Agriculture

A global reputation for safe, high-quality agriculture and agri-food products

Alberta is a leader in pulse production, which have been identified as a sustainable and affordable source of plant-based protein by the United Nations. The province is an ideal place to grow pulses because it has an ideal mix of warm days and cool nights, lots of sunshine, few diseases or pests and extensive irrigation infrastructure.

Alberta’s food processors are also active in:

• Canola and oilseed milling,
• Vegetable processing,
• Meat and specialty meat manufacturing,
• Snack foods, functional foods,
• Natural health products and beverages, and
• Pulse processing

Alberta’s food and beverage processing industry was the largest manufacturing employer in the province in 2018, employing 26,300 people, and accounting for $15.2 billion in manufacturing sales.

World-class research and development

Alberta’s Food Processing Development Centre and Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator facilities are unique to Canada.

More than 22 research and innovation facilities in the province specialize in crops and cereals, poultry and swine, agronomy, biomaterials and food safety.

Alberta has generous tax incentives for groups who conduct research and development.

Abundant supply of raw materials at a competitive cost

Alberta offers a high-quality supply of primary products and is the third-largest exporter of agri-food products in Canada.

In 2019:

• Alberta exports of primary and processed agricultural and food products totalled $11.4 billion.
• Alberta produced 32 per cent of Canadian wheat, 29 per cent of canola, 48 per cent of the nation’s barley, and 20 per cent of Canada’s oats.
• Alberta led the nation in cattle and calf inventory, accounting for more than 40 per cent of Canada’s total.