In an era of new regulations, global trade, and change to come, Canada’s produce industry trade associations look forward to the challenge. Representatives from three of the largest organizations share their visions and goals with Blueprints.
THE TRADE
Agriculture has always been a vital part of the Canadian economy, going all the way back to its earliest settlement. Canada’s top trading partners remain the United States and Mexico, but China has become an increasingly important destination as well. Canada recently unseated Argentina as the fifth-largest exporter of food products in the world, representing 3.5 percent of total global exports.
With so much at stake, trade associations have their hands full. Regional associations and commodity groups all do their part, but for the purposes of this article, we talked to the leaders of three organizations: the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (founded in 1925 as the Eastern Canada Fruit and Vegetable Jobbers), the Association Québécoise de la Distribution de Fruits et Legumes, known as the Quebec Produce Marketing Association in English (founded in 1947 as the Quebec Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers Association), and the Ontario Produce Marketing Association, founded in 1990.
The organizations operate independently but share information, some clients, and perform services regionally as well as nationally. All three cooperate and work together, and while each has its own agenda, process, goals, and resources, the groups are not rivals, all working toward the betterment of the industry.
To get a sense of the challenges and opportunities faced by those buying and selling produce in Canada, we spoke with leaders at each of these dynamic organizations, asking about the future of fresh food marketing. Each header includes three words chosen by the interviewee to describe the Canadian fruit and vegetable industry.
CANADIAN PRODUCE MARKETING ASSOCIATION (CPMA)
“Collaborative, Evolving, Competitive”
Before discussing the differences between the American and Canadian produce trade, CPMA’s president Ron Lemaire wants to point out the similarities. “Both are experiencing consolidation within the retail sector, both have a knowledgeable and socially active consumer base, and we have similar concerns related to weather, water, and growing global competitiveness,” he explains.
This doesn’t mean that differences don’t exist, however; he notes that for produce, Canada is an import-dependent nation, and must therefore think globally as well as collaboratively. There are also differences in the size, makeup, and origin of the country’s consumer base. But the largest difference, he notes, is between the two countries’ regulatory systems: “While we work diligently to encourage a harmonized North American perimeter approach to regulations and trade on our continent, our two governments still create barriers that can have a negative impact and drive extra costs into our business.”
Helping navigate these barriers is just one of many services CPMA provides. “We set annual goals, which support our five-year strategy,” explains Lemaire. “Our goal to improve population health and industry prosperity drives everything we do.”
The CPMA operates along three business lines—corporate services, market development, and industry simplification—which work collaboratively in such areas as market research, consumer promotion, government relations, food safety, traceability, coding and efficiencies, networking, membership services, and education. By engaging a wide range of stakeholders, CPMA hopes to connect the most impacted groups and individuals to achieve an optimal result.
“Our actions are always tied to a broader strategy,” Lemaire explains, “and aligned with the diverse needs of our stakeholders.
