The Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC) and its partners the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and Food and Beverage Canada (FBC) are pleased to see Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) What We Heard Report, which details feedback received by the Department during consultations on the development of a National Agricultural Labour Strategy. Work on …

What We Heard Report – Agricultural Labour Strategy Read More »

May 12, 2023 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Lawson, Chief Commercial Officer, Nortera as its new Director At Large. He has been elected for a two-year term. FBC-ABC held its sixth Annual General Meeting on May 9, 2023. A summary of the affairs of the …

Food and Beverage Canada announces changes to its Executive Committee and new Board of Directors Read More »

Canada’s leading food and beverage manufacturing associations have taken the lead to come together to invest in a national food supply chain platform Ottawa, Ontario – March 29, 2023 – Today, members of a national food industry consortium celebrate the launch of MiXR, a gateway to a national digital platform that will increase collaboration and …

A powerful new tool connects Canada’s agri-food industry for faster collaboration and improved competitiveness. Read More »

February 16, 2023 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Eiser, President, Aliments LUDA Foods, and Mike Bannister, President and CEO, Atlantic Poultry Inc. as its new Co-Chairs. They have each been elected for a two-year term. Additionally, the FBC-ABC Board of Directors is pleased to announce …

Food and Beverage Canada is pleased to welcome new Co-Chairs, and to announce our new Executive Committee member Read More »

February 15, 2023 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) welcomes today’s announcement by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau of federal investment in two projects related to the labour needs of Canada’s agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing sectors. The investment of $13.25M for the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council’s “Growing the …

Food and Beverage Canada welcomes today’s announcement of federal investments in labour Read More »

May 19, 2022 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rosemary MacLellan, VP, Strategy & Industry Affairs, Gay Lea Foods as its new Chair. FBC-ABC held its fifth Annual General Meeting and released its 2021-2022 Annual Report on May 17, 2022. FBC-ABC extends its deep appreciation to outgoing …

Food and Beverage Canada welcomes new Chair Rosemary MacLellan, Gay Lea Foods Read More »

For four months, the coalition of leading Canadian food and beverage manufacturing associations has been advocating for an Emergency Foreign Work Program, to secure relief for the sectors debilitating labour crisis. This past Monday, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, announced a series of unprecedented changes to the …

Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing sector applauds the government for investments in labour in Budget 2022 Read More »

Labour and skills gaps are costing Canada’s agriculture and food manufacturing industries billions each year April 8, 2022 (OTTAWA) – The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), together with partners the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) have announced the launch of the National Workforce Strategic Plan for Agriculture and …

Strategic Plan announced to address labour and skills shortages in agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing Read More »

The coalition of leading Canadian food and beverage manufacturing associations and their members applaud the federal government for taking concrete action to address the debilitating labour crisis impacting Canada’s food supply. Changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Program announced by federal Minister Qualtrough today will provide some necessary short-term relief for Canadian companies, as …

Canada’s food manufacturers applaud adoption of industry’s emergency labour proposal Read More »

March 22, 2022 – Ottawa: Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC), on behalf of Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing sector, is calling today for a swift resolution to the Canadian Pacific Railway Labour Disruption.  While we respect the collective bargaining process, Canada’s food system depends on a reliable transportation infrastructure to ensure that Canadians have access …

Food and Beverage Canada calls for a swift resolution to the Canadian Pacific Railway Labour Disruption Read More »

Ottawa, March 9, 2022 – Food and Beverage Canada – Aliments et boissons Canada is pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in the Department of Finance’s consultations in advance of Federal Budget 2022. Throughout COVID-19, Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers, as part of this country’s critical infrastructure, continued to operate, guaranteeing Canadians had …

Food and Beverage Canada – Aliments et boissons Canada submits to the Department of Finance’s consultations in advance of Federal Budget 2022 Read More »

Food and beverage is Canada’s largest manufacturing employer with almost 300,000 workers. The industry is currently facing a debilitating workforce crisis, with companies reporting vacancy rates of over 20%. The inability to secure a strong and stable workforce is impacting food security and economic recovery and is undermining our ability to support a domestic agriculture …

