BRAMPTON, ON and GUELPH, ON, March 25 /CNW/ – A leader in building agricultural research and knowledge networks, Professor Ralph Martin has been appointed the Loblaw Companies Limited Chair in Sustainable Food Production at the University of Guelph (U of G), following a year-long international search. Martin, a plant and animal sciences professor at Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC), will begin advancing sustainable food production education and practices this month.

“This is a very important and distinctive position, and far from a traditional academic chair,” said Alastair Summerlee, president, University of Guelph. “It was designed to be a portal for knowledge on the complex and diverse topic of sustainable food. U of G’s Ontario Agricultural College is ideally suited to host this initiative, given our history in agriculture, food and food sciences research.”

The chair — funded by a $3-million gift from Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) — will form the foundation of U of G research on strengthening food production systems. A Canadian first, this position will lead change in food production systems through education, research, practice and outreach within the context of the essential elements of sustainability, the environment, communities and the economy.

“Our goal is to establish a global centre of excellence, bringing the best ideas and minds together to make Canada a world leader in sustainable food production,” said Galen G. Weston, executive chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited. “We are excited by Ralph’s appointment as we continue to support partnerships like this, in order to develop long term solutions to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Canadians.”

Martin has been a professor at NSAC since 1990 and is director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada. Founded in 2001 and the only institution of its kind in the country, it is a leader in organic research and education. In 2010 he launched Canada’s Organic Science Cluster, the first federally funded program of its type. The program is part of the Canadian Agri-Science Clusters Initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward Policy Framework and is supported by industry partners. Martin was selected for this position based on his expertise in the discipline, his networking skills, and his ability to work with diverse scientists and scholars.

Rob Gordon, dean of U of G’s Ontario Agricultural College, added: “We are enormously pleased to partner with Loblaw in this new initiative. It will provide benefits to consumers, to Canada’s food industry and to the environment that we all share. We welcome the opportunity to apply our expertise, influence and experience to develop new solutions for existing and emerging challenges.”

As the chair, Martin will guide the development of food and agriculture policy, with the end goal of improving the sustainability of agriculture and food production in Canada. He will lead a national program in sustainable local food production, organize roundtables on the topic and create an industry advisory group to guide novel curriculum development. He will also co-ordinate researchers in agriculture and food production, and lead public and private-sector collaborations.

“I am honoured by this appointment,” Martin said. “I welcome the challenge of conversing with key players to develop and strengthen ties among the University of Guelph and other institutions, consumers, industry and other groups to advance sustainable food production education and practices.”

To date, Martin’s research has been focused on integrated plant production systems and applied environmental science. He has written numerous journal articles and book chapters, and has addressed conferences around the world. He earned a PhD in plant science from McGill University, and a master’s degree in biology and a bachelor of arts degree from Carleton University.

About the University of Guelph
The University of Guelph is ranked as one of Canada’s top comprehensive universities because of its commitment to student learning and innovative research. U of G is dedicated to cultivating the essentials for quality of life — water, food, environment, animal and human health, community, commerce, culture and learning. The University community also shares a profound sense of social responsibility, an obligation to address global issues and a concern for international development. The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) is one of seven colleges at U of G, and the largest and most comprehensive institution in Canada devoted to teaching, research and outreach in food, agriculture, rural communities and the environment. This gift and the chair position are part of the University of Guelph’s BetterPlanet Project campaign [www.thebetterplanetproject.ca]

About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada’s largest food distributor and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than 136,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian customers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada’s strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President’s Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh Style® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to customers President’s Choice Financial® services and offers the PC® points loyalty program.

For further information:
For more information or a photo, please contact:

Julija Hunter
Vice-President, Public Relations
Loblaw Companies Limited
pr@loblaw.ca or 905-459-2500

$3-million gift from Loblaw catalyst in creation of chair

BRAMPTON and GUELPH, ON, April 7 /CNW/ – Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and the University of Guelph, (U of G) today announced the creation of The Loblaw Companies Limited Chair in Sustainable Food Production. The chair was made possible by a $3-million gift from Loblaw and will be the centre of U of G’s research focus on creating robust food production systems. It will help lead change in food production systems through education, research, practice and outreach within the context of the essential elements of sustainability: the environment, communities and the economy.

“Issues related to food production and supply are among the greatest societal challenges of our time,” said U of G president Alastair Summerlee. “Accelerating the pace of change requires new ways of thinking, new approaches to teaching and sharing knowledge, and new definitions of innovation. This new chair is a critical first step in helping to develop long-term solutions for a healthy future.”

U of G and Loblaw are uniquely positioned to make a significant contribution to sustainable food production. U of G’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) is the largest and oldest in Canada, having been established in 1874. U of G has excelled in research. Loblaw, Canada’s largest food distributor, is committed to corporate social responsibility, respect for the environment, and food quality and value.

“Working together, we can address the very issues that are at the root of today’s global pressures around food sustainability,” said Galen G. Weston, executive chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited. “Through this initiative, we believe we can help to increase Canada’s capacity to produce food sustainably, train tomorrow’s industry leaders, contribute to policy development, meet consumers’ needs and nurture our environment. It represents the defining strategy for Loblaw over the next two decades.”

Among other things, The Loblaw Chair in Sustainable Food Production will pioneer approaches for dealing with the increasing challenges in agriculture and food production. This includes leading a national program in sustainable local food production, developing roundtables on the topic and creating an industry advisory group to guide novel curriculum development.

The chair will also assemble a core of researchers in agriculture and food production, lead collaborations in the public and private sectors, serve as a key resource for government food and agriculture policy development, and work to lead and advance the sustainability of agriculture and food production in Canada.

A search for the inaugural chair holder will begin immediately, and the position will be based at U of G’s OAC in the Department of Plant Agriculture.

“We are enormously pleased to partner with Loblaw in this new initiative,” said OAC dean Rob Gordon. “It will provide benefits to consumers, to Canada’s food industry and to the environment that we all share. We welcome the opportunity to apply our expertise, influence and experience to develop new solutions for existing and emerging challenges.”

OAC has more than 150 faculty members engaged in agricultural teaching, research and outreach. In addition, U of G has a long-standing partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, which fuels innovation in agriculture, food and environmental sustainability. “Our agri-food research, teaching and service capacity will only be further enhanced by this new and innovative partnership,” Gordon said.

The Loblaw Chair in Sustainable Food Production is part of U of G’s ongoing fundraising efforts to cultivate teaching and research in areas that are essential for quality of life: food, water, animals, public health, the environment and communities.

About the University of Guelph
The University of Guelph is ranked as one of Canada’s top comprehensive universities because of its commitment to student learning and innovative research. U of G is dedicated to cultivating the essentials for quality of life – water, food, environment, animal and human health, community, commerce, culture and learning. The University community also shares a profound sense of social responsibility, an obligation to address global issues and a concern for international development.

About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada’s largest food distributor and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ over 138,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian customers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada’s strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President’s Choice(R), no name(R) and Joe Fresh Style(R) brands. In addition, the Company makes available to customers President’s Choice Financial(R) services and offers the PC(R) points loyalty progr!
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For further information: Julija Hunter, Vice-President, Public Relations, Loblaw Companies Limited, PR@loblaw.ca or (905) 459-2500; Lori Bona Hunt, Associate Director (News Service), Communications and Public Affairs, University of Guelph, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, lhunt@uoguelph.ca

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