- BMO's million-dollar gift to the Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy and its strategic academic partners will promote understanding of food systems for generations to come
CALGARY, AB, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy today announced a $1 million donation from BMO to launch a ground-breaking program to change how society perceives and interacts with the food system. The program, Ag Literacy for Healthier People and Planet, will help build understanding about the complexities of the agricultural system in a world where the food we eat plays a crucial role in both our health and the health of our planet.
The Simpson Centre and its strategic academic partners – 13 universities across Canada, as well as Stanford University in the U.S. – will conduct outreach and research on food systems over a period of approximately five years, to foster a deeper understanding of the food choices we make and inform the design of agricultural policies. Through targeted outreach and research, the Centre will work to promote positive change in food habits and agricultural policies.
"BMO is a proud partner of Ag Literacy for Healthier People and Planet to help broaden the understanding and importance of sustainable innovation within the agricultural food system and how our communities interact with it," said Helen Seibel, Head, Employee & Community Giving, BMO. "Supporting agricultural excellence in next generations of students across Canada and the U.S. aligns with BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life and demonstrates how we are driving progress for a sustainable future."
The program will deliver a variety of written, digital resources to educate the public on controversial issues in the food system like the use of GMO, pesticides, and food labels, also surveying consumer knowledge, and actively engaging with citizens.
Guillaume Lhermie, Director of the Simpson Centre said "The program is designed to reach a broad range of audiences, including formal stakeholders such as research, industry, and government, as well as informal audiences such as consumers and citizens. We are particularly focused on engaging young adults and teenagers who are active on social media and eager to participate in shaping the future of food systems."
BMO Gives. Good grows here.
Helping communities thrive by supporting the organizations that sustain them and encouraging employee giving and volunteerism is at the heart of BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. In 2023, our social impact included more than $84 million donated to hundreds of charities and non-profit organizations across North America to help drive progress by enabling individuals to thrive and communities to prosper. Our colleagues spent almost 62,000 hours volunteering in the community and contributed more than $31.2 million of donations through our annual employee giving program. For more information, please visit BMO.com.
About BMO Financial Group
BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.4 trillion as of April 30, 2024. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society.
About the School of Public Policy
The School of Public Policy is Canada's leading policy school. The School was founded in 2008 to drive policy discourse with relevant research, outreach and teaching. Its faculty is composed of scholars with exceptional academic credentials and experienced practitioners in business, government and the non-profit sector.
The School's research is respected because it is independent, credible, and based on hard data. Its influence is reflected by its wide dissemination among policy makers, business leaders, and the media. Indeed, the School is Canada's most cited policy school, both within traditional media and academic publications.
About the Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy
The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy is an academic policy institute that supports Canadian agri-food and agriculture, affiliated with the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. Our aim is to mobilize research for better policymaking and decision-making to realize a more sustainable agricultural industry. Strengthening the sustainability of agri-food and agribusiness means increasing food production to feed a growing global population, while attending to social and health impacts and the natural environment.
SOURCE University of Calgary
Media Contact: Gord Der Stepanian, [email protected], 403.210.6508
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