CAPI announces 2010-2011 awards program

OTTAWA, November 2, 2010 — The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), with the support of Farm Credit Canada (FCC), is pleased to announce that its 2010-2011 graduate student awards program is now open to applicants.

The awards program, Advancing a National Dialogue, is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are pursuing graduate studies in the schools of agricultural science, food science, environmental science and/or economic studies within Canadian Universities.

“The program is designed to generate creative ideas from graduate students on what we need as a country to improve the competitiveness and profitability of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector,” said David McInnes, President & CEO of CAPI.

Three awards will be granted, one at $10,000 and two at $5,000 each. The program, which was launched in 2009, will award a total of $45,000 over three years.

To be considered, applicants must submit a position paper that addresses the following question as it relates to issues of food and wellness, sustainability and/or viability:

“The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector must adapt to a changing world. How can we fundamentally transform how we collaborate and innovate in order to meet emerging challenges and opportunities faced across the agriculture and agri-food sector?”

The position paper must present a strong, logical case that will demonstrate the applicants’ understanding of the material and their critical thinking skills. Interested candidates may apply online at www.aucc.ca/scholarships. The competition closing date is January 4, 2011.

The selection of the winners will be made in the Spring 2011 by a panel of Canadian specialists in the field of agriculture and agri-food.

About CAPI
The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) is an independent, unbiased policy forum that is dedicated to the success of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. CAPI is a catalyst. It identifies emerging issues, promotes dialogue and advances alternative solutions to issues with stakeholders across the diverse agriculture and agri-food value chain, and among academia, research institutes, governments and other sectors in Canada. Based in Ottawa, CAPI was established as a not-for-profit corporation in 2004 by the federal government and is guided by a diverse Board of Directors and an Advisory Committee.

For more information, please contact:

David McInnes
President & Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute
(613) 232-8008 x. 221 / (866) 534-7593
mcinnesd@capi-icpa.ca

About FCC
As Canada’s leading agriculture lender, FCC is advancing the business of agriculture. With a healthy portfolio of more than $19.7 billion and 17 consecutive years of portfolio growth, FCC is strong and stable – committed to serving the industry through all cycles. FCC provides financing, insurance, software, learning programs and other business services to producers, agribusinesses and agri-food operations. FCC employees are passionate about agriculture and committed to the success of customers and the industry. For more information, visit www.fcc.ca

For more information, please contact:

Nadine Durant
Senior Communication Strategist
Farm Credit Canada
(306) 780-7765
nadine.durant@fcc-fac.ca