The first fully automated greenhouse in Canada—comments from Pascal Thériault

In Ontario, a fully automated greenhouse allows lettuce to be grown and harvested with virtually no human intervention—a first in Canada.

Haven Greens had to invest $50 million to make it happen. But the result is striking: the company can operate with just five employees in the greenhouse, whereas it would have required more than 100 pickers using the traditional method.

CBC News visited the greenhouse and interviewed agriculture experts, including McGill agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault, about the benefits and risks involved. 

Watch the video to find out why Thériault believes lettuce is the perfect crop for this style of agriculture, what kind of support he says is needed to establish and expand the use of these technologies in Canada, and what he feels AI can—and cannot—accomplish, when it comes to agriculture.