Food and Beverage Associations Present Revised Emergency Foreign Worker Program Proposal Read More »

FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING EMERGENCY FOREIGN WORKER PROGRAM The Problem Food and beverage is Canada’s largest manufacturing employer, with almost 300,000 workers. The industry is facing a debilitating workforce crisis, with companies across the country reporting vacancies of 20% and more. Food and beverage manufacturing was already experiencing labour challenges prior to COVID-19, but the …

Why action is needed now on the labour crisis impacting Canada’s food sector! Read More »

Ottawa, December 16, 2021 – Today, the federal government has shown it has heard the pleas of the food and beverage manufacturing industry and understands the urgency of the debilitating workforce crisis crippling businesses across Canada. The mandate letters issued to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and …

Canada must act now to address the labour shortage and protect the food supply Read More »

Ottawa, December 14, 2021 – Canada’s leading food and beverage manufacturing associations are calling on the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, to announce measures to address the debilitating workforce crisis being faced by food and beverage manufacturers across the country. Food and Beverage Canada, Le Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ), …

Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers call for action to address labour shortages in today’s Fall Economic Statement Read More »

TIMEFRAME An Emergency Foreign Worker Program should be implemented by January 31, 2022, at the latest, to ensure measures are in place to support the 2022 growing and processing year. These emergency measures should remain in place for 18 months, through to summer 2023, during which time more permanent and long-term solutions to industry’s labour …

Emergency Foreign Worker Program Read More »

November 9, 2021 – Ottawa: Food and Beverage Canada is calling on the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture to establish an FPT Labour Task Force to address the severe labour shortages facing Canada’s food and beverage processing sector. “Canada’s food system is the foundation of this country’s national food sovereignty. Our food system contributes to …

Food and Beverage Canada calls on the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers for Agriculture to establish an FPT Labour Task Force Read More »

October 13, 2021 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada – Aliments et boissons Canada (FBC-ABC) is proud to partner with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) on the development of a National Workforce Strategy for Agriculture and Food & Beverage Manufacturing. Launched today with funding from the …

National Workforce Strategy for Agriculture and Food & Beverage Manufacturing Read More »

Canada’s leading food and beverage processing associations come together to invest in national food supply chain platform Ottawa, Ontario – August 10, 2021 – Today, members of a national food industry consortium celebrate the launch of the Food Convergence Innovation (FCI) Canada – Food and Beverage Supply Chain Project (FCI-Canada Project), a national, sector-wide platform …

New platform launched to support Canada’s agri-food industry Read More »

August 5, 2021 – Ottawa: Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) is aware that Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers are set to begin job action starting Friday, August 6. Strike activity is expected take place at all Canadian airports, land borders, commercial shipping ports, postal facilities, and headquarters. Recognizing the potential impact on Canada’s supply …

Food and Beverage Canada urges the Federal Government to develop a contingency plan to protect Canada’s critical infrastructure Read More »

July 16, 2021 – Ottawa: Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) echoes the Canadian Food Industry Alliance in welcoming yesterday’s announcement by Canada’s Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture to support an industry-developed code of practice for Canada’s food industry. Inspired by the FPT Ministers’ November 2020 request for industry collaboration and leadership in …

Food and Beverage Canada welcomes commitment from the FPT Ministers of Agriculture to a Canadian Food Industry Code of Practice Read More »

On June 22, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration released a report entitled “Immigration Programs to Meet Labour Market Needs”. The report was a result of a months long study of Labour Market Impact Assessment under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. FBC-ABC CEO Kathleen Sullivan, alongside a number of FBC’s Members, …

FBC-ABC welcomes the House Citizenship and Immigration Committee’s report on Labour Market Impact Assessment under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program Read More »

May 27, 2021 – Ottawa: In November 2020, Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Agriculture and Food Ministers announced the creation of an FPT Working Group to identify potential measures to safeguard balance in the food system’s commercial relationships, while also ensuring Canadians’ continued access to a safe, reliable food supply at affordable prices. Inspired by the FPT Ministers’ …

Canadian Food Industry Collaborative Alliance Developing a Canadian Food Industry Code of Practice Read More »

