ELORA – The Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) annual symposium will be held June 1 at the GrandWay Event Centre in Elora from 10am to 1pm.
Feauturing two keynote speakers and the presentation of the LRIC Early Career Faculty Research Award, the event will share good news about the livestock sector.
Animal Agriculture Alliance CEO Hannah Thompson-Weeman will focus on the “how” and “why” of disseminating a message about livestock production to people who organizers say need to hear it – from policymakers to the general public.
University of Guelph food science professor Michael Rogers will present research about how food production plays a key role in how the human body digests and absorbs what we eat. Rogers will share findings on the human health impacts of eating a plant-based burger versus one that is animal-based.
“There are many people and organizations telling the story of livestock today and their short, simple … messages are gaining traction with a general public that have little or no connection to livestock farming,” LRIC CEO Mike McMorris said in a press release about the event. “The problem is that those messages don’t tell the balanced story of livestock and the critical role it plays in sustainability, human nutrition, food security and the economy,” McMorris stated, adding, “it’s up to our sector to make sure the whole story is part of that public narrative.”
The symposium also includes the presentation of the 2023 LRIC Early Career Research Award.
Up to $70,000 is available each year to faculty from the University of Guelph who are participanting in the LRIC’s Early Career Mentorship Program, and who are involved with a research project or program aimed at fostering and building knowledge and capacity in the Ontario livestock sector.
The award is funded by the LRIC, Grand River Agricultural Society, Western Fair Association, Ontario Agricultural College, and the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).
The award was launched in 2022 with funding provided to three recipients: Jennifer Ellis, Nicole Ricker; and Sam Workenhe.
The deadline to register is May 23.
Visit the LRIC website at livestockresearch.ca to register.
