Canada/ Nearly $360,000 to protect and enhance agricultural land
The Cégep de Victoriaville's Centre d'innovation sociale en agriculture (CISA) has been awarded $359,990 in funding from the Fonds d'innovation sociale destiné aux collèges et aux communautés (FISCC) to implement its Innover pour la protection et la valorisation de la zone agricole project.
This project, which runs from June 2025 to June 2028, aims to support the Arthabaska, Maskoutains and Coaticook MRCs in co-constructing and testing community-based innovations to protect and enhance agricultural land. Using an action-research approach and living laboratories, the CISA team will work with local partners to develop concrete solutions to three priority challenges: protection of agricultural land, succession planning and governance of agricultural zone development plans (PDZA).
These living laboratories, set up in the three partner MRCs, will mobilize producers, citizens, organizations and elected officials around collective innovation initiatives. Eventually, the results and practices generated by the project will be transferred to other territories, to enhance the capacity for action of Quebec's MRCs in the face of pressures that threaten the sustainability of agriculture and the vitality of rural communities.
"The agricultural sector is facing profound transformations and major challenges. By drawing on action research and collective intelligence, we hope to offer MRCs concrete levers for protecting and sustainably enhancing their agricultural territories," explains Catherine Théberge, Senior Researcher at CISA. "This project is also a great opportunity to strengthen links between research, college training and practical settings, for the benefit of Quebec's rural communities."
The project stands out for its participatory approach and strong transfer potential. In addition to directly involving Cégep de Victoriaville students in research and facilitation activities, it will strengthen networking between PDZA leaders and encourage the sharing of innovative practices across Quebec.
This initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Mario Handfield, professor and researcher at the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), as well as a number of local partners, including the MRCs of Arthabaska, Maskoutains and Coaticook, the ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ), the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), the Féderation québécoise des municipalités (FQM) and the Association des aménagistes régionaux du Québec (AARQ).
The Social Innovation Fund for Colleges and Communities (SIFCC) of the College and Community Innovation Program (CCI) is administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
About CISA
The Cégep de Victoriaville's Centre d'innovation sociale en agriculture (CISA) is the only college center for technology transfer and innovative social practices in Quebec (CCTT-PSN) that applies its research to current and emerging issues in the agricultural and agri-food sector. Its affiliation with the Institut national d'agriculture biologique makes it a key strategic partner in the socio-ecological transition of various regions. With people and innovation at the heart of every project, CISA contributes to the development and transformation of the entire Quebec agri-food value chain, through action research.
Source: www.lanouvelle.net/