May 19, 2021 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) announced today that it has appointed Jennifer Marchand, Government Relations Leader, Canada for Cargill Limited; Michael Mikulak, Executive Director of Food & Beverage Manitoba; and Chris Conway, CEO of Food and Beverage Ontario, to its board of directors.  The three new board members were appointed alongside …

Food and Beverage Canada is pleased to announce our new and returning Board of Directors for 2021-2022 Read More »

On May 4, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food released a report entitled “Room to Grow: Strengthening Food Processing Capacity in Canada for Food Security and Exports”. The report was a result of a months long study of Canada’s food processing sector, in which FBC-ABC CEO Kathleen Sullivan, and a number …

FBC-ABC welcomes the House Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee’s Report on Processing Capacity Read More »

On April 19, the federal Liberal government released its first budget since 2019. FBC-ABC was pleased to see the following initiatives that will support Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing sector: •    The New Canada Digital Adoption Program to support SMEs to digitize and take advantage of e-commerce opportunities, with a special program to support …

2021 Federal Budget Offers Support for Small and Mid-Sized Food Processors Read More »

Ottawa & Toronto, April 21, 2021 Food and Beverage Canada – Aliments et boissons Canada (FBC-ABC) and Food and Beverage Ontario encourage Prime Minister Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford to urgently safeguard Canada’s food supply. “Since the start of COVID-19, the majority of Ontario’s 100,000+ front-line food processing workers have continued to work on-site …

Federal & Provincial Leaders Urged to Protect Food Supply Read More »

April 8, 2021 (OTTAWA) – The Food and Beverage Manufacturing National Workforce and Recovery Action Plan released today details the critical situation faced by one of Canada’s most important industries and outlines what is needed to strengthen innovation in the sector and address a growing skilled trades deficit. Found in every province and region, the …

National Workforce and Recovery Plan Read More »

Food and Beverage Canada and association members have submitted comments to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food’s assessment of processing capacity in Canada. Recommendations that will safeguard food supply have been made.

FPT agricultural meeting recognizes labour challenges and retailer imposed fees as threats to Canada’s food supply. FBC-ABC, the food and beverage manufacturing industry’s non-profit advocacy association, was pleased to see the industry priorities of workforce development, frontline workers, and a grocery code of conduct recognized by federal, provincial and territorial ministers at the recent FPT …

Federal, Provincial, Territorial Ministers Commit to Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Priorities Read More »

Yesterday, FBC-ABC Co-Chair Daniel Vielfaure, Deputy CEO, Bonduelle Group & CEO, Bonduelle Americas, represented Canada’s food and beverage processing sector at an industry roundtable with federal-provincial-territorial Agriculture and Food Ministers. Daniel highlighted that food and beverage manufacturing is as a critical component of Canada’s food supply chain, noting that the industry has experience a series …

Canada’s Processing Sector Featured at Conference of Agriculture Ministers Read More »

FBC-ABC joins agriculture and food groups from across the country in calling for a Grocery Code of Conduct.  The attached paper lays out the case for greater discipline across Canada’s food supply chain.  Did you know: Just five large companies control over 80% of Canada’s grocery market. Over 80% of new products introduced for retail …

Canadian Grocery Code on FPT Agenda Read More »

FBC-ABC with food and beverage manufacturing industry associations across Canada are appealing to provincial ministers to raise the serious issue of a much needed Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct at the next FPT Agriculture Ministers’ meeting. Read more here: British Columbia Alberta Manitoba Ontario Québec New Brunswick Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia Newfoundland and Labrador

The Federal Government’s Throne Speech delivered by Governor General Julie Payette on September 23rd provided insight on Prime Minister Trudeau’s priorities for COVID-19 recovery. While focused on many important health and social policy priorities, it is decidedly light on industrial policy or economic stimulus.

Food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers are at the center of Canada’s food supply. F&B is the largest manufacturing sector in Canada. Few Canadian agriculture products make it to Canada’s grocery shelves without first being transformed by one of this sector’s 7,000+ companies. Read the recommendations in our pre-budget submission to the federal government here.

