TORONTO, ON - Amid an exciting backdrop for Blue Jays fans, foodies, and fresh, a wave of produce professionals converged on the city of Toronto for education, innovation, and celebration—a note that struck clearly at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) Chair’s Welcome Reception Tuesday, April 28, at the Ripley’s Aquarium.
With the exception of the Young Professionals Networking Reception, which gathered industry members under 40 to network and connect prior to the aquarium, many kicked off their annual CPMA Convention and Trade Show immersed in one of Canada’s most captivating offerings. It was the perfect way to begin with the vibrancy of the city that hosted us.
An international collection of banners and businesses from North, Central, and South America, Europe, and Asia set the tone for a diverse range of attendees that felt energetic and hungry for what the Canadian fresh produce scene had to offer as we geared up for new additions like extended show hours and additions to the association's mobile application for even better networking access.
Earlier risers for the first expo day kicked off their morning with a talk by speaker Jim Carroll, recognized as the world’s leading futurist, on trends and innovation. With the philosophy that innovators see what could be perceived as a daunting future with eyes of opportunity, his tone was synergistic, echoing through CPMA President Ron Lemaire's state of the industry address, which acknowledged that Canadian produce is showcasing adaptation and innovation in the face of very real pressures.
Diving deeper into multiple aspects of industry interest, this year's Business Sessions offered several perspectives on the topics at hand. Attendees had a chance to listen in on produce trends from Mike Mauti, Managing Partner of Execulytics, Meena Aier, Manager, Economics–Research and Economic Impact for Export Development Canada, and Francis Parisien, Senior Vice President, NielsenIQ Canada. With a focus on Canadian consumption data, the format gave a multi-pronged approach to the elusive topic.
Similarly, "Food Loss and Waste—Enabling the Conditions for Increasing the Value of Fresh Produce Loss and Waste" saw wisdom shared from Jessica Wynne-Pfenning of Pfenning's Organic Vegetables, Hutch Morton of J.E. Russell, Julie Olmstead of SystemEQ, Jessica Regan of FoodMesh, and Vince Barletta of Harvest Manitoba.
Innovation and insights continued to weave throughout the CPMA schedule as the show floor opened its doors for over five hours, offering access to exhibitors and their latest offerings.
As attendees explored the floor, the Innovation Zone showcased innovators from across the fresh produce sector, highlighting unique opportunities to learn about the products and services shaking up the industry. Likewise, periodic Learning Lounges returned to the CPMA show floor, discussing everything from "Leveraging Influencers for Business Success" to "Trade in 2026–A return to stability or market shake up?" Not to mention the range of the show floor itself, which welcomed one of the strongest international reaches on record and put on display the interest and pride of Canadian produce.
That enthusiasm flowed seamlessly into day two of events, welcoming a strong second surge back to the show floor after a full morning of breakfast, awards, and deeper insights across borders.
One thing that stood out to me sharply was Day Two's back-to-back international discussions featuring both industry and political leaders.
Discussing consumers, supply, value, and even a fun lightning round, many gems were to be found from a morning panel hosting international retailers and senior produce leaders Maggie Chu, Head of Trading for Top Weal; Michelle Loucks, Senior Director, Global Perishable Logistics, Supply Chain Order Management and Produce Purchasing for Whole Foods Market; and Scott Dray, Senior Director, Global Produce Sourcing for Walmart.
Following the trio was a Fireside Chat that saw Ron Lemaire discuss the ongoing value, discussions, and bonds across international discussions with Mexico Ambassador Carlos Manuel Joaquín González and Canadian Minister, The Honourable Heath MacDonald.
Between the two deep discussions, Canadian import and export was certainly on the brain as we navigated the final hours of the 2026 Convention and Trade Show.
Read some amazing feedback from the floor:
Ron Lemaire, President, Canadian Produce Marketing Association
"The increased size of international representation because of changes we’ve seen around the world shows an increased interest in Canada in North America. Because of the geopolitical situation, we are seeing a desire for a more direct route to market that we see in attendance here. We have also seen international relationships getting stronger, including a higher amount of international retailers. Overall, the traditions of new innovations held strong. In 2025, the amount of stability needed led to compression-based growth. What we saw here is an industry split on a cautious vision of 2026, with half seeing momentum, and they are driving their business forward, continuing to propel innovation in a way that stood out very differently from last year to this year."
Stephanie Myles, Events Marketing, Mastronardi Produce®
"It’s always great to get to connect with others across the Canadian produce industry and share in good conversations about the future of fresh."
Kelsey Van Lissum, Director of Marketing, Oppy
"Each year, CPMA gives us a real sense of where the industry is headed. Kudos to the association for all of their hard work in bringing everyone together and facilitating the collaboration that makes the produce industry so special. We were proud to announce that we’re teaming up with Sumo Citrus at the show, bringing the fall crop to Canada this coming season. We look forward to seeing everyone on our home turf in Vancouver next year!"
From celebrating Canadian produce stalwart Paul Catania Jr., President and CEO of Catania Worldwide, with the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award to the closing Annual Banquet that saw off all but those attending today's Women In Produce Summit, final official expo day is a blur of smiles and laughter, hugs and handshakes.
Even now, as the 2026 Toronto wraps and plans for Vancouver in 2027 begin to form, there is still so much brimming from the past couple of days. For a deeper dive into the events' impacts from CPMA, click here to read this year's Convention and Trade Show By The Numbers.
As we continue to report on final numbers, recognitions, and more, be sure to keep an eye on AndNowUKnow!
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CPMA
Based in Ottawa, Ontario, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is a not-for-profit organization that…
