Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Koen Deconinck

Koen Deconinck

Economist at the Trade and Agriculture Directorate of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)

Koen Deconinck is an Economist in the Trade and Agriculture Directorate of the OECD in Paris. He is lead author of the 2025 OECD report “Measuring Carbon Footprints of Agri-Food Products” and previously worked on market concentration and resilience of agri-food supply chains. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Leuven and his research has been published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, the European Review of Agricultural Economics, and Food Policy, among others. He has also been a peer reviewer for Nature, Science, and leading field journals, and was lead author of the OECD report “Making Better Policies for Food Systems” (2021).

Keynote Speaker: Tyler McCann

Tyler McCann

Managing Director, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

Tyler McCann is the Managing Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. He spent almost a decade working in government advising Ministers, serving the Agriculture and Agri-Food minister for most of that time. He has also worked as a consultant for farm groups, industry associations, and small and large agri-food businesses, advising on government relations, policy, and association management. Tyler operates a beef and goat farm with his wife and kids in Western Quebec.

Melissa Arcand

Dr. Melissa Arcand

Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan and is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6.

Dr. Melissa Arcand is an Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan and is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6. She researches soil health, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling in agroecosystems. She teaches and is the academic advisor for students in the Kanawayihetaytan Askiy (“Let us take care of the land” in Plains Cree) Indigenous land and resource management certificate program and is the Academic Lead for the kihci-okâwîmâw askiy Knowledge Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.

Lisa Ashton

Interim Head of Climate and Agriculture Policy Lead at RBC Thought

Interim Head of Climate and Agriculture Policy Lead at RBC Thought Leadership. Her passion for Canada’s agriculture sector—and its role as a global leader in production, innovation, and sustainability—was shaped by her upbringing on her family’s farm in southwestern Ontario. This early interest led her to pursue post-graduate degrees in Ireland, Germany, and most recently at the University of Guelph, where she completed a PhD in the Geography Department, taking an interdisciplinary approach to the governance of sustainable agriculture. Prior to joining RBC, she was the Sustainability Lead at Grain Farmers of Ontario and worked as a consultant, helping not-for-profit organizations and companies develop and implement sustainable agriculture strategies. In her current position with RBC, she leads agriculture, food, and nature research, works with stakeholder engagement and covers topics on growth and productivity, trade, and climate action.

Michelle Carkner

Dr Michelle Carkner

Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba

Michelle holds a BSc (Agr) degree from the University of Guelph and MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Manitoba. Her past work as the coordinator for Canada’s first nationwide Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) program was integral to her PhD research in crop physiology and agronomy. She has extensive experience in participatory and co-design research networks with farmers and industry groups across Canada through the PPB and LEAP project. Additionally, she works in participatory-based soil health and biodiversity assessment in holistic rangeland management in eastern Zimbabwe in partnership with Canadian Foodgrains Bank within the Nature+ project.

Monica James

Monica James

Assistant Vice-President, Indigenous Financing, Farm Credit Canada

Monica is a proud member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in northern Saskatchewan. She leads the FCC team dedicated to supporting Indigenous farmers, food producers and community-owned enterprises by expanding access to capital, building capacity and fostering industry connections that help Indigenous peoples reclaim their inherent right in the agriculture and food economy.

Monica works alongside First Nations, Métis communities and Indigenous-owned businesses and farmers to navigate financing barriers specific to on‑reserve lending and limited collateral. Her team creates pathways for new entrants, supports value-added food production and helps communities pursue innovative projects that advance economic sovereignty and long-term sustainability.

For more than 20 years, Monica has advanced Indigenous business, finance and economic development. Her career reflects a commitment to bridging Indigenous and Western worldviews and creating more inclusive and equitable financial systems. Monica has reshaped how financial institutions engage with Indigenous peoples and communities by honouring culture, values and economic priorities. She joined FCC in 2023, which is the only national lender in Canada with a team dedicated exclusively to empowering Indigenous participation in agriculture and food.

Monica lives and works on Treaty 1 Territory and the Homeland of the Red River Métis, acknowledging her responsibility as a guest on these lands.

Meagan King

Cheryl Melnyk

Cheryl Melnyk

Health Director, Gambler First Nation

5 years working with Gambler First Nation.  The Food Futures project was one of the first ones that I was involved in.  I got passionate about the Local Food Infrastructure Funding grant proposal.  It needed only one part of the Food Security Cycle – we proposed an entire cycle!  From Food Forests and the Dome to butcher spot and processing area, weekly food box deliveries with veggie waste recovery, vermiculture, community pathway building and plastic recycling manufacturing.  Gambler First Nation has been developing other parts of our Food Sovereignty Plan with purchase of commercial cattle herd and farmland to support the herd, community member egg harvesting and reintroduction of bison.

Alain and Nicolas Philippot

Alain and Nicolas Philippot, Producers

Producers

Alain and Nicolas Philippot are 3rd and 4th generation farmers. Alain graduated U of M Diploma in Agriculture in 1985. Nicolas graduated from the same program in 2019. Alexis Philippot purchased the farm in 1912 and Raymond, his son, after him in 1958. Alain owned the dairy since 1991 and Nicolas has taken ownership in 2025.

The dairy transitioned from a 68-cow tie-stall to an 85-cow voluntary loose housing barn in 2021 with a plan to increase another 20% in the next 3 years.

Sarah Pogue

Sarah Pogue hiking in the mountains

Physical Scientist – Model Developer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Moved to Canada in 2016 to work as a postdoc at the University of Lethbridge in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), focusing on the impacts of beef production on ecosystem services in Western Canada. This followed studies in various areas in Ireland and the UK, beginning in the fields of zoology, conservation biology and ecological management, before moving into ecosystem services and social-ecological systems. I have worked for AAFC (Lethbridge, AB) since 2018, initially on projects that investigated changes in land cover and soil carbon across Canada’s agricultural landscape. In my current position as Holos model developer, I work with the other members of the Holos team to improve and expand the model to examine the impacts of agricultural practices on greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon dynamics in Canadian crop and livestock systems, with a view to expanding the model in the future to encompass a broader suite of ecosystem services.

Clayton and Quinn Robins (Producers)

Clayton, Quinn and Brian Robbins in the pasture

Clayton Robins - Farmer & Forage Research Technician - Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives | Quinn Robins - Farmer & Plumber with Gills Plumbing & Heating

Clayton has a BSc in Ag and was involved in forage/beef research at AAFC for over 2 decades, with continued national/international engagement with academia until 2018.  He is a Nuffield Scholar focused on energy-dense forages who currently works for NGO research/demo organization MBFI Inc.

Quinn completed his Ag Diploma in 2017 and is 5th generation on the Robins' farm established in 1891.  The farm has won an environmental award and Quinn and Clayton have been featured as progressive grazers in Canadian, US and EU farm media.

Dr. Joann Whalen

Dr. Joann Whalen Profile Picture

Professor and James McGill Professor at McGill University and an Affiliate Professor at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco

Joann K. Whalen holds a James McGill Professor research chair at McGill University and is an Affiliate Professor at the Center for Sustainable Soil Sciences of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco. She received her Ph.D. from Ohio State University (USA) and she is a certified professional agronomist. Joann’s research covers soil biology, soil health and agricultural nutrient management. She has produced 300+ peer-reviewed scientific articles and supervised 80+ graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and of the Canadian Society of Soil Science. Joann works on international soil health as a member of the Steering Committee for the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel. Her career is motivated by the intricacies of soil biology linked to sustainable and resilient agriculture, for healthy people on a healthy planet.