GFTC announces speakers for State of the Industry event

July 26, 2011, Brampton, Ont. – The Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC)
has announced two of the speakers for its upcoming State of the
Industry: A Closer Look at Canada’s Food & Beverage Industry
symposium.

Andrew Bell, is a Canadian investment reporter and host of two most-watched Business News Network programs – Commodities and Market Call.
He will present “The Big Picture – An Overall Look at Canadian Food
Retailing,” which will explain why inflation is a key driver for food
retailer profitability and address the challenges being faced by
Canadian food stores. Bell will also present a scorecard of the three
big Canadian retailers over the past five years, highlighting the
efficiencies and what is being done to fight falling profits and flat
sales.

Bell has a reputation for providing a blunt, well-researched assessment
of the hot stocks and issues of the day, and is a regular contributor to
the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine. In 2001, he was the inaugural winner of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada annual Journalism Awards program.

Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, will
deliver a presentation entitled “Canada’s General Economic Status and
Outlook.” The presentation will discuss how Canada has withstood the
recent global economic pressures and how the food industry will fare
given the recent indicators of increased food prices.

Porter has analyzed and written about trends in the Canadian and global
economies and financial markets for over 25 years. He is a regular
commentator on economic and financial trends. Porter is also recognized
for bringing to light what Statistics Canada said was its most serious
error on record, with respect to the consumer price index, and for
highlighting the large price gaps on many consumer goods between Canada
and the United States.

The GFTC’s biennial State of the Industry symposium will be held Nov. 4 at the Pearson International Centre, in Brampton, Ont.