(Ottawa) August 6th, 2020 – The latest round of fees introduced by large grocery retailers on their suppliers has attracted coverage in the news media over the past week

FBC-ABC is pleased to be part of a Canadian manufacturing group led by CMC that has united on a number of recommendations for the Prime Minister that will assist businesses and the economy emerge from COVID-19.

Since the start of COVID-19, front-line food and beverage workers have continued to work, with little public recognition, so that Canadians can continue to eat. So critical are these workers that provincial and federal governments have recognized them as essential.

June 5, 2020, Food and Beverage Canada, together with its provincial association members – Food and Beverage Atlantic, CTAQ, Food and Beverage Ontario, Food and Beverage Manitoba and BC Food and Beverage – wrote to the Prime Minister and federal Minister of Finance requesting supports for the sector;

May 27, 2020 Food and Beverage Canada – Aliments et boissons Canada hosted its second Annual General Meeting and elected the following Executive Committee for the 2020-2022 term.

May 21, 2020 Food and Beverage Canada’s provincial association member, BC Food & Beverage has taken the lead on launching a program to provide Personal Protective Equipment on behalf of the food and beverage manufacturing sector.

In uncertain times, it is more critical than ever for Canadians to have access to good, high quality, and nutritious food. That is why the Government of Canada is taking steps to support the farmers and businesses who provide Canadians with the food they need to keep themselves and their families healthy.

May 25, 2020 Congratulations to Food and Beverage Ontario on creating and launching this important campaign today – Frontline Food Facts. FBC-ABC is pleased to be involved in this initiative which will celebrate frontline food workers and connect with consumers on their burning question about the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

May 11, 2020 Food processing industry associations submitted a letter to the Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, outlining the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Canadian food and beverage manufacturing sector and the importance of having a seat on the newly established, Industry Strategy Council.

April 24, 2020 We are writing on behalf of Canada’s food and beverage sector. COVID-19 has placed unthinkable pressure on all aspects of the country’s economic and social infrastructure. As Canadians, we are fortunate that as the country battles the COVID-19 health care and economic crisis, critical industries like food manufacturing continue to operate, ensuring Canadians have access to essential products.

April 25, 2020 Ottawa, Ontario - Canada’s fish and seafood sector is essential to our collective food security and our economy. The Government of Canada recognizes the need to support the hard-working women and men of the industry during this challenging time of COVID-19.

April 2, 2020 Under extraordinary circumstances, Canadian food companies continue to work tirelessly in supplying the food system for Canadian consumers. In order, to make certain the supply chain remains robust and able to deliver, Food and Beverage Canada – Aliments et boissons Canada has communicated the following top priorities to the federal government.

April 1, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Department of Finance Canada -The Government of Canada is taking immediate, significant and decisive action to support Canadians and businesses facing hardship as a result of the global COVID-19 outbreak.

The spread of COVID-19 has created shortages in sanitization products and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Public Safety Canada is gathering information from critical infrastructure owners and operators to better understand the scope of potential shortages in Canada.

The Government of Canada is making additional investments to support Canadian businesses from the economic impacts of COVID-19. These new investments provide support to financial institutions and allow them to quickly provide credit and liquidity options for a range of businesses.

The Government of Canada is taking strong, immediate and effective action to protect Canadians and the economy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic. No Canadian should have to choose between protecting their health, putting food on the table, paying for their medication or caring for a family member.

Canadian farmers and food businesses work hard so Canadians have quality food on their grocery store shelves and kitchen tables. In these times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make sure that they are supported so they can continue providing the good, healthy food that nourishes our families.

On his briefing this morning the Prime Minister thanked “people across the entire food sector”. He noted that for “farmers and people across the agri-food business” these are hard times.

March 20, 2020—Ottawa—The Government of Canada is providing an update on travel restrictions put in place to stem the spread of COVID-19. 

Food and Beverage Canada – Aliments et boissons Canada has learned that due to the border closure announced by Premier Trudeau on March 16th, temporary foreign workers will not be able to enter Canada for work on farms and in food production facilities. These individuals are important members of the workforce and contributors to Canada’s food supply chain.

Food and Beverage Canada congratulates The Honourable Carla Qualtrough on her appointment as Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino on his appointment as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Labour is the number one issue facing Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing sector today.

