Loblaw names chair in sustainable food production

Almost a year after the creation of The Loblaw Companies Limited Chair in Sustainable Food Production, Loblaw and the University of Guelph have named professor Ralph Martin as its inaugural chair.

Funded with $3 million from Loblaw, as chair, Martin will guide the development of food and agriculture policy, co-ordinating researchers and leading public and private-sector collaborations.

"Our goal is to establish a global centre of excellence, bringing the best ideas and minds together to make Canada a world leader in sustainable food production," said Galen Weston, executive chairman at Loblaw.

"We are excited by Ralph's appointment as we continue to support partnerships like this, in order to develop long-term solutions to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Canadians."

Martin is a plant and animal sciences professor at Nova Scotia Agricultural College. He’s also the director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada. In 2010, he launched Canada's Organic Science Cluster, the first federally funded program of its type.