Cultivating Ideas: Highlights From the Rural Symposium

The University of Guelph School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, and the Government of Ontario co-hosted the 11th annual Rural Research Symposium on March 26, bringing together students, faculty, community practitioners, government and non-governmental organizations to share research on emerging rural themes. The event featured a series of insightful presentations, posters and networking opportunities, with the goal of fostering collaboration and innovation in rural research.

Presenters highlighted several critical themes, including sustainability, agriculture, rural peoples, infrastructure development, education, technology, economic development and Indigenous peoples. These topics sparked engaging conversations among attendees, emphasizing the importance of addressing these challenges to improve the quality of life in rural areas.

Researchers shared updates and results on many Alliance-funded initiatives, including the Special Initiatives project Braiding Food Systems: Co-Constructing Indigenous Seed Systems in Northern Ontario for Food Sovereignty, Security and Climate Adaptation  and Enabling Responsible AI-Driven Agri-Food Innovation in Ontario: Challenges and Opportunities.

All posters and presentations presented from the event can be accessed online through the Rural Repository.

Thank you to all who attended and contributed to the success of this symposium.