Food and Beverage Canada congratulates The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau you her recent re-appointment as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Food and beverage is the largest manufacturing employer in Canada, collectively employing over 260,000 people. Total sector shipments, at over $112.4 billion, are the second largest of any manufacturing sector in the country.

Food and Beverage Canada congratulates the members of Canada’s federal Liberal Cabinet on their recent appointments. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the appointment of Chrystia Freeland as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.  It is critical that women across Canada, and indeed around the world, witness for themselves the presence and contributions of women in positions of political authority. We are all made stronger when our governments are inclusive and representative.

Having won the most seats in Election 2019, Justin Trudeau has indicated his plans to form a minority government, rejecting any possibility of forming a coalition with other parties. The Liberals are now left to govern in a difficult and fragile political environment - one made more challenging by the regional polarization in Canadian federal politics. The Liberal’s failure to win any seats in Alberta or Saskatchewan has left a significant gap in the government’s caucus. Justin Trudeau has confirmed he will announce his new Cabinet on November 20 – much later than expected but providing time to decide how to represent Western Canada around the Cabinet table.

On the eve of the Thanksgiving weekend, Canada’s federal Conservative Party released its 2019 Federal Election Platform. Regulatory Modernization Reduce the federal regulatory burden by 25% over 4 years by setting targets for each minister and each department. Implement a 2-for-1 rule requiring the federal government to get rid of two regulations before imposing any new one.

On October 5, the Liberals released their 2019 Election Platform Forward: A Real Plan for the Middle Class. Food and Beverage Canada has reviewed this platform which sets out the priorities Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party will focus on if re-elected. The platform shines a spotlight on middle class Canadians with a focus on children, families and seniors. It also continues the Liberal Party’s emphasis on Climate Change and Reconciliation.

The federal government has committed close to $4.6 million towards national food and beverage processing research. The funding, announced by the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, will support the Canadian Food Innovators’ (CFI) research cluster, “Using science and innovation to strengthen Canada’s value-added food industry”.

The annual conference of Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Agriculture took place from July 17 to 19 in Quebec City. Key issues impacting Canada’s agriculture and food processing sectors, including trade and market access, labour and regulations were frontline concerns at this session with an agenda mirroring the priorities identified in the federal Agri-food Economic Strategy Table report released last fall. That report called on Canada to increase domestic and export food sales to $140 and $85 billion, respectively, by 2025.

Ottawa – July 19, 2019 – Today, the Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced an investment of up to $30 million in the Canadian Food Innovators Network (CFIN) to be led by Canadian Food Innovators.

The Government of Canada’s commitment to launch a three year economic immigration pilot will assist in addressing current and forecasted labour shortages for food and beverage manufacturers. The pilot will focus on the meat processing sector by attracting and retaining workers through a pathway to permanent residents. A maximum of 2,750 principal applicants plus family members will be accepted per year. For more information on this recent announcement made July 12, 2019 view the Government of Canada’s media release and backgrounder here.

Interview with PrimeTime Politics, Peter Van Dusen, provides insight on the recent announcement and implications to Canadian food and beverage manufacturers.

Aliments et boissons Canada estimates that by 2025 food and beverage manufacturing businesses across Canada will have up to 100,000 unfilled positions.

A number of measures announced in the 2018 Fall Economic Statement delivered yesterday demonstrate the federal government’s commitment to support competitiveness and new investment in Canada’s food and beverage processing sector, according to Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC).

Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) shares the concerns of the Government of Canada, as well as the business and manufacturing community, on the recent actions taken by the United States in regards to imposing punitive tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium from Canada.

Budget 2018 continues the commitment to supporting agri-food, a high potential sector, by further strengthening the policy frames as industry and government strive to realize the ambitious target to grow Canada’s agriculture and food exports to $75 billion by 2025.

Kathleen Sullivan appointed as chief executive officer of the recently launched Food & Beverage Canada

The government of Canada is moving forward with the development of a much needed Food Policy for Canada

Over 1,500 food and beverage processing businesses across the country unite to launch new Ottawa-based, national organization mandated to work with governments and other stakeholders on industry priorities.