From Opportunity to Achievement: Canadian Food...

From opportunity to Achievement

Canadian Food Strategy.

RepoRt MARCH 2014

Centre for Food in Canada

From opportunity to Achievement: Canadian Food Strategy michael Bloom

Preface

the canadian Food Strategy is a comprehensive, action-oriented framework to guide and stimulate change in food and the food system. it has been developed from a conviction that changing our nation’s food system is both an opportunity and an imperative. the Strategy’s five key elements are industry prosperity, healthy food, food safety, household food security, and environmental sustainability. the breadth and scope of these elements make the Strategy more comprehensive than most of the world’s national food strategies, which tend to be more industry focused. this report contains an overview of the canadian Food Strategy’s purpose and structure. it also sets out the eight goals and more than 60 desired outcomes, and provides 110 action strategies that can help to achieve them.

To cite this report: Michael Bloom. From Opportunity to Achievement: Canadian Food Strategy. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2014.

©2014 The Conference Board of Canada* Published in Canada | All rights reserved | Agreement No. 40063028 | *Incorporated as AERIC Inc.

®The Conference Board of Canada and the torch logo are registered trademarks of The Conference Board, Inc. Forecasts and research often involve numerous assumptions and data sources, and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. This information is not intended as specific investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice.

For the exclusive use of Université Laval.

contentS

Chapter 1 1 Overview 4 Why a canadian Food Strategy? 8 Structure of the Strategy

Chapter 2 10 Canadian Food Strategy—Five Elements 10 element: industry prosperity 12 element: healthy Food 13 element: Food Safety 14 element: household Food Security 15 element: environmental Sustainability

Chapter 3 16 Canadian Food Strategy—8 Goals 16 element: industry prosperity 16 element: healthy Food 17 element: Food Safety 17 element: household Food Security 17 element: environmental Sustainability

Chapter 4 26 Implementation 28 implementation roles for Key Stakeholders 31 making change happen 32 Learning From Best practices

Chapter 5 43 Guide to Action Tool

Chapter 6 45 Conclusion and Next Steps 46 encouraging implementation and tracking progress

Appendix A 48 Centre for Food in Canada Reports Used in Preparing the Canadian Food Strategy 48 2011 49 2012 53 2013 59 2014

Appendix B 60 Bibliography

© The Conference Board of Canada. All rights reserved. Please contact cboc.ca/ip with questions or concerns about the use of this material.

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Acknowledgementsthis report was prepared for the conference Board of canada’s centre for Food in canada (cFic). Funding was provided by cFic investors.

the report was written and researched by Dr. michael Bloom, vice-president, industry and Business Strategy, with contributions from michael Grant, cFic’s Director of research. thanks are due to Doug Watt, Dr. Jean-charles Le vallée, Alison howard, Dr. Jessica edge, Dr. Dan munro, michelle thomson, and James Stuckey, who reviewed and commented on the draft.

thanks are also due to cFic investors who read and commented on drafts of this work. their helpful insights and feedback greatly contributed to this report.

the findings and conclusions of this report are entirely those of the conference Board of canada, not of the centre investors. Any errors and omissions in fact or interpretation remain the sole responsibility of the conference Board of canada.

About the Centre for Food in Canada

the centre for Food in canada (cFic) is a multi-year initiative of research and dialogue to help address one of the mega-issues facing our country today—food. Food impacts canadians in an extraordinary range of ways. it affects our lives, our health, our jobs, and our economy.

the twin purposes of the centre for Food in canada are:

• to raise public awareness of the nature and importance of the food sector to canada’s economy and society;

• to create a shared vision for the future of food in canada—articulated in the canadian Food Strategy—that will meet our country’s need for a coordinated, long-term strategy for change.

the Strategy takes a comprehensive approach to food. it covers the full range of themes relating to industry prosperity and competitiveness, healthy food, food safety, household food security, and environmental sustainability, encompassing both economic and social dimensions.

the work involves a combination of research and communications. the goal is to stimulate public understanding of the significance of the food sector and spur the demand for collaborative action. to achieve its goals, the centre is working closely with leaders and partners from canada’s food sector, governments, educational institutions, and other organizations.

Launched in July 2010, cFic actively engages private and public sector leaders from the food sector in developing a framework for a canadian food strategy. Some 25 companies and organizations have invested in the project, providing invaluable financial, leadership, and expert support.

For more information about cFic, please visit our website at www.conferenceboard.ca/cfic.


CFIC Investors

the conference Board of canada is grateful to the centre for Food in canada investors for making this report possible, including:

Champion Investors

Agriculture and Agri-Food canada

heinz canada

Loblaw companies Limited

maple Leaf Foods

nestlé canada inc.

parmalat canada Limited

partner Investors

cavendish Farms (irving Group)

cott Beverages canada

Deloitte

Farm credit canada

iBm canada

KpmG LLp

mccain Foods (canada)

olymel L.p.

pepsico canada

Saputo inc.

