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Can a disease-free, drought-proof potato exist? A map of the vegetable’s genes aims to find out

A Canadian-led team has assembled the most extensive genetic roadmap of the potato to date, along with its closest relatives, in order to bolster the plant’s ability to cope with climate change and protect its future as a mainstay of global food security and sustainability.

Published: 26 Jul 2023

McGill launches new partnership with the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development

On May 31, 2023, McGill University’s Margaret A. Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) and SOCODEVI, in collaboration with the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), held an event showcasing concrete actions to strengthen sustainable agriculture, improve the living conditions of smallholder farmers and increase the resilience of agri-food systems.

Published: 25 Jul 2023

Experts: WHO's cancer research agency to list aspartame sweetener a possible carcinogen

Aspartame, used in products such as diet sodas and chewing gum, will soon be listed as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" for the first time by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research arm. (Reuters)

Published: 19 Jul 2023

L’Arboretum Morgan, pour admirer la faune et la flore

L'Arboretum Morgan, qui s'étend sur 245 hectares de réserve forestière, abrite 170 espèces d'oiseaux, 30 types de mammifères et une myriade d'insectes et de plantes. Ses divers habitats, dont des zones humides, des forêts et des champs, offrent une occasion unique d'observer la nature dans toute sa splendeur.

Published: 18 Jul 2023

Lean times hit the vertical farming business

Vertical farming, once touted as the future of agriculture, is currently facing a lean period. Challenges in scalability and energy consumption have cast a shadow on this innovative farming method. 

Published: 18 Jul 2023

Building a more resilient food system

The impacts of climate change, rising fuel costs, geopolitical conflicts, and global supply chain snags make today's delocalized food system—and the 8 billion people who depend on it—increasingly vulnerable. 

Part of the solution to building a more sustainable and resilient agrifood system is to improve local, indoor food production. Researchers in McGill’s Biomass Production Laboratory are doing just that, increasing access to fresh produce year-round.

Published: 10 Jul 2023

Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security awards four scholarships

Maple Leaf Foods and the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security have announced the four recipients of the 2023/24 Maple Leaf Board Scholarships in Food Insecurity. Recipients, including Masters candidate Shannon Udy from McGill's School of Human Nutrition, will receive a $15,000 scholarship to support their research.

Published: 3 Jul 2023

Des semences de peupliers en abondance à Windsor

Si vous habitez les alentours de la ville de Windsor, peut-être avez-vous remarqué des substances blanches semblables à du pollen amassé sur les trottoirs, les pelouses ou les terrasses. Ce sont des semences de peupliers. À l'émission Matins sans frontières, David Wees, enseignant en horticulture à l'Université McGill, explique l'origine de ces semences, leur importance et comment se comporter vis-à-vis d'elles.

Published: 3 Jul 2023

New research will look at dairy welfare and technology

A new research collaboration at McGill University and the University of Quebec in Montreal will explore the role of artificial intelligence in promoting dairy cattle welfare.

It will be led by Dr. Elsa Vasseur of McGill’s Department of Animal Science and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo of UQAM’s Department of Computer Science.

Published: 3 Jul 2023

The Mystery of the Vanishing Kestrels: What’s happening to this flashy falcon?

The number of American kestrels has dropped sharply. That goes against the trend for birds of prey, broadly seen as a conservation bright spot.

Hypotheses about the decline abound. In a newly published special issue on kestrels in The Journal of Raptor Research, Dr. Smallwood and David Bird, an emeritus professor of wildlife biology at McGill University in Montreal, list seven possible factors for kestrel declines that they argue merit more research, in no particular order.

Published: 28 Jun 2023

How Canadians' lifestyle behaviours changed during the COVID-19 pandemic

Sixty per cent of roughly 1,600 Canadians who took part in a new study from McGill's School of Human Nutrition say their lifestyle habits either stayed the same or improved during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the flip side, 40% of participants say they adopted less healthy lifestyle habits, including worsened eating habits, sleep quality, decreased physical activity and weight gain.

Published: 28 Jun 2023

Professor Ryan Mailloux appointed Director of the School of Human Nutrition

Professor Ryan Mailloux has been appointed Director of the School of Human Nutrition (SHN) effective from June 1, 2023, for a five-year term.

Dr. Mailloux earned his Ph.D. in Biomolecular Sciences from Laurentian University in 2007. He joined McGill in 2019, previously serving as an Assistant Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Published: 6 Jun 2023

Raghavan receives McGill’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Learning

“There are lots of opportunities to contribute to society,” says Vijaya Raghavan. “If I can share that point with students, I think it can go a long way.”

Vijaya Raghavan, James McGill Professor of Bioresource Engineering, is the 2023 recipient of McGill’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Learning.

Published: 6 Jun 2023

Ronholm receives Principal’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researcher

Ronholm was among three highly accomplished early career researchers who received a significant McGill distinction: The Principal’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers.

Published: 5 Jun 2023

In conversation with Alessandra Granata, valedictorian for the Agricultural & Environmental Sciences ‘B’ ceremony

McGill’s valedictorians are outstanding students whose strong academic performance, leadership and community involvement has earned the respect of their peers. This year’s cohort is remarkable for its diversity, each having vastly different backgrounds, experiences, passions and goals.

What they do share is ambition, curiosity, and a desire to have a positive impact on the world.

Published: 31 May 2023

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