Using science and technology will be vital to feeding people and protecting the environment.Sustainably needs to be the centrepiece of food policy development, says the final report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) on what Canada needs to do to reach its $27 billion agrifood export target.The report flowed from regional workshops CAPI held this year collecting ideas from the sector on how to grow agrifood exports, says CAPI Chairman Ted Bilyea.The Institute intends to keep seeking ideas from the agrifood sector to increase food production while preserving the environment.“We need to take a broader look at protecting our soil and water but we also need to eat.”While it will remain engaged, other elements of the agrifood value chain need to take leadership roles on sustainability and other goals identified in the CAPI report, he said.In addition to the overarching goal of making Canada “the trusted global leader in safe, nutritious, and sustainable food for the 21st century,” the report says food insecurity, rising health care costs and climate change must not be allowed to undermine human health.A price tag is needed on boosting food production sustainably and new models of partnership are needed to deliver an array of public and private solutions to boost the future performance of the industry. As well, science and policy communities and practitioners must generate and disseminate the knowledge required to ensure growth.Bilyea said the report's ideas are not rocket science and came from discussions with agrifood representatives at the regional workshops. “Finding solutions requires everyone in the value chain to help. It will be an ongoing project.”The CAPI report said reaching the $75 billion export set by federal economic advisor Dominic Barton would roughly double Canada's export share in a decade and position Canada as the “trusted global leader in safe, nutritious and sustainable food for the 21st century.”“We have to rethink how we look at the sector for the future,” said Don Buckingham, President & CEO of CAPI. “The agriculture and agrifood sector has always been a dynamic sector, which plays a major role in our economic well-being. Now more than ever, the sector is central to our aspirations for our country's future; it is time we accord it the importance it deserves.”CAPI convened the workshops was to commence a dialogue about the quality of growth rather than focusing only on its scale, he said. “Achieving $75 billion in exports may be challenging but it is quite doable.“Innovation in products, practices and policies could be the path for addressing sustainability and climate change,” he said. “It also has the potential to lead to the improved health and well-being of Canadians through the production of higher quality and more nutritious foods that are accessible to all.”The role of science and innovation in boosting food production attracted a lot of attention in the workshops because of past successes in developing crop varieties, livestock breeds and farm management practices that have delivered health, environmental and economic benefits, the report said.“But more needs to be done to secure the ongoing delivery of sustainably produced nutritious food now and in the future. Science continues to unveil the complex relationships between soil-human-animal health and offer opportunities for lower risk, higher return, and quality food systems.”The sector needs to take advantage of “increased attention and funding by the federal government for fundamental R&D and to support innovation and commercialization,” the report said. An innovation market place could help companies scale up and commercialize innovations assisted by “a private-sector-led growth fund, review and rationalization of innovation-focused government programing, and greater efforts to access talent through targeted immigration policies.”While Canada ranks well in scientific research capacity, there are “skill shortages in some agricultural related science fields.” There is a lack of an entrepreneurial/risk- taking culture and business know-how required for commercialization.It's also vital to “get the message out that agriculture is a modern, success story so talented young people will be attracted,” the report said.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.