Weston Foods

participant Investors

Government of new Brunswick—Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries

heart and Stroke Foundation

participants

university of Guelph


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Chapter 1 | The Conference Board of Canada

Find this report and other Conference Board research at www.e-library.ca 1

chApter 1

overview

The Canadian Food Strategy is a comprehensive, action-oriented

framework to guide and stimulate change in food and the food system.

It has been developed from a conviction that changing our nation’s food

system is both an opportunity and an imperative. It also stems from a

sense that real change requires a framework broad and flexible enough

to include every stakeholder, without being prescriptive.

The Strategy is intentionally aspirational, driven by an optimism about

our future—but it is an optimism tested empirically against the reality of

our capacities and our understanding of this country’s potential.

The Strategy’s five key elements are industry prosperity, healthy food,

food safety, household food security, and environmental sustainability.

The breadth and scope of these elements make it more comprehensive

than most of the world’s national food strategies, which tend to be more

industry-focused.

The Strategy’s broad scope is essential: it reflects the widely held view of

Canadians that our food system is bigger than the food industries; and it

includes multiple economic, social, and environmental dimensions.


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FROM OPPORTUNITy TO ACHIEvEMENTCanadian Food Strategy


In fact, all five elements are closely interrelated. The viability and

prosperity of the producers, processors, manufacturers, shippers,

traders, distributors, and retailers in Canada’s food system are pivotal

to ensuring that an adequate food supply is available to Canadians.

This includes the full range of food industry participants: local producers

and processors as well as large firms; small operators as well as the

biggest multinationals.

Industry success enables us to do much more than ensure the food

supply. Industry is an engine that can help fuel our progress on the

other elements that are vital to Canada’s interests and Canadians’ well-

being and quality of life. A prosperous and vibrant food sector, and an

Exhibit 1A National Food Strategy for Canada

Source: the conference Board of canada.

Food Safety

Food Security

Food Sustainability

Supply Chain Issues

Storage, Transportation, and Manufacturing Safety

Chemical or Radiological Treatment

The Links Between Food and Disease

The Links Between Food and Obesity

The Impact of Food on the Environment

Agricultural Commodity Prices

Food Versus Fuel

Trade Impacts

Labelling

Immigration and Labour Force Issues




engaged food industry, are essential to achieving our national goals for

food safety; high-quality, healthy food; household food security; and

environmental sustainability.

The impact of changes to food and the food system goes much further

than the sector. For example, improvements in diet and the success of

food-related population health efforts will reduce the incidence of chronic

disease. This, in turn, will cut costs and slow down increases in spending

on our $200-billion-plus health care system, thereby reducing pressure

on government finances and helping to bring deficits in check.

For these reasons, the Strategy is much more than a food industry

strategy, although industry has an important place in it.

Strategy, Not encyclopediaThe Strategy is a plan for change that focuses on the important things

that need improving, where current action is inadequate or incomplete—

not an encyclopedia of everything pertaining to food or a detailed

blueprint for redesigning all aspects of the food system.

It takes a comprehensive approach to the issues, linking prosperity to

innovation, productivity, competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience.

It addresses both the domestic and the global opportunities available to

the food sector, in the context of Canadians’ concerns about food safety,

health, security, and environmental sustainability.

The Strategy explicitly builds on Canada’s advantages by emphasizing

our national brand as a country that creates major new food products

for world markets and produces exceptionally safe and healthy foods. It

also takes into account the tensions in our food system, including price

versus quality, niche markets versus mass consumer supply, diversification

versus specialization, large versus small operations, global versus local

production, and government control versus market openness.


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Why a Canadian Food Strategy?

Food powerfully affects the economy, jobs, lifestyles, health and well-

being, communities, and the environment. yet, the opportunities and

challenges of food have not been addressed comprehensively in

Canada. Approaches to food opportunities and issues have largely been

made in isolation—tactical rather than strategic—limiting their impact

and value.

At the root of the problem is the lack of a shared national vision for food

that promotes collaboration to achieve widely shared economic, social,

and environmental goals. The Canadian Food Strategy is designed

to address this. The Strategy focuses on how collectively, as well

as individually, we can make substantial progress in addressing the

wide range of challenges facing us and make the most of our plentiful

opportunities in the food sector.

opportunitiesCanada is blessed with abundant natural resources that have already

made us a highly successful food producer and exporter, increasing the

size of our economy and giving jobs to hundreds of thousands. And the

future holds much promise for the food sector as it feeds Canada and

finds new opportunities around the world—global markets are filling with

customers who can afford richer diets, more protein, and more calories

that Canada can supply.

The food sector already contributes more than 8 per cent of Canada’s

gross domestic product, but it can become even larger if our producers

capture a share of the growing international food market. The dairy

sector is a case in point where we could grow our exports dramatically.

