Bentley Lecture

ASSW is proud to co-host the 23rd Bentley Lecture in Sustainable Agriculture,
scheduled for February 19th, 2025, during the conference, with
The Honourable Robert Black, Senator for Ontario as the speaker.

About the Bentley Lecture
The Bentley Lecture in Sustainable Agriculture is an annual public presentation hosted through the Department of Renewable Resources in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta. Each lecture focuses on issues related to sustainable agriculture.

The lecture will be followed by a student poster presentation session.

The Bentley Lecture is a free, public event.

RSVP and further details are available on the Bentley Lecture homepage.

About the speaker
The speaker for the 23rd Bentley Lecture in Sustainable Agriculture is The Honourable Robert Black, Senator for Ontario.

Senator Robert Black has worked in the rural, agricultural, and leadership arenas for much of his career. He has been closely involved with 4-H Canada and 4-H Ontario, as well as other leadership programs such as Junior Farmers and the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP). He credits his involvement in these programs with helping him develop the skills that eventually led him to apply to be a senator. He is also a past president of the Canadian 4-H Council.

Robert applied to be a senator in July 2016, after some encouragement from his son, Tayler. In February 2018, he received a call from the Prime Minister, summoning him to the Senate to represent the province of Ontario. The Prime Minister specifically asked him to bring his background in agriculture, rural community development, and leadership development to the Senate.

Since February 27, 2018, Robert has been working on several issues of importance to Canadians through his role. Prior to prorogation, Senator Black was also Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and a member of the Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament Committee and the Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament.

In 2012, in recognition of Robert’s significant contributions to 4-H across Canada over many years, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2013, Robert was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Program Director Award from the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership (IAPAL). In 2016, he was made an Honourary Member of the Canadian 4-H Council. Most recently, in 2024, Robert was made an Honourary Member of the Canadian Society of Soil Science.