Canola is typically the number one cash crop in Manitoba, making it a critical source of income for Manitoba farmers, but it’s also an important crop for Manitoba’s economy.
According to the Canola Council of Canada’s data for 2018/19, canola’s total economic impact in Manitoba was $4.3 billion and it accounted for more than 34,000 jobs.
Canola generates more than $2.37 billion in cash receipts for Manitoba farmers, who, over the past ten years have planted 3.3 million acres producing an average of 2.9 million metric tonnes, much of which is exported at a value of around $2.5 billion.
There are three canola crushing plants in Manitoba operated by Bunge and Viterra that process canola into oil, used in many food products and for biodiesel, and meal, a valuable protein ingredient used in livestock feed that is increasingly being added to pet food.
New uses for canola being developed
Alongside traditional uses, there is increasing interest and investment into exploring innovative, value-added canola-derived products. Canola has many qualities that lend it to be included in other products, such as moisturizing and strong binding properties, high levels of protein and the fact that it is biodegradable, sustainable and renewable.
“The applications for canola oil and meal are vast and growing, such as research into a canola-based high protein food product like tofu.” says Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) executive director, Delaney Ross Burtnack. “Canola oil has potential as a renewable plastic source and a preferred feedstock for renewable diesel. Researchers are also exploring potential use of the fibre from canola plants for textiles.”
Canola in your lipstick
Canola is found in toothpaste and many cosmetics such as shampoo, lipsticks, lip balms and eye creams. Because it contains unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acids, it nourishes and hydrates the skin, and provides vitamin E to help protect and repair damaged cells.
Canola is also used in industrial lubricants, fabrics and as an environmentally friendly alternative to packaging plastics in things like wraps and bags. It’s a softening agent in plastic window casings, a mold releaser in metal fabrication, and in rubber tires it helps make them softer and more flexible, especially in winter. Canola meal is also a fertilizer for potatoes and golf course greens.
Universities and research facilities across the prairies are leading research into novel uses for canola, much of which is funded by farmers through their various canola grower groups. An example is the research project that MCGA is funding at the University of Manitoba, where Dr. Nandika Bandara is exploring a new canola-based product that could replace petroleum-based single-use plastics.
MCGA is also a co-inventor of a patented process to extract food-grade protein from canola meal to create high protein food products like canola tofu. The inventors are currently exploring opportunities to partner with an organization to scale up and commercialize the process.
Canola for new biofuel markets present a huge opportunity for Manitoba
“Many of these new uses for canola are very early in the research phase, so the benefit to the market is not yet clear, but canola’s value to the renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel markets is gaining momentum,” Burtnack says.
The Province of Manitoba recently announced a $12.3 million joint provincial/federal investment to support the production of sustainable aviation fuels in Manitoba from feedstocks like canola and soybean oil. Azure Sustainable Fuels Corp. will build a processing facility near Portage la Prairie that is expected to produce one billion litres of fuel per year and create over 1,500 jobs, benefitting the Manitoba economy by $2 billion.
Building consistent market demand good for everyone
Around 90 per cent of the canola grown in Manitoba (and the majority grown across Canada) is exported primarily to the United States, China and Japan, but trade disruptions in key markets over the past few years have increased the risk and uncertainty for Manitoba farmers. The growing focus on innovative uses and new markets for canola in Canada will help to provide a reliable and more consistent domestic market for the crop.
“We all benefit from new markets and uses for this sustainably produced and environmentally friendly crop,” Burtnack says. “Canadian canola is an ideal resource for renewable fuel, reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to fossil fuels. With many benefits from the whole crop like carbon sequestration and soil health benefits of the plants, a valuable pollinator habitat that supports the beekeeping industry and biodiversity targets, and a growing number of uses for canola oil and meal, including its main use as versatile and heart-healthy cooking oil, canola is just starting to tap into its full potential supporting Canada’s consumers, environment and economy.”
