About the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance

The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance is a collaboration between the Government of Ontario, the University of Guelph and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO).

The collaboration oversees Ontario's agri-food research centres, which are owned by ARIO and managed by U of G through the Alliance.

By supporting the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the provincial government invests directly in research that improves the health, well-being and prosperity of people in Ontario, Canada and beyond.

In turn, this collaboration supports research breakthroughs, safer food, better disease monitoring and prevention, and new products and technology. No wonder the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance is viewed as a model for creative and effective government-university collaborations.

The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance includes:

Agriculture and Food Laboratory (AFL)

The AFL provides high quality, special purpose laboratory services in support of Ontario's agriculture and food sectors and rural communities.

Animal Health Laboratory (AHL)

The AHL is a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory that supports provincial animal disease diagnosis and surveillance.

Research Programs

The Alliance funds priority-driven research, training of Highly Qualified Personnel, and knowledge mobilization programs designed to meet the needs of Ontario's agri-food sectors and rural communities. Visit the funding programs section of our website to learn more about our programming. 

Veterinary Capacity Program (VCP)

The Alliance provides funding for the Ontario Veterinary College's Health Sciences Centre, advanced clinical training, research and externships for students and the OVC's Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. Learn more by visiting the Veterinary Capacity Program page


Every year the Alliance publishes an annual report detailing the activities, budgets, expenditures and performance measures for each of the Alliance's four program areas. These reports can be found on The Atrium, U of G's institutional repository of digital resources.