Two provinces partner for growth

Guelph, ON – Quebec and Ontario have joined forces with an agreement intended to strengthen their jointly valued $60 billion food and beverage processing industry.

Food and Beverage Ontario (FBO) and Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Quebec (CTAQ) are the signatories behind the agreement that was reached on Nov. 26.

Together, FBO and CTAQ will bring their respective expertise to addressing policy, regulatory and program issues for food and beverage processors. Businesses in these two provinces generate over $60 billion in sales and represent 66 per cent of production across Canada, reports the news release.

The agreement between FBO and CTAQ is intended to:

·      Pursue strategic partnerships and collaboration with stakeholders to support a competitive position for the food and beverage processing industry.

·      Increase profile of the food and beverage processing industry with governments, industry stakeholders and Canadians.

·      Identify and work with partners on the development of programs that will increase industry innovation, productivity and competitiveness.

·      Establish specific job and revenue targets for the industry collaboratively with governments.

With over 5,700 businesses, Ontario and Quebec account for most of the processing production in Canada. These businesses directly employ more than 157,000 Canadians with thousands more through indirect jobs. Fifty per cent of all national exports come from these two provinces, reported the media statement.

Immediate priorities for FBO and CTAQ include an analysis of industry policy and regulatory issues, and launching of a communications campaign focused on the federal government. Raising the profile of the sector and its impact on the economy is also a high priority.

This multi-year agreement strives to set the stage for a more globally-competitive and responsive food and beverage processing industry.