- BMO's million-dollar gift to the Simpson Centre for Food and
Agricultural Policy and its strategic academic partners will
promote understanding of food systems for generations to
come
CALGARY,
AB, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - The Simpson
Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy
today announced a $1 million donation
from BMO to launch a ground-breaking program to change how society
perceives and interacts with the food system. The program, Ag
Literacy for Healthier People and Planet, will help build
understanding about the complexities of the agricultural system in
a world where the food we eat plays a crucial role in both our
health and the health of our planet.
The Simpson Centre and its strategic academic partners – 13
universities across Canada, as
well as Stanford University in the U.S.
– will conduct outreach and research on food systems over a period
of approximately five years, to foster a deeper understanding of
the food choices we make and inform the design of agricultural
policies. Through targeted outreach and research, the Centre will
work to promote positive change in food habits and agricultural
policies.
"BMO is a proud partner of Ag Literacy for Healthier People
and Planet to help broaden the understanding and importance of
sustainable innovation within the agricultural food system and how
our communities interact with it," said Helen Seibel, Head, Employee & Community
Giving, BMO. "Supporting agricultural excellence in next
generations of students across Canada and the U.S. aligns with BMO's Purpose,
to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life and
demonstrates how we are driving progress for a sustainable
future."
The program will deliver a variety of written, digital resources
to educate the public on controversial issues in the food system
like the use of GMO, pesticides, and food labels, also surveying
consumer knowledge, and actively engaging with citizens.
Guillaume Lhermie, Director of the Simpson Centre said "The
program is designed to reach a broad range of audiences, including
formal stakeholders such as research, industry, and government, as
well as informal audiences such as consumers and citizens. We are
particularly focused on engaging young adults and teenagers who are
active on social media and eager to participate in shaping the
future of food systems."
BMO Gives. Good grows here.
Helping communities thrive
by supporting the organizations that sustain them and encouraging
employee giving and volunteerism is at the heart of BMO's Purpose,
to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. In 2023, our
social impact included more than $84
million donated to hundreds of charities and non-profit
organizations across North America
to help drive progress by enabling individuals to thrive and
communities to prosper. Our colleagues spent almost 62,000 hours
volunteering in the community and contributed more than
$31.2 million of donations through
our annual employee giving program. For more information, please
visit BMO.com.
About BMO Financial Group
BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of
$1.4 trillion as of April 30, 2024. Serving customers for 200 years
and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees
providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth
management, global markets and investment banking products and
services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United
States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single
purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO
is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making
progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive
society.
About the School of Public Policy
The School of Public
Policy is Canada's leading policy
school. The School was founded in 2008 to drive policy discourse
with relevant research, outreach and teaching. Its faculty is
composed of scholars with exceptional academic credentials and
experienced practitioners in business, government and the
non-profit sector.
The School's research is respected because it is independent,
credible, and based on hard data. Its influence is reflected by its
wide dissemination among policy makers, business leaders, and the
media. Indeed, the School is Canada's most cited policy school, both within
traditional media and academic publications.
About the Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural
Policy
The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy
is an academic policy institute that supports Canadian agri-food
and agriculture, affiliated with the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy.
Our aim is to mobilize research for better policymaking and
decision-making to realize a more sustainable agricultural
industry. Strengthening the sustainability of agri-food and
agribusiness means increasing food production to feed a growing
global population, while attending to social and health impacts and
the natural environment.
SOURCE University of Calgary