1st International Conference on Canadian Agri-food & Rural Advisory, Extension and Education

OAC’s School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph is excited to be hosting the 1^st International Conference on Canadian Agri-Food & Rural Advisory, Extension, and Education (CAREE).

See the call for proposals and how you and your colleagues can contribute to this timely and important event on a topic that matters to agri-food and rural community in Canada and internationally.

This inaugural conference aims to strengthen Canada’s network of agricultural extension, advisory, and education initiatives and facilitate research, policy development, and curriculum renewal. We invite submissions from cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary, and global perspectives within agri-food & rural advisory, extension, and education. If you are a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or leader in the farming community, we invite you to share your work with us. Your insights will contribute to strengthening agri-food & rural advisory & extension services, and education in Canada and internationally.

Key Dates

• The submission deadline for proposals is May 31^st, 2025.
• Notification of Acceptance will be shared by June 15^th, 2025.
• Registration will open June 1^st – September 7^th, 2025.
• The CAREE Conference will take place in Guelph (Canada) on October 29^th – 31^st, 2025.

The conference focuses on the following topics:

1. Policy, Approaches, Trends and Evidence Based Action
2. Digitalization and Responsible Use of AI in Advisory Services and Education
3. Indigenous and Northern Development, Social Inclusion, and Well-being of Agricultural and Rural Communities
4. Extension, Education, and Institutional Capacity for Driving Agri-Food Systems Transformation
5. Extension and Advisory to Facilitate Entrepreneurship, Bio-Economy, Food Safety, Agro-Ecology, Animal Welfare, and Resilience to Climate Change
6. Extension, Media, Rural and Risk Communication Services

The University of Guelph is a leading institution for innovative agri-food research, extension, education, and rural development. The Ontario Agricultural College has a long-standing legacy of agricultural extension and advisory work. It offers the only graduate degree program in the nation in this field: Capacity Development and Extension.