Atlantic Canada's Agriculture Summit 2026

Join us at Atlantic Canada’s Inaugural Sustainable Agriculture Conference! On July 27th – 28th, 2026. Be part of the sustainable agriculture Agenda!

Advancing climate-smart farming through collaboration, innovation, and sustainable practices across Atlantic Canada. Join the discussion on key challenges, explore innovative solutions. Connect with Indigenous leaders, industry leaders, academic experts, and government policy makers to help shape a sustainable future.

Secure your spot now and be part of the change! Registration closes soon.

About this Conference

This conference marks a significant milestone for Atlantic Canada, with a focus on advancing climate-smart and sustainable agriculture practices that enhance food security and address climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

The summit is rooted in the Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative (SARI), a joint effort between the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada and in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), to fund research leading to a sustainable, resilient and profitable agriculture sector in a net-zero economy. This summit is bringing together project partners, collaborators, researchers and graduate students across Canada

Topics of discussion at the conference include:

Best management practices to improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Climate action and greenhouse gas modeling
Integrated nutrient management in Potato
Remote sensing and drone applications in agriculture
Precision irrigation and sustainable water management
Effective knowledge and technology transfer in adopting sustainable agriculture
Machine learning and artificial intelligence for agriculture and environmental stewardship
Partnerships and innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador agriculture

Venue

Venue located at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, Corner Brook, NL. View the location on Google Maps for directions.

Conference Agenda

Download PDF Agenda

Our Speakers

Sabrina Ellsworth M.Sc., P.Ag.

Director of Agriculture Production and Research, Gov. of NL

Sabrina Ellsworth is a Professional Agrologist, non-status Indigenous woman, and mother from Newfoundland’s Bay of Islands. Raised in a rural, land-based lifestyle, she developed a strong connection to food and community. She holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (Dalhousie University). With over 20 years in research and government, she now leads a team of 90 professionals, advancing initiatives including the province’s Japanese beetle eradication plan and sustainable agriculture innovation.

Dr. Willemijn Appels

Senior Research Chair, Mueller Irrigation Research Group, Lethbridge Polytechnic

Dr. Appels is a Senior Research Chair at Lethbridge Polytechnic, leading the Mueller Irrigation Research Group. Trained as a hydrologist and soil physicist at Wageningen University (the Netherlands), her expertise is in measuring and modeling agrohydrological processes above and below the soil surface. The group investigates how agricultural water management research can be translated into practical applications for irrigated agriculture in southern Alberta.

Ryan Barrett

Research & Agronomy Specialist, PEI Potato Board

Ryan Barrett is the Research and Agronomy Specialist with the Prince Edward Island Potato Board. He leads and coordinates local and national research initiatives, working closely with various partners and conducting on-farm trials with PEI potato growers. Ryan serves as the lead on three projects under the ACS Living Labs program in the province. He holds a B.Sc. from Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture and an M.Sc. from the University of Guelph. A Professional Agrologist and Certified Crop Advisor for the Atlantic Provinces, Ryan is also the Past-President of the PEI Institute of Agrologists and Chair of the Canadian Potato Council’s Research Working Group.

Dr. Shiv O. Prasher, P.Eng.

Distinguished James McGill Professor, Department of Bioresource Engineering, Macdonald Campus, McGill University

Dr. Prasher is a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the Canadian Society for Bioengineering (CSBE/SCGAB), the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE), and the Society for Applied Biotechnology (SAB). He is Past-President of CSBE/SCGAB, Past-Chair of the Department of Bioresource Engineering at McGill and currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the CSBE/SCGAB Foundation.

Dr. Roland Kroebel

Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Dr. Kroebel joined AAFC in 2012 as a research scientist, drawing on his background in organic farming, environmental systems analysis, and process modeling of greenhouse gases. As lead developer of the open-source Holos model, he works to make farmer practices accountable in the National greenhouse gas Inventory Report and to help industry partners build on Holos code and algorithms, fostering collaboration between government scientists, academics, farmers, practitioners, and consultants.

Dr. Joann Karen Whalen

James McGill Professor / Full Professor, McGill University; Affiliate Professor, Center for Sustainable Soil Sciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (Morocco)

Dr. Whalen holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture from Dalhousie University, a M.Sc from McGill, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University (USA). Her research covers soil biology, soil health, and agricultural nutrient management. She has produced 300+ peer-reviewed scientific articles and supervised 80+ graduate students and postdoctoral researchers and is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and of the Canadian Society of Soil Science.

Jaswinder Singh, PhD

Professor, Department of Plant Science, McGill University

Dr. Jaswinder Singh is a Professor and Director of the NSERC-CREATE program on “Genome Editing for Food Security and Environmental Sustainability” at McGill University, Canada. His research focuses on advancing food security and environmental sustainability through genomics, molecular breeding, and biotechnology. Dr. Singh has also held leadership roles in scientific societies, serving as President of the Canadian Society of Agronomy and as a member of the Board of Directors for Plant Canada. Additionally, he has contributed to key committees, including the International Affairs Committee and the Enid MacRobbie Corresponding Membership Award Committee for the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). His contributions to agriculture have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the C.D. Nelson Award in 2018, the Fellow Award in 2021 and Mary E. Spencer Award in 2025.