Taken as a whole, Canada’s food sector has the potential to be among

the foremost export industries for Canada, since worldwide demand will

continue to rise for decades and few other countries have the potential

capacity to satisfy the needs of these burgeoning markets. If we choose,

Canada can move from being a top-20 net food exporter to be among

the top 5 food exporting powers of the world—a global food super power.




At the same time, domestic opportunities abound. Canadians seek

new foods to improve and sustain their health. Multi-billion-dollar niche

markets are growing for natural, organic, local, ethnic, and convenience

food. Canadians also expect more from their food experiences—tastes

are changing and people wish to consume a diverse, varied, and

interesting diet, generating yet more opportunities to profit by creating

or importing new products for domestic markets.

We have important opportunities to bring about changes to our health,

safety, and quality of life, within a sustainable environment, in addition

to the economic opportunities stemming from changes in domestic and

global demand. The key here is to take an integrated approach to the

entire food, diet, health, environment, and food industry ecosystem.

This approach mirrors Canadians’ expectations for action. Canadians

want, and expect, that the food system will ensure their collective

safety in all that they consume; contribute to their physical and mental

health; and safeguard the environment, including soil, water, and air, for

future generations.

ChallengesThere is some dissatisfaction with our food system. People worry that

food might not be safe; foods and food ingredients might have negative

health impacts; food production might negatively affect the environment;

nutritious food might not be accessible to everyone; and the food

industry in Canada might not be prosperous—or even viable—in the

long term.

Opinions are divided on whether or how we should change the way we

grow, process, distribute, import and export, sell, and consume food.

Some “champions of change” are concerned that change will come

too slowly or not at all. They worry that individual efforts and targeted

government or corporate programs are too limited to make a difference.

They know that history is not greatly encouraging since, over the last

century, Canada tended to manage its food policies by reacting to crises

and special interests—with the result that management and governance

grew more complicated as new mechanisms and structures were added

The key here is to take an integrated approach to the entire food, diet, health, environment, and food industry ecosystem.


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on to existing ones. Over time, food policy became less coherent.

They also know that altering our food system is a major challenge given

the big differences in priorities and perspectives between federal and

provincial governments; between governments and food businesses,

including farmers; and between consumers and householders and those

who operate and administer the food system.

the StrategyTo help address the challenge of change, we present the Canadian

Food Strategy, a comprehensive, integrative approach to achieving

the substantial advances Canadians want. The Strategy’s optimism

is reflected in the aspirational language of some of the goals and

desired outcomes. Some of the desired results are achievable in the

short term, while others will likely take much longer—but significant

progress can be made toward all of them. Developed through a process

that involved 20 major research studies1 and wide consultation with

experts, stakeholders, and the public, the Strategy finds many points

of connection and common interest across the broad food system

and beyond.

Given the high degree of interrelation between the Strategy’s goals

and desired outcomes, readers will want to consider the potential for a

single initiative or program to achieve results on more than one goal. For

example, an effort to improve food literacy could have a positive impact

on healthiness of diets (Goal 4), diet-related chronic disease rates

(Goal 5), and household food security (Goal 7) at the same time.

The Strategy, presented below, first frames the problems and challenges,

then offers a broad-ranging set of 8 goals and over 60 desired outcomes

that, when achieved, we believe will greatly alter our food system for the

better—to the benefit of our economy, our health, our personal security,

our environment, and the well-being of all Canadians.

1 See Appendix A for an annotated list of the 20 research reports.




process for Developing the Canadian Food Strategy

2010

July Centre for Food in Canada (CFIC) established with goal of developing and releasing Canadian Food Strategy

July Research begins on the first of the 20 CFIC research projects designed to provide an empirical basis for the Strategy

2011

June Release of first two foundational research reports

2012

Feb. 1st Canadian Food Summit

May Pre-Draft Strategy document prepared and reviewed

Sept. 1st Draft Food Strategy prepared for consultation process

2013

Feb. 1st Consultation Phase ends—focus groups and online (over 1,200 organizations participated)

April 2nd Draft Canadian Food Strategy prepared for review at 2nd Canadian Food Summit

April 2nd Canadian Food Summit—and consultation on Draft Strategy

June 3rd Draft Canadian Food Strategy reviewed

Dec. Canadian Food Strategy revised for final review

2014

Jan. CFIC members review revised Strategy

Feb. All 20 CFIC research reports have been released

Feb. Canadian Food Strategy finalized, communications plans completed

Mar. 3rd Canadian Food Summit—launch of the Canadian Food Strategy—Elements, Goals, Desired Outcomes, and Action Strategies

June Release of Specific Actions and Selected Metrics


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Structure of the Strategy

The Strategy is structured like a pyramid, moving downwards from

elements and strategic challenges to broad goals and then to desired

outcomes that contribute to achieving each of the goals. The action

strategies associated with each desired outcome indicate important

areas for action or types of action.

