ONTARIO, CANADA - Last week, Canadian industry members had the chance to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s (CPMA) Colin Chapdelaine, Chair of CPMA and President of Berry Operations at Star Produce, spoke during the food affordability roundtable.
“Canadians are concerned about growing food prices,” says Ron Lemaire, CPMA President. “The Canadian fresh produce industry is aggressively working to make sure healthy food remains affordable and available in all regions of the country—from major urban centers to remote and rural communities. Since 2019, our efforts have included improving global produce supply chains, adopting more sustainable forms of packaging, and collaborating with policymakers and regulators to ensure we move forward in a systems approach that aligns programs and regulations to support a sustainable food system in Canada.”
Accompanied by other industry leaders, the roundtable was a key opportunity for CPMA to highlight the efforts of the Canadian fresh produce industry.
The industry outlined concerns with the government's proposed regulations which could adversely impact food affordability and availability, according to a press release. These include the ban on fresh produce PLU stickers and the application of highly restrictive and market-disrupting packaging targets.
“Our industry stakeholders from across the global fresh produce supply chain are ready to work with government officials to help them understand the industry’s efforts to provide Canadians with affordable fresh produce, support industry efforts to develop and adopt sustainable packaging technologies, and fight the rising costs of food,” says Chapdelaine.
The industry highlighted the need for the government to recognize and support its ongoing efforts and significant investments to address environmental concerns with produce packaging. Canada's fresh produce industry is calling on the Canadian government to take a non-regulatory approach and work hand-in-hand with the industry to leverage its existing sustainable packaging efforts.
For more on this impactful advocacy effort, check out the press release here.
And keep reading ANUK for more fresh produce news.
