Dr. Stuart Smyth is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan, where he holds the Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair. This is the first P4 academic chair in Canada, as it includes public, private and producer stakeholders. Enhancement Chair stakeholders include the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS), Bayer, Syngenta, CropLife Canada, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission, the Canadian Canola Growers Association and the Alberta Wheat Commission.
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Dr. Smyth’s research focuses on sustainability, agriculture, innovation, food and how regulations affect food systems. Research projects have quantified the economic and environmental benefits from the adoption of genetically modified crops and the regulatory barriers to the commercialization of gene-edited crops. The application of economic impact assessments has resulted in some of the first reporting of the sustainability of modern farming practices. Recognized as an expert on these subjects, Dr. Smyth has spoken at numerous national and international conferences, participated in many policy-oriented workshops and made submissions to parliamentary committees in Canada and Australia. Dr. Smyth publishes a weekly blog on the outcomes of his research and other important agricultural issues and topics at: www.SAIFood.ca.
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Dr. Smyth is involved in leading the social science research with the Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre (P2IRC) at the University of Saskatchewan. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research (ICABR) which holds annual conferences on the benefits and impacts of innovative agricultural technologies.
Related Publications
Lika, E., Sutherland, C., Gleim, S., & Smyth, S., 2024. Analyzing shifts in fertilizer use with crop rotation practices in Saskatchewan across distinct periods from 1991–94 to 2016–19. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1412443
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Yang, Y., Hobbs, J. E., Fulmes, M., & Smyth, S., 2024. Signaling sustainability: Do Canadian consumers prefer broad or narrow food sustainability labels? Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue Canadienne D Agroeconomie. https://doi.org/10.1111/cjag.12366
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Lika, E., Sutherland, C., Gleim, S., & Smyth, S., 2024. Quantifying changes in the environmental impact of in-crop herbicide use in Saskatchewan. Weed Technology, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1017/wet.2024.15
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Brookes, G., & Smyth, S., 2024. Risk-appropriate regulations for gene-editing technologies. GM Crops & Food, 15(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2023.2293510
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Smyth, S., 2023. Sustainability in Canada and Europe: An Assessment after 25 Years of GM Crop Production. ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, 3(12), 1114–1116. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsagscitech.3c00398