For each action strategy, there is a range of specific actions

that stakeholders can take—including, but not limited to, policy-

formulating, law-making, setting regulations, running programs, and

making investments.

The 400 specific actions we have so far identified will be released as

a separate workbook, and incorporated into the online version of the

Strategy, along with metrics to track performance, to be released in

June 2014.

Subsequently, specific actions taken in implementing the Strategy will be

tracked and reported on an annual or more frequent basis.

ComponentsThe Strategy contains the following sequential components:

• elements—five elements: industry prosperity, healthy food, food safety,

household food security, and environmental sustainability—covering the

five major areas of strategic challenge;

• Strategic Challenges—five strategic challenge statements expressing the

challenge associated with the five elements;

• Goals—one or more high-level, aspirational goals for each element;

• Desired outcomes—important changes to food sector economic

performance, food health and safety, household well-being, and

environmental sustainability;

• Action Strategies—major approaches to achieving the

desired outcomes;




• Specific Actions—specific workable solutions (including practices,

policies, programs, and tactics) to put the strategies into effect and

achieve the desired outcomes;

• Actions taken—actions taken by one or more stakeholders to

achieve the goals and desired outcomes (including policy, programs,

collaborations, and partnerships for change);

• Metrics—clear targets and measures to track progress in implementing

the Strategy and achieving the goals and desired outcomes.

Exhibit 2the Canadian Food Strategy pyramid


Actions Taken—Implementation ActivitiesPolicies, Programs, Partnerships, etc.

400 Specific Actions

110 Action Strategies

Metrics

5Strategic

Challenges

5Elements

62 Desired Outcomes

8 Goals


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chApter 2

Canadian Food Strategy— Five elements

The Strategy takes into account the broad range of interrelated

opportunities and challenges facing Canada. It addresses them by

focusing on five key elements: industry prosperity, healthy food, food

safety, household food security, and environmental sustainability. Each

element is represented in the Strategy through one or more high-level

goals, for a total of eight goals. (See below.)

element: Industry prosperity

Strategic Challenge Canada must improve the competitiveness and prosperity of its food

industry in order to ensure that it can feed all Canadians, contribute to

national economic growth, sustain local specialization, and be more

competitive in global markets.

ApproachThe Strategy identifies opportunities to make significant economic gains

globally, nationally, and locally. Its industry prosperity element is built

around three major components:

• Global competitiveness (enhancing Canada’s competitiveness in global

food markets);




• National capacity (embracing national operations and scale to ensure a

viable and prosperous Canadian food industry);

• Local specialization (capitalizing on the growing demand for local food

by fostering a local product environment that keeps small and medium-

sized farms and manufacturers viable).

Goal 1 emphasizes that economic activity at these three levels

is complementary and increasingly integrated. A strong national

domestic food economy performance, profitable local production, and

greater global competitiveness all stem from common factors that are

emphasized among the desired outcomes. These include greater capital

investment in food businesses, innovation and commercialization of

research and development (R&D), product and process innovation,

management acumen, strong value chains and supply chains, expanded

trade, and maximized production for domestic niche markets and

premium international brands.

Goal 2 stresses the importance of innovation to competitiveness and

growth. Innovation can take many forms, including improvements to

yields and productivity, new products and expert services for domestic

and global markets, innovative management practices, new business

models, augmenting traceability of products and ingredients, marketing

to new and emerging markets, and profitable domestic specialization.

Goal 3 focuses on streamlining, modernizing, standardizing, and

selectively harmonizing laws and regulations to support industry on a fair

and equitable basis while protecting the interests of householders. It also

emphasizes the importance of removing trade barriers and promoting

international trade as a key to future food industry growth and prosperity.

It seeks clear and accurate labelling for country of origin, health claims,

contents, and production processes in order to ensure fairness for

businesses and to give consumers highly accessible information about

food products they may purchase.


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element: Healthy Food

Strategic Challenge Dietary patterns have an enormous impact on the health and well-being

of Canadians. As the Canadian population ages, the long-term impact

of unhealthy diets is worsening. Canadians suffer from rising rates of

chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, of

which dietary patterns are a major contributing cause. This reduces

people’s quality of life and costs Canada’s health care system billions

of dollars each year. Growing rates of childhood obesity cut hopes for

a long-term improvement. Canadians need to make the connection

between diet and long-term health, encourage government and industry

efforts to improve the food choice environment, and take responsibility

for improving their own dietary behaviours.

ApproachThe Strategy focuses on addressing the powerful impact of dietary

patterns on the health and well-being of Canadians. It recognizes

that food and diet improve personal health and seeks to ensure that

consumers select and have access to foods that help them experience

lower incidences of diet-related diseases and live long, healthy lives.

