A new organization representing food and beverage manufacturers in Canada has been launched. Food & Beverage Canada (F&BC) of Mississauga, ON, will work to be the national voice for this economic sector.

“Food & Beverage Canada is bringing businesses together from coast to coast to seize an unprecedented opportunity,” said Daniel Vielfaure, F&BC Co-Chair and Managing Director, Bonduelle Americas Long Life. “This is Canada’s agri-food century. Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers can play a pivotal role in feeding the world, while growing jobs and economic sustainability for communities in rural and urban Canada.”

F&BC will work with governments to effectively shape public policy and industry actions for the benefit of Canadians. Leading issues include:

+ Ensuring smart regulations that serve the public interest while maintaining a competitive environment

+ Building a healthier, more sustainable and ethical food system

+ Promoting innovation in food and beverage manufacturing processes and practices

+ Creating global trade opportunities for products

+ Protecting and informing consumers while enabling consumer choice

+ Providing skilled jobs and rewarding employment for Canadians

Food & Beverage Canada is an association of seven regional food and beverage manufacturing associations from coast to coast plus leading industry and stakeholder members. The organization is committed to collaborative relationships and constructive communications with federal and provincial governments.

“There are a lot of important issues on the table right now,” said Michael Burrows, F&BC Co-Chair and CEO Maple Lodge Farms. “We believe that, working together, we can contribute positively to Canadians’ quality of life and deliver value for our members. We can strengthen the competiveness and productivity of the businesses we represent while being a key engine to power sustainable growth in Canada’s economy.”

The founding Board of Directors is comprised of the following Executive members:

+ Co-Chairs – Michael Burrows, CEO, Maple Lodge Farms & Daniel Vielfaure, managing director, Bonduelle Americas Long Life

+ Vice chair – Sylvie Cloutier, CEO, Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ)

+ Secretary – Rosemary MacLellan, VP Strategy & Industry Affairs, Gay Lea Foods

+ Treasurer – Joe Makowecki, president & CEO, Heritage Frozen Foods

+ Director at large – Rory McAlpine, Sr. VP, Government and Industry Relations, Maple Leaf Foods

The food and beverage processing industry is the second largest manufacturing industry in Canada in terms of value of production with shipments worth $112.4 billion in 2016 accounting for 18% of total manufacturing shipments and 2% of the national GDP. The food and beverage manufacturing industry invest about $2 billion annually in capital expenditures, about 80% of which is in machinery and equipment.

The industry’s 6,900 businesses are the largest manufacturing employer providing direct jobs for over 257,000 Canadians, employing more Canadians than the auto and aerospace industries combined. The industry supplies approximately 70% of all processed food and beverage products in Canada and is the largest buyer of the food Canadian farmers grow. Exports of processed food and beverage products to 192 countries continue to increase and stood at $33.5 billion in 2016, an increase of 7% over 2015; accounting for 29.8% of production value. 87% of these exports went to three major markets in 2016 – United States (74%), China (7%) and Japan (6%).