Bioproducts Research Program
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Executive Summary
The OMAFRA / UofG Bio-products Research Program aims to build on existing research programs by integrating research expertise that has been active in other areas to contribute to the development of bio-products value-chains. Value chains or value networks attempt to describe the linkages that exist between various sectors and participants in the food and agricultural production continuum. A simplistic value-chain in the case of bio-products could be described as ‘field-to-final product’ involving the entire spectrum of crop and animal production inputs, production management systems, harvesting, handling, storage, transportation, processing, refining, packaging, wholesaling, distribution and retailing with value provided from one link to the next in the chain (ideally, in both directions). In reality, today’s agri-food sector must operate more as a value-network where there are not only vertical ‘field-to-final product’ chains, but also many horizontal linkages (across disciplines, across sector lines, across traditional commodity or product utilization patterns, etc.). To address societal and agri-food sector priorities for bio-products in the most meaningful and practical way, research programs must also be built around these value networks.
The OMAFRA / UofG Bio-products program is a new area of research focus for the University of Guelph, in that currently, there are only a limited number of research projects funded that relate to specific bio-products or bio-product markets. However, the University’s expertise in life sciences, crop and livestock genetics, breeding and production, environmental management, and business/market analysis provides a natural platform for our involvement in research on new products and new technologies to address emerging needs and market opportunities for a broad spectrum of bio-products. Much of the University of Guelph’s science expertise in the fields of nutrition, engineering, processing, and other food related disciplines is also relevant and applicable to bio-products applications.
Despite these strengths, however, Guelph does face substantial challenges in the area of bio-products research and development, the most obvious being that the University’s research programs are, to date, generally not linked directly to the primary manufacturers and users/potential users of bio-products. There are a number of research programs at other universities that have already built such direct linkages with private sector bio-products developers, but these institutions may lack or may be seeking the types of research capabilities that Guelph can offer to contribute to bio-products development. Therefore, more than ever before, Guelph researchers will need to proactively build broader value-chain collaborations with other institutions and the private sector into their research plans.