Agriculture matters more to Canada’s economy than you think

“Share Canadian farmers are renowned for their innovation, but Waterloo alum Leta LaRush says regulatory obstacles are holding them back Where does your food come from? “Despite being a huge contributor to Canada’s economy, agriculture isn’t often top of mind for many Canadians,” says Leta LaRush (BA ’11), Vice-President and Head of BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada. “It can be easy to think food simply comes from the grocery store In her work, LaRush oversees a team producing innovations that support farmer productivity. BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada provides farmers with seed, crop protection and digital farming tools. InVigor hybrid canola seed is developed using breeding innovations to help select for desirable traits like drought resistance. For crop protection products, research and development focus on technologies that will help crops combat disease or insect pressure. The digital products help farmers make informed decisions about how they manage their crops and increase yields. “We're one of the largest crop inputs providers in Canada, and that innovation plays an important role in helping farmers produce safe, affordable food.” Canadian farms and declining productivity Canada’s agriculture industry is a huge contributor to our economy, and one of our country’s biggest exporters. LaRush proudly shares that Canadian farmers are globally recognized for their sustainable practices, producing some of the least carbon-intensive agricultural products in the world. While our agriculture sector has seen tremendous productivity growth — thanks to better farm management, improved input efficiency and technological innovation — that growth has slowed since the early millennium. If current trends continue, annual productivity growth is projected to be less than one percent soon, threatening Canada’s competitiveness on the global stage. Research and innovation, like that coming out of BASF, can help. But LaRush cautions it isn’t that simple. “One of the most critical elements for Canadian agriculture to remain competitive and sustainable is by improving Canada's regulatory performance. At BASF, every dollar that we make globally, we invest 10 cents of that back into research and development. But the research and development pipeline for new innovation in AgTech often takes more than 10 years. Then the review and approval process can take just as long.” Out of the 38 OECD countries, Canada ranks 32 for its agricultural regulatory performance. Slow regulatory procedures delay access to technologies farmers need to improve efficiency and yields. “BASF has already prioritized Canada as one of our key countries for agricultural innovation,” LaRush says. “But to keep that level of investment in global research and development, we're really going to need to improve the competitiveness of our regulatory landscape.” LaRush says the government’s focus on affordability, food security and economic growth has created a rallying cry to cut unnecessary regulatory red tape — improving supply chains and strengthening the broader economy. More than that, it could help make Canada a top destination for investment in agricultural innovation. From arts to agriculture Though she didn’t plan to lead teams in agricultural innovation, LaRush repeatedly returned to the sector. Today, she’s proud to be part of an industry that directly influences daily life for people worldwide. She admits that her degree in Business and Speech Communications may seem a little off topic for the agriculture industry but believes that diverse skill sets and perspectives lead to better outcomes. “Whether your expertise is in data science or engineering, communications or finance, there are so many opportunities to have a meaningful impact in the agriculture sector. And I don't think enough people know that.” Even for those outside the sector, LaRush believes Canadians should better understand agriculture’s role. “Canadian farmers are world-leading adopters in innovation and sustainable farming practices. Let's be proud of that and let’s rally to challenge our government to support our industry, so we can continue to bring these new innovations to market.” Arts Community Share

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