Valuing Scientific Communication Means Investing In It. Period. It’s Time Canada Bridges the Research to Practice Divide.

Each year, millions are invested in agricultural research across Canada. But how much of it is actually reaching the farmers, advisors, and policymakers who need it?

The reality: not nearly enough.

Despite its critical importance, Knowledge Translation & Transfer (𝗞𝗧𝗧)—the process of turning research into real-world action—remains underfunded and undervalued. As public extension has declined, Canada’s KTT efforts have become fragmented, leaving researchers, advisors, and industry to fill the gap—often without the resources or training to do so.

Other countries are tackling this challenge head-on, and Canada can learn important lessons to strengthen agricultural KTT here at home. Some key takeaways from the article include:

• Prioritizing KTT in research funding—making it a requirement, not an afterthought.

• Investing in training & professional development—KTT is a skill, and we need to build capacity in it.

• Creating a National Centre for Research Adoption—a hub dedicated to mobilizing knowledge.

• Strengthening collaboration & engagement—KTT is about connection, not just communication.

As a company with a major focus on agricultural KTT, we strongly believe in the value and necessity of prioritizing and investing in collaborations and engaging with those who build capacity in the KTT ecosystem in Canada - after all, we witness the challenges and possibilities of KTT firsthand every day. If you are as passionate about KTT as we are, we hope you'll give the full article a read!

What Are We Reading This Month?

Pain in Dairy Cattle: A Narrative Review of the Need for Pain Control, Industry Practices and Stakeholder Expectations, and Opportunities

In a nutshell: Pain in dairy cattle negatively affects their welfare and productivity, and consumers care about animal welfare. While some painful procedures and diseases can be avoided, others are unavoidable, and it's important to manage pain when it occurs. Various dairy programs offer pain management guidelines, but these differ between countries. This review looks at common painful conditions, the effectiveness of pain management, and the current practices in the dairy industry, emphasizing the need for better understanding and wider adoption of pain control methods to ensure both animal welfare and sustainable dairy production.

Real-World Resources

Assessment on Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use in Food Producing Animals | Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), supported by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), has released a final report on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Use (AMU) in food-producing animals. ACER is proud to have supported this state-of-the-science review and the technical report that helped shape this critical national conversation.

This 14-month assessment, led by a panel of experts, includes key findings and strategic recommendations to enhance antimicrobial stewardship. The report outlines five essential interventions, such as improving leadership, tracking antimicrobial use on farms, and advancing research on alternatives to reduce reliance on these drugs. It also covers 15 key findings related to regulatory approaches, farm-level interventions, and consumer education on AMR. The full report, summary, and engagement reports are all available online, and we encourage everyone with an interest in AMU/AMR to check it out by clicking below!