Goal 4 identifies ways to help Canadians gain a deeper understanding

of the connection between diet and long-term health, and change their

behaviours as a result. It emphasizes action strategies by industry

and government to improve household food literacy, make consumers

aware of nutritional content, modify advertising, and improve the food

choice environment to enhance the healthiness of foods consumed and

mitigate the impact of chronic disease. This includes ramping up R&D

to create or reformulate healthy food products and adding performance-

based systems for timely approval of food product health claims. It also

emphasizes the importance of improving diagnoses of malnutrition and

employing food-based strategies to reduce it in or eliminate it from the

Canadian population.




Goal 5 highlights a set of desired outcomes and action strategies to

mitigate the negative long-term impact of unhealthy diets on our aging

population, notably on the rising rates of major diet-related chronic

diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

Food labelling is one key to helping consumers make healthy food

choices. Other areas of emphasis include lowering consumption of

trans fats, sodium, and sugar; linking dietary change with fitness and

exercise programs; working with schools to establish a Pan-Canadian

Student Nutrition Program; and reaching adults through workplace

nutrition programs.

element: Food Safety

Strategic ChallengePeriodic failures in Canada’s food safety performance (e.g., BSE,

listeriosis) cause illness and, sometimes, death. These failures

undermine the trust of Canadians in the food supply, cause economic

losses for affected firms, harm Canada’s international brand as a source

of safe and healthy food, and reduce our competitiveness in global

markets. Canada should strive to become the top food safety performer

in the world, to both safeguard the health of its people and strengthen

its competitiveness.

ApproachThe Strategy recognizes the importance that Canadians attach to food

safety and its significance to Canada’s brand as a premium supplier of

safe, high-quality food to the world. The approach here is to reinforce

our strength by moving toward Canada becoming the top food safety

performer in the world, safeguarding the health of its people and

strengthening its competitiveness.

Goal 6 features desired outcomes and action strategies to enhance

domestic safety performance and build trust in our food supply and

minimize economic losses for affected firms by solving safety problems

Canada should strive to become the top food safety performer in the world.


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quickly and effectively. This would also help to enhance Canada’s

already strong international brand as a source of safe and healthy food,

thus contributing to our competitiveness in global markets. Areas of

emphasis include safety improvements from better production methods,

heightened private and public safety standards and inspection protocols

to monitor and benchmark performance. It also focuses on applying

the latest scientific advances and information and communications

technologies (ICTs) to improve tracking of foods and ingredients through

a national traceability system. In addition, it seeks to help households,

restaurants, and food services operations improve safety results by

offering information, advice, and tools.

element: Household Food Security

Strategic ChallengeMany Canadians feel insecure about Canada’s long-term ability to feed

its people. Each year, several million Canadians experience periods

of difficulty in accessing safe and nutritious food that they can afford.

Canada must improve the food security of its population by meeting their

nutritional needs and demonstrate that it can feed its people.

ApproachThe Strategy addresses the fact that, despite an overall decline in

the real cost of food in relation to household income, there are still a

significant number of Canadians experiencing periods of difficulty in

accessing safe and nutritious food each year.

Goal 7 sets out desired outcomes and action strategies to resolve

the food security issues of a range of at-risk populations, including

Aboriginals; children; urban low-income households; and Northern,

rural, and remote residents. It identifies action strategies in which

governments, communities, and industry could engage to alleviate the

food security problems. These include nutrition programs; tax credits

and incentives for food donations; improved distribution channels,




pricing strategies, and subsidies to make nutritious food more affordable

in areas where the market cannot fully meet needs; and programs to

improve food literacy, food security, and food emergency contingency

and continuity plans.

element: environmental Sustainability

Strategic ChallengeCanada’s production of food and export levels need to be increased

sustainably, while minimizing impacts on the environment and

improving sector environmental performance compared with other

competitor countries. Areas for action include the sustainable use

and management of water, air, land, biodiversity, and aquaculture and

fisheries; the reduction of waste relating to all of these; and adaptation to

climate change.

ApproachThe Strategy takes into account the importance of increasing Canada’s

production of food and export levels sustainably while minimizing

negative impacts on the environment.

Goal 8 presents a set of desired outcomes and action strategies that

focus on the sustainable use and management of water, air, soil, arable

land, biodiversity, and aquaculture and fisheries; the reduction of food

waste in relation to all of these; and ongoing adaptation to climate

change. A set of action strategies focuses on households, relating to

purchasing, storing, and using food; improving food waste literacy; and

improving public knowledge about food and the environment. A second

set of action strategies relates to harvesting and production issues,

including production and supply-chain efficiency to reduce food waste

and strengthened resource management to enhance sustainability of

water supply, soil, and arable land. Other action strategies focus on

improving energy efficiency and air quality, protecting biodiversity and

habitats, and improving the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture.


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chApter 3

Canadian Food Strategy—8 Goals

element: Industry prosperityGoal 1: The food sector is viable and prosperous.

Goal 2: The food sector is innovative, competitive, and growing.

Goal 3: Up-to-date policies, laws, and regulations address food

industry and household interests.

element: Healthy FoodGoal 4: Canadians eat healthier and have balanced diets.

