OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - Diversity, inclusion, sustainability, supply chain reliability. These were a few of the top focuses of Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) as it recently held its Semi-Annual Board of Directors meetings. Taking place in Victoria, British Columbia, from September 13–17, the event brought the Executive Committee, Board members, and past Chairs together to discuss key topics and challenges impacting the industry.
“CPMA continues to be a national and global leader on topics and issues impacting our supply chain,” said Ron Lemaire, CPMA President. “Supply chain disruptions, sustainability, plastics packaging, and diversity and inclusion are all areas which need ongoing focus and investment. The Board leadership on these topics and others are essential to our sector’s success.”
As explained in a press release, the meeting agenda included presentations by Paul Shorthouse of the Canadian Plastics Pact, of which CPMA is a signatory, and David Guthrie of KPMG on the topic of sustainability and its impact on the produce sector.
In addition, the Board was given a report from the CPMA Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Working Group, which has been exploring D&I and potential paths forward for CPMA to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Canadian fruit and vegetable industry.
“Diversity and inclusion are critical to the success of our sector,” says Mario Masellis, CPMA Board Chair and Director of Sales and Marketing for Catania Worldwide. “It is something I chose to focus on during my tenure as Chair, continuing the work begun by previous Chairs. As an organization and a Board, we have committed to increasing our knowledge around diversity and inclusion, their importance to our organizational culture, as well as exploring ways to support our members on their D&I journeys.”
The CPMA Board adopted a recommendation that all CPMA Directors and committee members will participate in D&I training by the end of 2022, also agreeing to work to diagnose the current D&I landscape to gain an understanding of the D&I training needed within the industry.
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