At Canola Week 2021, Jim Everson, president of the Canola Council of Canada, presented on the importance of research and innovation to meet increasing demand for Canadian canola, while ensuring sustainability. This article is based on that presentation.
Renewable diesel processing facilities are in a building boom in the U.S. and Canada. The primary feedstock for renewable diesel is plant-based oils and a secondary feedstock will be as much used cooking oil as the processors can get.
Canola needs constant innovation to increase supply, to maintain high demand for its oil and protein, and to improve its environmental footprint. Through 2021, the Canola Council of Canada consulted with canola grower organizations and companies along the value chain to identify innovation focal points to achieve these objectives.
A few samples: “What’s right for your farm isn’t the same as what’s right for your neighbour’s farm” and “Just because you believe something about clubroot or blackleg today might not necessarily be true two years or five years from now” and “If you only have a few insects, you can actually have a boost in yield.”