A $60-million agricultural technology competition has been launched in Alberta.
Competitors are invited to tackle three of Alberta’s biggest environmental and economic challenges, which the province said include “growing more, saving water and restoring land”, through the Agriculture, Water and Land Challenge.
The challenge is led by Emissions Reduction Alberta and offers an open call for proposals. Funding will be awarded to the strongest projects that demonstrate real potential to deliver results across the province.
“Alberta has some of the best innovators in the world, and we’re challenging them to put their ideas to work,” said Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.
“We want technology that helps our farmers produce more, makes our water go further, and gets disturbed land back into productive use. We’re making up to $60 million available, but it’s up to innovators to show us what they can deliver.”
Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Tara Sawyer said that agriculture continues to be one of the province’s most promising sectors and contributes billions to the economy annually.
“Alberta’s farmers and ranchers are always finding new, innovative ways to produce the world’s best crops and livestock,” Sawyer stated.
“By increasing production, we can supply more products to customers around the world and create new opportunities here at home. I look forward to seeing the difference these projects make in the field and in new export markets.”
Officials said a major part of Emissions Reduction Alberta’s mandate is to champion the competitiveness and growth of the province’s economy by moving the development and adoption of new technologies forward. The competition, according to ERA, puts that mandate into action by seeking solutions in three key areas:
- Agriculture – Produce more, more efficiently: Officials said agriculture is the backbone of Alberta’s economy, noting that new technologies can increase farm productivity, boost yields, reduce production costs, and help farmers and ranchers produce more with fewer resources.
- Water – Make every drop count: Officials stated that innovative technologies can conserve, and treat and reuse water, helping existing supplies go further and increase water availability for Alberta’s farms, industries and communities.
- Land – Put land back to work: According to officials, new technologies can make it faster, easier and less expensive to clean up contaminated sites, reclaim inactive well sites and restore disturbed land to productive use.
“Canada has no shortage of promising technologies. The challenge is getting them into the market,” said Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta.
“ERA bridges that gap by helping innovators prove their solutions in the real world and build the partnerships they need to scale. We’ve invested in many agriculture and water technologies, and we’re committed to seeing this critical sector continue to grow. This challenge will help deliver economic and environmental benefits for Alberta and beyond.”
Applications for the Agriculture, Water and Land Challenge are open until 5 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2026. Farmers, ranchers, technology developers, businesses, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other organizations can apply.
More information and applications are available on ERA’s website.
