A $450,000 gift from the George Morris Centre will enable new agriculture and food policy research and scholarships at the University of Guelph (U of G).
The gift, in accordance with the wishes of the late George Morris, will fund the George Morris Agriculture and Food Policy Research Grant and the set up of the George Morris Graduate Student Scholarship.
The gift was celebrated yesterday at a reception held at the University of Guelph.
In June 2014 the George Morris Centre (GMC), an agri-food think tank, announced it would dissolve at the end of 2014 and transfer its net assets as a gift to the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) of the U of G.
“We were determined that the vision George had for independent analysis of agri-food policy would be sustained,” said Bob Funk, George Morris Centre board chair. “We are gratified with the respectful response of the University to the concepts we presented for the use of the funds. GMC board members are now considering ways in which the fund may even be augmented.”
Bob Hunsburger, who was a friend of George Morris and the treasurer of the board, added, “George would be so pleased with these actions taken in his memory”.
The new research grant will support a visiting researcher to spend one to two weeks in the University’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics to work on research relevant to Ontario or Canadian agricultural policy issues.
The George Morris Graduate Student Scholarship of $10,000 will be available to PhD or M.Sc. students in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics interested in policy related research.
“George Morris was a visionary farmer and long-time friend of the University of Guelph. We are very thankful and pleased to help continue his legacy through research efforts and scholarships,” said Rob Gordon, dean of the OAC.
The George Morris Centre has made a significant contribution to research and policy discussion over the past 25 years. In 1990, George Fletcher Morris, LLD, an agri-food visionary and leader, created the Center in partnership with the U of G to ensure the sustained ability of Canada's agri-food industries. From 1990 through 1998, the George Morris Centre operated as a department of the U of G. In 1998, the Centre was registered as a non-profit charitable corporation. As of December 31, 2014 operations of the centre ceased.
Contacts:
John F.T. Scott
Managing Director, George Morris Centre
647-403-9099
jftscott@cogeco.ca
John Cranfield
Chair, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph
jcranfie@uoguelph.ca