The Ontario government is committing $1.2 million in agri-food research funding for projects related to bioproducts, waste reduction, and recycling technologies.
Through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the government is funding research to develop and market biodegradable and/or compostable straws made from natural fibre using Ontario-grown miscanthus grass and corn stover. It is anticipated the material used for the straws could later be used in other common single-use items such as cutlery and food containers.
Another project will use three-dimensional (3D) printing to make lightweight, stable, biomedical, and automotive products using agricultural residues and recycled plastic.
Other research projects include:
- Creating renewable biochemical products from poultry waste
- Adding value to Ontario-grown beans by identifying novel food uses for new products, such as bakery products with new properties and high-value food ingredients from bean processing by-products.
- Investigating renewable energy technologies from greenhouse vegetable waste.
The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance is a collaboration between the Ontario government and the University of Guelph.
