FARE Community Shines at the 16th Annual Canadian Agri Food Policy Conference

The 16th Annual Canadian Agri‑Food Policy Conference (CAPC) in Ottawa brought together a remarkable group of FARE faculty, students, and alumni, once again demonstrating the depth, talent, and impact of our community. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and contributions.

Celebrating Leadership and Service

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Yu Na Lee for organizing an outstanding policy conference and for her exceptional leadership throughout the Society’s three-year presidential cycle. This commitment demands continuity, strategic thinking, and sustained engagement, qualities that Yu Na consistently demonstrated. Over this period, she provided steady vision, thoughtful guidance, and tireless dedication. Her service has strengthened both the Society and the broader agri-food policy community, and we are grateful.

Recognizing Award-Winning Scholarship

We congratulate this year’s competition award recipients for their outstanding achievements:

Enock Desmond Opoku, First Place, 2026 Student Policy Brief Competition

Neslihan Donmez, Second Place, Student Poster Competition

These accomplishments reflect the high calibre of policy-relevant research within our department and the commitment of our students to addressing critical policy challenges.

Showcasing FARE Expertise

We extend sincere appreciation to all faculty and student presenters who represented FARE with distinction. Brady Deaton chaired a very successful session on Food Security in the Twenty-First Century, sparking insightful discussions during and after the session. This event was sponsored by the McCain Family Chair in Food Security.

FARE researchers also contributed to organized sessions:

Jamie Naylor – Food Security in Canada and the North

Aaron De Laporte – Farm Management Research and Extension: Mapping Canada’s Farm Business Management Research Landscape and Path Forward

Lightening Session

Our faculty and students made contributions to current policy issues in the agri-food sector through insightful and dynamic lightning presentations:

Enock Desmond Opoku – Assessing the Impact of Geopolitical Tensions and Economic Diplomacy on Canada’s Agri-food Trade

José Nuño-Ledesma – Welfare Effects of Disease and Trade Disruptions in Ontario's Beef and Pork Sectors

Weizhe Weng – The Unintended Consequences of Managed Trade: Evidence from the U.S.–Mexico Sugar Suspension Agreement

Student Poster Presentations

We proudly acknowledge the outstanding work of our student poster presenters:

Ashley Whiteman – Rethinking Investment Decisions in Hydroponic Vertical Farming: Why Accounting for Uncertainty Matters for Food Policy

Houman Hashemzadeh – Understanding Nitrogen Overapplication through Farmers’ Perceived Yield Responses

Neslihan Donmez – Canadian Consumers’ Perception of and Willingness to Consume Gene-Edited Beef and Milk

Tong Liu – Disease, Trade Disruption, and Provincial Transportation Regulations: Welfare Effects on Ontario's Beef Sector

Stephen Elvis Ampah – Beyond Gender Labels: A Constraint-Based Targeting Map for Climate‑Smart Agriculture in Ghana

A Strong Alumni Presence

We were also delighted to see many FARE alumni participating in the conference. Their continued engagement reflects the strong bonds forged within our community and the lasting impact of our programs.

We are continually inspired by the hard work, curiosity, and leadership shown by our faculty, students, researchers, and alumni. Everything you do helps strengthen FARE’s reputation and makes a real difference in shaping food, agriculture, and resource policies in Canada and around the world. Thank you for your ongoing excellence and engagement.