[1] Mercier has been credited among other things with the implementation of innovative agrifood policies that transformed the family farm of the past into the efficient and profitable modern operation of today.

[5] In 1946, Ernest Mercier earned a Ph.D. with post-graduate research on the influence of day length on reproduction efficiency and the shape of the lactation curve of dairy cows in Canadian latitudes.

There, he worked to plan and implement provincial and federal agrifood policies required in transforming the family farm into a viable and profitable enterprise in Quebec.

During those 12 years acting in this capacity, he worked on several international projects and took part in many Canadian delegations to developing countries such as Algeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Cuba, Haiti, Madagascar, Peru, Rwanda and Saudi Arabia.

[2][3] During this time, he also worked with Radio-Canada on agriculture related subjects both a researcher and interviewee and wrote numerous articles in specialized journals and periodicals.

[1] Throughout his career and into retirement, Dr. Mercier was involved with his community and various organizations such as l'ordre des agronomes du Québec, the Agricultural Institute of Canada and the Canadian Hunger Foundation.