Edmonton, Alta. (Rural Roots Canada) – Alberta is making up to $60 million available for technologies aimed at improving agricultural productivity, conserving water and restoring disturbed land.

The province has announced the Agriculture, Water and Land Challenge through Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), seeking proposals for technologies that can deliver practical environmental and economic benefits.

Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter said the competition will challenge innovators to develop solutions that help farmers produce more, improve water availability and return disturbed land to productive use.

“Alberta has some of the best innovators in the world, and we’re challenging them to put their ideas to work,” said Hunter in a release. “We want technology that helps our farmers produce more, makes our water go further and gets disturbed land back into productive use.”

“We’re making up to $60 million available, but it’s up to innovators to show us what they can deliver,” he added.

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The competition targets three areas: increasing farm productivity and yields while reducing costs and resource use; conserving, treating, and reusing water; and improving cleanup of contaminated sites, reclamation of inactive well sites, and restoration of disturbed land.

ERA chief executive Justin Riemer said the competition is intended to help promising technologies move from development to real-world applications while building partnerships to support wider adoption.

Farmers, ranchers, technology developers, businesses, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other organizations are eligible to apply.

To qualify, technologies must be beyond the early research stage and ready for piloting, demonstration or deployment. Projects must take place in Alberta and demonstrate clear benefits for the province.

Applications are open until Dec. 16, 2026.