A University of Saskatchewan professor has been named for an award by a coalition that aims to connect the public to food and farming through engagement, programs and industry support.
Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan announced recently at their annual Cultivating Trust Conference that the winner of the 2021 Champion Award is Dr. Stuart Smyth.
Each year, the Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan Champion Award recognizes a recipient who has engaged consumers about agriculture and worked to build public trust in farming and food in our province and beyond.
For more than 15 years, Smyth has been an outspoken advocate and dedicated researcher on innovations and agriculture. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan and holds the Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair. His research focuses on sustainability, agriculture, innovation and food. Smyth also publishes a weekly blog on these topics at SAIFood.ca.
“Dr. Smyth strives to communicate and advocate to all demographics, whether it is to his students, peers, twitter followers or blog audience,” said Savannah Gleim, research officer at University of Saskatchewan who has worked with Smyth for several years. “His research is strongly driven by his desire to help others understand and recognize the benefits of innovations which have shaped Saskatchewan agriculture. He rarely turns down the opportunity to meet new people and speak about his research.”
“I’m deeply honoured to be this years’ recipient of Farm & Food Care’s Champion Award,” Smyth said in his acceptance speech. “I view this as a team award, as without the fantastic contributions from Savannah Gleim, Rim Lassoued, Diego Macall, Chelsea Sutherland and Jordan Schiewe, there would be considerably less information to communicate. It is a privilege to be able to lead such a distinguished team of researchers.”
“Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan is pleased to recognize champions like Dr. Smyth for our annual award,” said Clinton Monchuk, Executive Director. “Consumers today have few opportunities to visit farms or speak those involved in agriculture, and that means that the work that Dr. Smyth does to communicate about our industry is vital to building public trust in Canadian food. We’re very proud of the amazing people this award recognizes.”
