The University of Guelph has received a $20-million “transformational gift” from the Arrell Family Foundation, money that will be matched by the university, bolstered by a recent $77-million contribution from the Government of Canada, to foster the growth of the Arrell Food Institute on campus. It was the single largest gift U of G has ever received.
The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon in Toronto. The Arrell family, along with Governor General of Canada David Johnston, members of the provincial legislature, and a number of U of G officials were on hand.
Tony and Anne Arrell met when they were undergraduates at U of G in the 1960s. As a young married couple they bought a small farm near Creemore, which is still in operation. Agriculture is part of their heritage, and integral to their family. Food research and sustainability are their passion, the couple said during the announcement, which was broadcast online.
The world’s human population is expected to exceed nine billion my mid-century, U of G president Franco Vaccarino said in his comments. The challenge is not only finding new ways to feed that many people, he said, but to find new ways to grow food in ecologically sustainable ways.
The Arrell Food Institute will be dedicated to the research and education necessary to find those future food solutions. The Arrell family gift, along with the university’s matching funds, and private and public money already committed, together represent a $150-million investment in the project.
Vaccarino called the Arrell’s generosity a “transformational gift,” and one that will support new graduate scholarships, and three endowed research chair positions, while accelerating research and development for a better world.
In a video played at the announcement, Tony Arrell explained the basic motive behind the gift. “Those with good fortune ought to help make the world better,” he said.
Johnston said the Arrell Food Institute represents “a bold new direction” for food studies at U of G, and in Canada, with research and development that will benefit the globe. It will support the next generation of scholars, and bring the university and country to “the pinnacle of excellence” in agri-food.
“This was the natural thing for Anne and I to do,” Tony Arrell said. “We met at the university, on a blind date.”
Anne Arrell has had a long association with U of G, contributing to the renovation of the Presidents House, now used for formal functions, and contributing to the develop of what is now the Art Gallery of Guelph.
“The University of Guelph changed my life in a very positive way,” said Tony, adding that he has seen a great many improvements to the university in recent years.
Anne said it was Vaccarino’s commitment to continuously improving the university that inspired the family to make the sizeable contribution. Her husband added that “backing the right people is the key to success,” and that is why the couple is backing U of G food research and Vaccarino’s vision.
Evan Fraser, the Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security, was named the director of the food institute last summer.