Goal 5: Canadians have low rates of diet-related chronic diseases.




element: Food SafetyGoal 6: Canada is the world leader in food safety.

element: Household Food SecurityGoal 7: All Canadians have access to safe, nutritious,

and affordable food.

element: environmental SustainabilityGoal 8: The food sector is an excellent environmental performer

that increases food production sustainably.


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Goal 1: the food sector is viable and prosperous.

Desired outcomes Action Strategies

Global Competitiveness

1.1 Food Exports Expand in Existing and Emerging Markets

• Increase exports by expanding presence in existing and emerging markets, including new markets.

• Expand food exports, linking aid and trade, to address the challenge of global food security.

1.2 International Trade Is Liberalized

• Improve exporters’ access to international markets through government-negotiated multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements.

1.3 Canada’s Food Brands Are Internationally Renowned and Widely Sold

• Develop high-quality national, provincial, and regional food brands and product specializations for wide sale in international markets.

• Build a Canada Brand to reinforce food brands and products using positive images of Canada’s natural environment and culture and our reputation for product quality and safety.

National Capacity

1.4 Producers and Processors Improve Performance by Optimizing Scale

• Achieve optimal producer and processor scale through collaboration, cooperation, and consolidation.

1.5 Capital Markets Invest More in the Food Economy

• Broaden pool of capital and investors in the food economy to provide food businesses with liquidity and capital for growth and new market entry.

1.6 Business Management Performance Improves in the Food Sector

• Improve food sector business management performance through management training and development programs and sharing expertise.

1.7 Supply Management Is Fundamentally Reformed

• Reform supply management, wind down quota, and reorient supply-managed sectors to take advantage of international and domestic growth opportunities.

Local Specialization

1.8 Local Food Economies Are Prosperous

• Help local food economy producers and processors access domestic markets through large retailers and local vendors and distributors.

• Support specialized production for niche markets.

• Ensure land-use planning, zoning, and infrastructure support local food production and consumption.

1.9 Canada Is a Leading Food and Drink Tourism Destination

• Link tourism destination marketing with local and specialized food and drink products and cuisine.



Goal 2: the food sector is innovative, competitive, and growing.


2.1 Innovation Investment Improves Food Sector Productivity and Competitiveness

• Expand private sector investment in product innovation and commercialization for international and domestic markets.

• Create networks, centres, and agencies to increase R&D and collaborative innovation throughout the food sector.

• Expand public investment in agri-food science and technology and provide incentives to business to enhance private sector innovation and commercialization.

2.2 Crop yields and Livestock Productivity Increase

• Use R&D to increase crop yield and livestock productivity and to improve animal health and welfare.

2.3 Innovative Management Practices and Business Models Are Adopted

• Adopt innovative and effective farming management practices.

• Take advantage of value-chain opportunities and better infrastructure to access markets and increase trade.

2.4 Canadian Farmers Use Technology to Improve Output and Performance

• Recruit and train farmers to use the latest production techniques and technology.

• Farmers invest in technology to increase efficiency and production levels and reach markets.

2.5 Fishing and Aquaculture Production Grows Sustainably

• Produce more protein by innovating in fish and seafood capture and production.

• Address environmental issues, conservation, and sustainability through policy, planning, and management.

2.6 Food Traceability Wins International Customers for Canadian Products

• Implement a universal “one-forward, one-back” food traceability system in Canada and help firms build their traceability capacity so they can participate.

• Promote more comprehensive food traceability for food supply chains and value chains.

2.7 Innovative Products Find Global Markets

• Develop innovative products, including premium and healthy products, to meet global demand, and bring to market on scale.

2.8 Canadian Know-How and Expert Systems Are Sold Globally

• Export Canadian know-how, standards, and expert systems globally.

2.9 Food Companies Expand Business in Emerging Markets

• Develop international industry and firm-level growth strategies that identify opportunities in emerging markets and developing countries.

• Take advantage of transportation infrastructure improvements to increase the scale of trade.

2.10 Canadian Firms Produce and Import More Culturally Specific Foods

• Produce and market culturally specific foods in domestic and international markets.

• Import culturally specific foods for domestic markets.

2.11 Skilled Talent for Food Sector Productivity and Innovation Is Developed and Imported

• Create education and training programs to develop innovation skills and attract international talent to enable more product, process, and service innovation and productivity gains.

• Promote careers in food sector R&D, innovation, and commercialization.



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Goal 3: Up-to-date policies, laws, and regulations address food industry and household interests.


3.1 Laws and Regulations Are Streamlined, Standardized, and Focused on Outcomes

• Enact new federal legislation to address food industry and household interests and issues.

• Standardize, harmonize, and streamline laws and regulations and apply consistently to all in a timely fashion.

3.2 Regulatory Barriers to Domestic and International Trade Are Removed

• Eliminate domestic trade barriers through new legislation and harmonized interprovincial regulations.

