• Team 1 : Valorizing sheep to their full potential – Geneviève Brisson, Simon Dufour, Mary Richardson, Mario Handfield, Julie Arsenault, Sébastien Buczinski & Stéphane Godbout
  This project will explore the valorization of beef sheep beyond their current uses, which focus mainly on meat and – to a lesser extent – milk. However, fleece, skin, lanolin, giblets and hooves are useful parts used in other countries. Based on a pilot area and a participatory approach, the project aims to lay the foundations for a more substantial funding application in line with the current trajectory of use and the challenges of valorization.
• Team 2 : Benefits of co-culture on small-scale Quebec aquaculture operations – Lucie Beaulieu, Fanny Noisette, Laure Saulais & Éric Tamigneaux
  The world’s growing population and demand for healthy food have spurred the development of sustainable aquaculture, a fast-growing agri-food sector worldwide. The co-culture of macroalgae and mollusks aims to optimize their simultaneous production by using the waste or co-products of one species to benefit the other. Aquaculture sites in Quebec will be studied in terms of yield and quality improvements in co-cultured production. The perception of co-culture by consumers and the ways in which it can be valorized will also be explored from a marketing perspective.
• Team 3 : Transformative justice and inclusion: Towards equitable territorial food systems in Quebec – Laurence Guillaumie & Manon Niquette
  Territorialized food systems (TFS) face challenges of equity, diversity and inclusion, which particularly affect racialized, immigrant and aboriginal people, as well as temporary foreign workers. These issues can impede access to adequate food and services, threatening cultural identity. Theories of transformative justice (such as decolonial, anti-racist and feminist approaches) are little used by THS. This project aims to document them and explore inclusive initiatives to be implemented in THS.
• Team 4 : Foliar biomass as an emerging source of bioactive peptides for food production, preservation and quality improvement – Tagnon Missihoun, Laurentazinet & Monique Lacazix
  Tagnon Missihoun, Laurent Bazinet & Monique Lacroix
  The proposed research will involve the bioprospecting and isolation of bioactive peptide fractions from leaf plant protein hydrolysates. The peptide fractions will be tested for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, phytoprotective, growth-promoting and antigerminative activities, which are important in the sustainable production and processing of foods, fruits and vegetables. The project will also provide a proof of concept for the valorization of residual leaf biomass from vegetable crops and greenhouses in a circular economy context.
• Team 5 : Pulsed light applications in the food industry – climacteric products – Julie Jean & Arturo Duarte Sierra
  Food waste and food-borne illness are major global problems, which are also evident in Quebec and Canada. Extending product shelf life and controlling pathogens are key strategies used in the food industry to reduce this burden. Unfortunately, not all traditional methods, such as heat treatment, can be applied to ready-to-eat foods, such as climacteric fruits, which continue to ripen after harvest. Our project will investigate the potential of pulsed light technology, consisting of high-intensity light flashes, to control microorganisms, ripening and extend the shelf life of climacteric fruit. Ultimately, we will propose a new tool for the food industry.
• Team 6 : Robot manipulator and controlled-force gripper adapted to the pork value chain – Philippe Cardou, Linda Saucier & Clément Gosselin
  Labor shortages are making industrial robots increasingly relevant for automating certain operations, both in production and in agri-food processing. However, cleaning and disinfecting current robots with sleeves is difficult and hinders their adoption. To solve this problem, it is proposed to redesign these robots to sequester their electrical components and make their mechanical components easy to clean and disinfect. The example of a robotic cell handling pork parts is used to validate the proposed approach and demonstrate its effectiveness in sanitizing them.
• Team 7 : Cultivating the future: Towards controlled, sustainable agriculture in greenhouses and buildings – A cross-sector, multidimensional study – Olivier Bahn, Martine Dorais, Laurence Guillaumie, Didier Haillot & Danielle Monfet
  In response to rising GHG emissions from agriculture, we propose an innovative approach to decarbonizing the agricultural sector, “through controlled and sustainable agriculture in greenhouses and buildings”. The initiative is based on a detailed energy analysis, a macro-economic study using the Energy-Technology-Environment Model (ETEM), and a sociological analysis to identify obstacles and levers. By combining these approaches, we aim to develop effective strategies for sustainable and resilient agriculture in Quebec.
• Team 8 : Design and implementation of an electronic nose and artificial intelligence for monitoring the maturity and quality of yellow onions and market garden produce in Quebec – Christophe Cordella, Arturo Duarte Sierra, Martine Dorais & Rani Ramachandran
  This project aims to develop an electronic nose for monitoring the ripening of onions, and more broadly of fresh produce, representing a major advance in digital agriculture in Quebec. This innovative technology enables precise, non-invasive quality assessment, optimizing harvests, reducing waste and guaranteeing product freshness. The integration of artificial intelligence provides real-time analysis, transforming crop management.
• Team 9 : Investigating the link between endocrine disruptors, endocannabinoid and microbiome profiles with the occurrence of metabolic disorders in breastfeeding mother-infant pairs – Lekha Sleno, Julie Robitaille, Vincenzo Di Marzo, Frédéric Raymond
  Endocrine disruptors can affect the gut microbiome and endocannabinoid profile, two systems whose signals control metabolism in the pregnant mother, fetus and infant. We will study the effect of exposure to environmental contaminants with endocrine-disrupting activity on breastfeeding mothers (+/- gestational diabetes), on their endocannabinoid and microbiota profiles, as well as those of their infants. For exclusively breast-fed infants, their diet is highly dependent on their mother’s exposome. By combining a wide variety of blood, fecal and dairy profiles, we will have a unique opportunity to study this phenomenon.

Congratulations to all! We’ll be sharing with you the progress made by these teams as they tackle the issues of the day, aiming for a sustainable, healthy and traceable food system.