In-field AI technology benefiting full agrifood sector

Part of what makes Canada’s growing value-added agrifood sector successful is the strength of our agriculture industry. By building off our country’s solid foundation of high-quality protein crops, ingredient manufacturers and food processors are providing consumers around the world with a wider selection of high-protein products that are more sustainable than ever.

The roll-out of new artificial intelligence technology is making these field-to-fork benefits even more pronounced. Ground Truth Ag, an agri-tech company headquartered in Saskatchewan, is one such company developing AI technology that can help better connect farmers and ingredient manufacturers, solving problems for both links in the value chain to help create more functional products that better meet consumer demand.

“Collaboration is critical because effective AI tools must address real-world challenges faced by everyone involved—from growers to buyers and regulators,” Ground Truth Founder and CEO Kyle Folk said. “By collaborating closely, we ensure the solutions developed are practical, aligned with industry standards, and responsive to the specific needs of all participants along the value chain. Additionally, AI promotes transparency and consistency, enabling stakeholders to build greater trust with each other through reliable, objective information.”

Ground Truth’s technology is focused on grain grading from on farm to in facility, and throughout the entire supply chain; intended to make quality assessment faster, more accurate and more reliable. For example, by leveraging data-driven interpretation, the on-combine technology assesses crop quality throughout the growing and harvest seasons, helping farmers make agronomic decisions that lead to reduced waste, higher quality products and new market opportunities throughout the value chain.

“AI offers significant advantages to Canadian producers, empowering them to improve management of their operations, reduce uncertainty, and maximize profitability,” Folk said. “With automated grain grading, producers gain immediate visibility into grain quality—right from the combine or on the farm—enabling smarter marketing, improved storage strategies, and more effective negotiations. This leads to fairer pricing, stronger buyer relationships, and better overall returns on their harvests.”

Folk sees ensuring tools such as their on-combine grading technology is available to Canadian farmers, particularly those in the plant protein space, as increasingly important as the value-added agrifood space continues to grow. With consumers demanding higher-quality, more protein-dense products, Canadian farmers need access to tools that can help them more easily adjust their agronomic practices as crop and growing conditions change throughout the year.

These decisions ripple throughout the value chain, affecting ingredient functionality and, ultimately, food and beverage taste, texture and nutrition content. By helping put the proper AI tools in place at farm level, companies like Ground Truth are strengthening Canada’s agrifood sector—and, ultimately, our food supply chain.

“We see significant potential in the plant protein market, especially in supporting farmers and processors who are increasingly focused on quality and consistency,” Folk said. “Given the rising consumer demand for sustainable protein alternatives, we recognize an opportunity to help improve transparency and accuracy in grain quality assessments, ultimately strengthening market confidence in plant-based proteins.”