Funding Supports Research on Food Industry Competitiveness....

Posted on Monday, June 06, 2011

Researchers in the College of Management and Economics and the Ontario Agricultural College have received $200,000 from OMAFRA’s New Directions Research Program to study the competitiveness of Ontario’s food industry.

“Understanding competitiveness requires a mix of economics, management and public policy expertise that our team is uniquely qualified to provide for this important project,” says principal investigator Erna van Duren, a professor in the Department of Business.

In collaboration with a variety of food industry stakeholders, the researchers will examine what drives competitiveness at the business and industry level in Ontario, Canada and the global economy. The three-year study will provide recommendations for industry tailored to each type of organization based on its degree of control or influence on the drivers.

Enhanced competitiveness of Ontario food manufacturing strengthens the economic resiliency of rural Ontario as well as the ability of producers, processors and others within the agro-economy to invest in the best environmental and food safety infrastructure and practices. Faculty and students are tackling competitiveness challenges through a combination of standard and novel quantitative analysis techniques, case studies and consultation with industry leaders from companies and industry associations.

In support of CME’s goal of transformational learning, the research will also involve undergraduate research experience. Students will learn how to assess the impact that the policy environment can have on corporate performance and develop practical and innovative policy suggestions.  The researchers include Prof. Maury Bredahl, Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics; Prof. Mike von Massow, Hospitality and Tourism Management; Prof. Elliot Currie, Business; and Myles Frosst, School of Environmental Sciences.

The New Directions Research Program aims to stimulate the sustainable growth and competitiveness of Ontario’s agri-food sector by investing in innovative research through collaborations with industry, rural communities, government and research institutions.