.

Pillar III projects will focus on helping to ensure that the sector is actively and continuously engaged to contribute to future agriculture and agri-food policy directions, and assist the sector in pro-actively developing responses based on new information, so that the sector is able to take advantage of both immediate and emerging opportunities. These objectives will be achieved through information gathering, analysis and sharing, and projects that help facilitate these activities.

Program Principles and Criteria

Proposals to access ACAAF funding must meet specified principles and be consistent with the program's criteria. See Objectives, Principles and Criteria for the full requirements. Program Delivery

National industry organizations and other eligible recipients may apply for ACAAF funding through semi-annual calls for applications. Further information regarding the application process and eligibility requirements for national projects can be found under How to Apply to ACAAF.

The fourteen (14) Industry Councils, established under CARD, will deliver the regional ACAAF programming in their respective province or territory by providing funding to support eligible projects. This grass-roots delivery structure provides greater responsibility and accountability to industry in responding to the needs and issues of the agriculture and agri-food sector at the local, regional and multi-regional level. Future projects of a local, regional or multi-regional nature should be directed to the appropriate council established in each province and territory.

Collective Outcomes

Increasing collaboration and forming new alliances throughout the sector will be key for future success. To foster and strengthen collaboration, while maximizing the benefits from the federal investment, the ACAAF program will encourage and support "collective outcome" projects which demonstrate greater industry collaboration amongst national, multi-regional and regional stakeholders.

Industry councils will identify project proposals that have broad application, and in situations where more than one council shares the same priority, these projects may be considered under the collective outcomes umbrella. National organizations, working in collaboration with provincial/territorial sectoral groups and councils, where appropriate, would also play a key role in the identification and delivery of collective outcome projects.