Carbon neutral, pesticide-free glasshouse berry production for Canada

This project will deliver year-round pesticide-free berries in energy efficient, carbon-neutral Smart Greenhouses, replacing imports with their superior quality and price point. Local berries will be available across Canada, year-round, close to home, with a low carbon footprint. Canadian consumers will have the opportunity to explore new berry varieties with superior flavour and health benefits that will never be found on the “Dirty Dozen” list of pesticide-contaminated produce. Our impressive leaders in agritech, plant health, clean energy, business and glasshouse production will achieve this by putting plant health and clean energy at the center of our approach. Early warning sensor and robotic technologies will monitor, forecast, and manage pest and disease at levels below human detection. Clean energy will be harvested, converted, and stored between seasons, waste heat will be recovered, and CO2 will be harvested from air to support the crop. A software interface will provide growers with data integration and a business model to understand and facilitate conversion to sustainable, year-round berry production. The partner organization will benefit from being the catalyst for the development of several new technologies for food production.

Faculty Supervisor:

Deborah Henderson;Majid Bahrami;Deborah Henderson

Student:

Partner:

Weston Family Foundation;Argus Control Systems Ltd.;Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc;Star Produce;Altastream Energy;Sollum Technologies Inc;Qiano Bioscience;Applied Bio-nomics Ltd.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Simon Fraser University

Program:

Accelerate