TORONTO — The University of Guelph has received a $20-million donation from the Arrell Family Foundation to transform the global food economy and further strengthen U of G and Canada as agri-food leaders. This donation represents the single-largest gift the university has ever received.
“This landmark gift will allow our university to address the defining challenge of our time: food security, safety and sustainability,” says U of G president Franco Vaccarino. “U of G is the number-1 agri-food school in Canada, with a 150-year history in agriculture and a global reputation for excellence. We are uniquely positioned to make a difference. The Arrell family has shown incredible generosity and foresight in making this gift, and we are grateful to them for their faith in our agri-food prowess.”
The donation will be used to create the Arrell Food Institute at U of G. The University will provide matching funds of $20 million for the project, for a total commitment of $40 million. In addition to recent government and private funding — including a $77-million award from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund for the Food From Thought project — this new gift brings the total investment in agri-food at U of G to more than $150 million in the past 12 months.
“U of G is known as Canada’s food university, based on our expertise and accomplishments in agri-food,” adds Vaccarino. “We also have a reputation for collaborating to help solve complex global problems. Those strengths are both reflected in our new Arrell Food Institute.”
