AIVA Network set to advance Canadian agriculture innovation

For immediate release

Winnipeg, MB, May 12, 2026 – Today marks the launch of AIVA, the Agriculture Innovation, Validation and Adoption Network. It is set to give Canadian farmers the confidence and real-world proof they need to embrace agricultural technologies on their farms.

AIVA will partner with farmers and innovators to test and validate agtech using standardized testing frameworks that can be applied to technology, across Canada. Technologies are tested in real-world conditions to confirm they deliver measurable value to farmers, such as reducing input costs and improving productivity.

In 2025, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) reported that using innovation to increase agricultural productivity could boost farmer incomes by $30 billion over the next decade. However, innovators have limited access to real-world testing environments where they can refine their products based on farmer feedback.

AIVA is solving this issue with its farmer-centric model that rigorously vets early-stage and market-ready technologies on Canadian farms, ensuring that innovators are providing farmers with agtech that solves real-world challenges. Technologies that demonstrate strong tangible results may be recognized as AIVA Technology Partners.

For the 2026 growing season, AIVA’s Validation Hubs will conduct nine national, multi-site collaboration projects with agtech companies such as Geco Weed Management, Corteva, Picketa, Miraterra, and FarmerTitan, trialing early-stage tools like spray drones, remote sensors, and farm management software.

AIVA has already identified 25 Farmer Alliance Members, representing more than 297,000 acres of farmland across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, to pilot market-ready technology in real-world conditions. In future years, AIVA will expand the model to include Farm Alliance Members from additional regions, deliberately building representation from across Canada.

AIVA has also established a national industry coalition made up of leaders in agtech innovation and validation. The coalition will bring together voices from across the sector to improve collaboration and help accelerate the adoption of new technologies in Canadian agriculture.

AIVA was founded by FCC, EMILI, and WHIN, and brings together partners and leaders from across the agriculture industry. Its mission is to empower Canadian farmers to adopt technology with confidence and ensure every investment improves on-farm efficiency and profitability.

Quotes:

“Canadian farmers deserve access to the best technology available, and that’s why farmers are at the heart of AIVA’s testing and validation processes. Our work brings stakeholders together to advance technology that solves real challenges for Canadian farmers, and provides them with real-world, third-party validated data to make their purchasing decisions.” – Rebecca Franklin, AIVA Network Lead

“AIVA’s trials will provide results from across multiple farms and fields in different geographies across Canada. It’s unprecedented how valuable that information is going to be for innovators.” – Greg Stewart, CEO and Founder of Geco Weed Management

“AIVA is built for farmers – giving them confidence to adopt agtech that has been tested and proven on Canadian farms. At FCC, we know access to capital matters, but it is only valuable when it supports solutions that deliver results on the ground. That’s where the value creation that AIVA provides comes in – stitching together farmers with innovators, so they get input early and solve real on-farm challenges.” – Graeme Millen, Vice President, Strategic Finance and Business Development, FCC

"AIVA's success will be measured by our ability to help agtech scale faster and more effectively. We want to ensure that farmers can adopt new technology with confidence, knowing that the product has been through rigorous, real-world testing." – Jacqueline Keena, CEO, EMILI

“AIVA makes sure the right technologies reach producers through rigorous vetting, trusted farmer networks, and hands-on adoption support. When the right technologies take root, adoption accelerates and that’s how the whole industry moves forward.” – Johnny Park, CEO, WHIN

"New technologies are bombarding farmers from all angles these days and it is hard to know how to manage all these opportunities. AIVA provides farmers direction, reduces the risk of trying these new innovations on their own operations and facilitates a network of like-minded farmers to share their experiences." – Scott Day, Farmer, Deloraine, Manitoba

To learn more about AIVA, join the network, or attend upcoming events, visit www.aivanetwork.ca.



About AIVA
AIVA – the Agriculture Innovation, Validation, and Adoption Network – is a collaborative network of farmers, innovators, and innovation farms designed to bring proven technologies to market and de-risk tech adoption for farmers. AIVA unites the people who create innovations, the farms that test it, and the farmers who use it, all within a structured, unbiased system.

Media Contact
Talia Thomson, AIVA Network Communications Manager
tthomson@aivanetwork.com
(647) 960-1136