Ontario's greenhouse-growing vegetable sector has the potential for significant growth while experiencing mounting risks. Growers will need to step up their solid management practices in order to capture the opportunities and mitigate the risks.
Ontario's greenhouse vegetable growing sector is significant. Its annual farm gate value is $1.3 B, contributes $2.3 B to the province's overall GDP, and supports more than 32,000 jobs. 81.6% of all greenhouse vegetable exports from Canada are produced in Ontario.
In the face of obstacles like the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions in global trade, Ontario's greenhouse industry provides Canada with food security and satisfies the demands of a growing population.
A new report, "Ontario Growth and Sustainable Prosperity Study 2023", highlights the industry's potential for growth while identifying critical problems that must be resolved. Rising energy prices, constrained energy infrastructure, expanding concerns about a warming climate, and inaccessible government programs meant to promote the industry are high on the list.
The report emphasizes the multiplier effect. The industry's activities create demand in the retail, food service, transportation, and logistics industries. The greenhouse growing sector is an economic engine on which many neighboring small businesses depend.
The mounting pressures from rising energy costs and growing concerns over carbon emissions are providing headwinds for the industry. To remain competitive, greenhouse operators have had to become more sophisticated without sacrificing their family farming touch.
An Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) tool has been created by AIRM Consulting Ltd., the authors of the report. The company specializes in artificial intelligence and risk management to study and quantify the sector's enablers and inhibitors. The AIRM report is informative. It provides a fact-based overview of the industry's current situation, difficulties, and possibilities as a foundation for creating prosperity in the greenhouse vegetable sector.
What growers need are specific steps that will deal with the risks that are mounting for the industry. The challenge is to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions to improve costs and savings without impacting production. To do that successfully, growers can deploy innovative technology, implement energy conservation measures, and power production with lower carbon-emitting energy sources. None of this will happen, however, without a strategic approach and implementation plan for energy management.
Tools like the 360 Energy Greenhouse Optimizer and the Energy and Carbon Operating System (ECOS) work hand in hand to help growers implement strategic energy management practices customized for their specific organization. The holistic approach ensures a coordinated deployment of technology, efficiency, and cost-saving measures for effective and sustainable outcomes.
The "Ontario Growth and Sustainable Prosperity Study 2023" emphasizes the importance of the greenhouse vegetable industry for both economic growth and food security. The report draws attention to the industry's use of precision farming, renewable energy sources, and recycling methods. Such initiatives demonstrate the sector's efforts to rise to the environmental sustainability challenge.
To make the transition all the way to net zero carbon emissions while remaining competitive, investigations are underway to screen carbon offset projects and participate in credible offset markets. The report highlights the demand for strategic funding and support to maintain Ontario's greenhouse sector's expansion and success.
The Ontario greenhouse vegetable industry is resilient and dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and quality. Thanks to investments in technology, renewable energy, and sustainable practices, companies in this sector are leading the way into a low carbon-emitting food production supply chain.
The sector is well-positioned for significant national and North American economic growth. A strategic, not ad hoc approach to managing energy is needed so the sector can continue to meet the challenges of sustainably producing locally cultivated food.
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