IC-IMPACTS Funds Three New Projects in Food Security

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 – IC-IMPACTS announced the funding of three new projects in Food Security, with the selected researchers receiving a one-year grant to explore collaborative opportunities with Indian counterparts, developing solutions to our pressing problems of food insecurity.

The India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) launched the Call for Proposals in Food Security in September 2021 to fund proposals focusing on crop diversification, food waste reduction, regional and policy-based impacts, agricultural infrastructure, as well as precision farming and climate change related challenges.

For decades, safeguarding food security has been a critical priority for both Canada and India and IC-IMPACTS is committed to facilitating research that will introduce methods of increased agricultural precision, production and diversification, in efforts to advance food security and food sovereignty in both nations. Today, we are happy to announce the funding of these three highly innovative projects.

Dr. Nemy Banthia – CEO & Scientific Director, IC-IMPACTS

Following a rigorous review process, the following three projects were selected:

• Variable Rate Application of Nutrients by Developing Nutrient Estimation Sensor and Precision Spraying Mechanism
  • Canadian PI: Dr. Ahmad Al-Mallahi, Dalhousie University
  • Indian PI: Dr. Narasimha Murthy, IIT-Tirupati

• Irrigation Scheduling Using Model-Based Reinforcement Learning for Stochastic Differential Equation Control
  • Canadian PI: Dr. Chi-Guhn Lee, University of Toronto
  • Indian PI: Dr. Subimal Ghosh, IIT- Bombay

• Exploration of an Intra- and Inter-National Blockchain-Powered and Physical Internet-Enabled Food Supply Chain Traceability System in Canada and India
  • Canadian PI: Dr. Eric Li, The University of British Columbia – Okanagan
  • Indian PI: Dr. Mansi Babbar, University of Delhi

The applications were reviewed by a joint expert committee formed by IC-IMPACTS consisting of members from Canada and India.

Funding for this Call for Proposals was provided by the Government of Canada through the Networks of Centres of Excellence.