• Eliminate international trade barriers through trade agreements and regulatory harmonization.

3.3 Regulatory Systems Are Selectively Harmonized

• Selectively harmonize Canadian, U.S., and other international regulatory systems.

3.4 Labelling Rules About Country of Origin and Content Are Clear and Consistent

• Modify Canadian country-of-origin labelling rules for clarity, accuracy, and fairness.

• Define clear, accurate, and easy-to-understand labelling requirements for health claims, product content, and production processes.

3.5 Private Standards Have Standing Within the Public Regulatory Regime

• Recognize private standards as having standing within the public regulatory regime.



Goal 4: Canadians eat healthier and have balanced diets.


4.1 Canadians Know How to Select, Store, and Prepare Foods to Maintain Their Health

• Implement food literacy, public awareness programs, and advertising to educate people about food and health and encourage healthy choices.

• Increase daily consumption of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.

• Promote Canada’s Food Guide to inform dietary choices.

4.2 Labelling and Packaging Make Nutritional Content Clear to Consumers

• Standardize and clarify product labelling regarding nutritional contents and claims.

• Label food menus to indicate nutritional content and calories clearly.

4.3 Advertising Unhealthy Foods to Children Is Reduced

• Set stringent industry advertising guidelines to reduce the advertising of unhealthy foods to children.

• Monitor and report on industry performance against the guidelines.

4.4 All Canadians Access Affordable and Nutritious Food

• Provide at-risk communities, groups, and individuals with financial help and information to access nutritious foods.

4.5 New Healthy Foods Reach Market

• Invest more in R&D spending on healthy foods and accelerate the reformulation of products to make them healthier.

• Promote the benefits of healthy food to consumers to increase demand and stimulate business.

4.6 Market Approvals Speed Up for Foods With Health Benefits

• Establish and resource a performance-based system for the timely approval process of food product health claims.

4.7 Malnutrition Is Reduced or Eliminated

• Improve the diagnosis of malnutrition.

• Use supplementation programs to reduce and prevent malnutrition.



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Goal 5: Canadians have low rates of diet-related chronic diseases.


5.1 Canadians Make Dietary Choices That Reduce or Alleviate Chronic Diseases

• Educate consumers and make nutritional information widely accessible to households to promote consumption of healthy foods and ingredients.

5.2 Trans Fats, Sodium, and Sugar Consumption Levels Decline

• Set national targets for lower consumption of trans fats, sodium, and sugar and engage industry cooperation to achieve targets.

• Develop healthier alternative and replacement ingredients.

5.3 Canadians With Dietary Problems Experience Lower Rates of Chronic Disease

• Connect dietary strategies with fitness and exercise programs and performance targets for healthy, active living.

• Target dietary intervention strategies to focus on high-risk groups.

5.4 Children Eat Better; Consume Less Sodium, Trans Fats, and Sugar; and Become More Active

• Deliver food literacy and wellness programs to raise children’s understanding and modify behaviours.

• Modify children’s diets to reduce their consumption levels of sodium, trans fats, and sugar.

5.5 Obesity Rates Fall • Balance children’s diets with physical activity levels.

• Establish a Pan-Canadian Student Nutrition Program to provide children with greater access to nutritious foods.

• Promote balanced diet and controlled calorie intake to adults through a National “Eat Fit” Program and public and private workplace nutrition programs.

5.6 Foods and Ingredients That Prevent or Alleviate Chronic Diseases Are Identified, Created, Approved, and Promoted

• Identify and create foods and ingredients that prevent or alleviate chronic diseases.

• Speed up Canadian approvals for the sale of foods that prevent or alleviate chronic diseases.



Goal 6: Canada is the world leader in food safety.


6.1 Canada Has One of the Lowest Food-Borne Illness Rates in the World

• Improve restaurant and food services safety management and practices and harmonize inspection standards.

• Adopt food-safety-enhancing processes and technologies in food production and processing.

• Provide households with information and advice on improving their food safety practices.

6.2 Food System Incidents and Breakdowns Are Resolved Quickly and Transparently

• Implement a universal traceability system to increase accuracy of diagnosis and speed of response to incidents.

• Improve multi-jurisdictional collaboration, surveillance activities, outbreak responses, and food safety investigations.

6.3 The Safety of Imported Foods and Global Food Industry Supply Chains Is Improved

• Develop North American government standards for imported foods, jointly with the U.S. and Mexico.

• Increase inspections and testing of imported foods and food ingredients prior to import and after arrival, in partnership with the U.S., Mexico, and other trading partners.

• Implement voluntary private national standards, modelled on ISO standards, and connect them to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and other multilateral, international standards and procedures.

6.4 Public and Private Systems of Food Safety Standards Are Linked, Improving Safety

• Connect and make interactive public and private systems of food safety standards and apply uniformly to all companies.

