An impressive line up of food and health heavy-weights is scheduled to participate in an upcoming innovation forum in Toronto.

We have long been talking about the links been agriculture and health and how the food we grow and eat has the power to either heal us or keep us from getting sick in the first place. The key, though, for farmers is how to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities.

This is where groups like MaRS Landing and Ontario Agri-Food Technologies are working to bridge the gap between agriculture and the health care world to make both sides aware of the possibilities and help bring some projects to fruition.

At the two-day Agri-Food Innovation Forum February 10-12, speakers will talk about the latest and emerging innovations, the benefits of agri-innovations that can impact a variety of health conditions and how to communicate messages from agriculture and research to consumers.

Key speakers include Gord Nixon, President and CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada; Margaret Hudson of Burnbrae Farms, Canada’s largest egg producer; Alejandro Marangoni, holder of a Canada Research Chair at the University of Guelph; Eve Roberts of the Hospital for Sick Children and Richard Black, Vice President of Nutrition from Kraft Foods Global.

A student innovation showcase will highlight health-focused product innovations in the functional foods and natural health product realm.

Click here for more information.