Impact Stories

For more than 150 years, U of G researchers have worked with partners throughout the agriculture industry to make food better, healthier, safer and more available, from turkey and potatoes to honey and apple pie.

Canada’s Food University brings together top-ranked programs in food, agriculture and veterinary science with expertise, from farm to fork. As Canada faces ever-growing threats to food sovereignty, U of G is at the forefront of innovating our food system and keeping Canadians fed.

The disease outbreak that never spreads. The crop losses that never occur. The emerging threat that is detected and managed before it can disrupt farms, food supply chains or markets.

Success in risk management is often invisible.

Through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, investments in research, talent and infrastructure help ensure Ontario has the expertise and capacity to identify risks early and respond effectively.

In May 2003 a cow in northern Alberta tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), leading 40 countries to restrict imports of Canadian beef cattle and meat. From 2002 to 2003, cattle and calf farm cash receipts dropped by 33 per cent: a loss of $2.5 billion.

A resilient Ontario livestock sector is one in which producers can adapt to disruptions like market shifts or disease outbreaks, producing healthy animals and accessing markets for their sale. Find out how the Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN) plays a pivotal role in preparedness, early detection and response. Read the story: Building a Resilient Livestock Sector: Role of the OAHN.

Meeting the demand for grown-in-Ontario fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes involves more than putting seeds in the ground—it takes scientific expertise in breeding, genetics, biotechnology and more—specialities that are highly concentrated at the University of Guelph, Canada’s top agricultural university. Meet some of the U of G researchers who are experts in plant breeders and livestock genetics, all working to bring fresh, Ontario produce to market: 

When Toronto-based bio-tech company Index Biosystems wanted to expand its BioTags^® food safety technology to a new food product, they needed to validate the new use under real processing conditions—beyond the lab bench. Their next move? Partnering with the Guelph Food Innovation Centre (GFIC) at the University of Guelph.

The University of Guelph has been named among the top institutions globally, ranking in a record 15 subjects in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject. 

Ranked number one in Canada, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) broke the top five in the global rankings, climbing to fourth from sixth last year, confirming its reputation as a world-leading institution in veterinary science,research and education.

A delegation of Canadian senators conducted a full day fact-finding mission on Friday, March 6, 2026, visiting several major food system organizations and research facilities across Southwestern Ontario. Senator Tracy Muggli talked with Farms.com editor Andrew Joseph on March 11 to provide her views on visiting and learning about how the Ontario Beef Research Centre, Guelph Food Innovation Centre, Arrell Food Institute, and Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility go about their business to help create domestic food security. The tour supported the Senate Committee on Agriculture an

Dr. Steve Loewen always has his sights on traits that tomatoes will need in the future. After almost four decades as a processing tomato plant breeder, his curiosity and focus on improving the odds for this segment of Ontario agriculture is still what gets him out the door every day. 

Loewen’s work supports the processing tomato sector, which harvested over 670,000 tonnes of tomatoes in 2025 and has a gross farm value of nearly $100 million.

Dr. Bonnie Mallard's award-winning research is high-immune response (HIR™) technology, a test to find animals that can pass down their naturally strong immune response genetics. The technology, licensed to Semex in Guelph, has led to the creation of Immunity+® semen.