Lethbridge Polytechnic researchers aim to reduce food waste [Video]

Six years ago, extreme weather, international market closures and skyrocketing expenses left Alberta farmers reeling from significant losses.

“In 2019, we had a very bad year and we all know it,” said Chandra Singh, a research chair with Lethbridge Polytechnic.

He and his team began working to find solutions to very real problems in the agriculture industry.

“We are focusing on three major crops which are prominent in Alberta. All the grain crops here, potato is another main crop — particularly in southern Alberta — and sugar beets are another crop. We are focusing on all three crops on the storage, handling, some of the processing and the quality aspect,” he said.

While storage might appear as simple as dumping crops in a container, Singh says that mindset is exactly what’s causing one-fifth of all Canadian-produced food to go to waste.

“We are working on different sensing technologies for monitoring …