About the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance

Agri-food is one of Ontario's largest industries, worth $37 billion to the province's economy and directly employing more than 800,000 people. The sector is evolving and is being looked at to provide solutions to a growing number of challenges; from producing food at a low cost, to making greater contributions to human health.

The University of Guelph stands as a natural leader in meeting those challenges. Our decades-long partnership with OMAFRA enables innovative research and education, and is fundamental to our ability to continue to play a leadership role in sustaining and enhancing Canada's ever-important agri-food industry.

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 partnership 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, knowledge mobilization and commercialization 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.