6.5 A National Traceability System Tracks Foods and Ingredients Quickly and Accurately

• Implement a universal traceability system and standardize traceability nationally to increase accuracy in identifying sources and taking remedial action.

6.6 Food Safety Inspection Ensures That Local Producers and Processors Deliver Safe Products

• Develop practical and effective public and private inspection and safety oversight for local producers and processors.

6.7 Food Safety Practices Are Widely Promoted and Adopted by Firms and Farms

• Focus on food safety performance as a key element of overall corporate performance.

• Benchmark safety practices in all parts of the food industry and widely share best practices.

6.8 The Food Safety System Addresses Weaknesses and Gaps in Corporate Safety Systems

• Increase government inspection of weaknesses and gaps in corporate food safety systems.

• Monitor food safety and inspection service performance levels and use data generated from monitoring to modify safety and inspection processes.

6.9 Pre-market Approval System for Additives With Food Safety Benefits Speeds Up

• Review pre-market approval system to find ways to simplify and speed up processes while maintaining safety.



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Goal 7: All Canadians have access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food.


7.1 Disadvantaged, Low-Income, and At-Risk Canadians Have Access to Safe and Nutritious Affordable Food

• Establish a Pan-Canadian Student Nutrition Program and add food-specific elements to social assistance programs.

• Food security organizations pool their resources to build scale and expand distribution channels to provide free or inexpensive nutritious and healthy food to the homeless and lowest-income population.

• Offer tax credits and incentives to industry to donate excess food to charities and food rescue and recovery organizations.

7.2 Residents of Nutritionally Poor Urban Neighbourhoods Have Access to Safe and Nutritious Food Through Broadened Retail and Local Food Distribution

• Implement community-wide strategies to improve distribution of nutritious, fresh, and healthy foods to nutritionally poor urban neighbourhoods.

• Increase food retail locations to offer healthy, nutritious foods in nutritionally poor urban neighbourhoods.

• Establish urban community gardens to provide fresh produce to food security organizations and individuals.

7.3 Aboriginals and Residents of Northern, Rural and Remote Locations Have Access to Safe and Nutritious Food at Affordable Prices

• Improve northern, rural, and remote food distribution systems and use pricing strategies and subsidies to make nutritious and healthy food affordable.

• Support Aboriginal peoples’ access to culturally appropriate and nutritious food.

7.4 Food-Insecure Individuals Have Improved Literacy Skills That Help Them Access Safe and Nutritious Foods

• Improve food literacy and provide tools so that individuals can address their food security challenges and are able to find affordable sources of safe and nutritious foods.

7.5 Domestic Food Supply Continuity Is Maintained During Food Emergencies

• Develop and resource national food emergency contingency and continuity plans.

• Strengthen the reliability of transportation, food, and energy supplies and infrastructure for emergency food distribution.



Goal 8: the food sector is an excellent environmental performer that increases food production sustainably.


8.1 Food Waste Generated by Industry and Households Is Significantly Reduced or Reused

• Improve harvesting and production methods and supply-chain efficiency to minimize waste.

• Use food waste as a source of nutrients, compost, and bio-energy.

• Help households become waste-conscious and knowledgeable about purchasing, storing, and using food with less waste.

8.2 Canadians Are Environmentally Food Literate

• Improve food waste literacy and public knowledge about food and the environment through education and information programs.

• Encourage and respond to consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and processes.

8.3 Water Supply, Soil, and Arable Land Are Sustainable

• Improve water quality, resource management practices, consumption, and contamination in agricultural production, food processing, and manufacturing.

• Reduce soil contaminants, soil erosion, and salinity from agriculture and increase organic matter levels in agricultural soils.

• Reward producers and processors for improved environmental results and include environmental footprint in criteria for income support programs.

8.4 Agricultural Land Is Maintained in Farming Production

• Protect agricultural land near urban centres from urbanization; modify zoning and land-use limitations on arable land to maintain its use for farming.

8.5 Air Quality and Green House Gas Emission Performance Improve

• Identify adaptations needed to improve air quality and sustain the environment using climate change scenarios.

• Develop clean-energy technologies to reduce air pollution from agriculture.

8.6 Private Standards for Sound Environmental Management Are Widely Adopted by Firms, Fisheries, and Farms

• Business, government, and NGOs jointly develop voluntary environmental standards and labels and widely promote sound environmental management practices.

8.7 Canada Has a Resource-Efficient, Low-Carbon Food System

• Improve energy efficiency through innovations to reduce carbon emissions.

• Reuse, recycle, and use food waste for energy generation.

8.8 Fisheries and Aquaculture’s Environmental Sustainability Performance Improves

• Modify fishing production and harvesting practices and rebuild and conserve wild fish stocks to sustain the fishing, marine, and aquatic environments.

• Implement strategies to make aquaculture more environmentally sustainable.

8.9 Biodiversity Is Protected • Invest in conservation measures to protect wildlife, habitat, and the ecosystem.

• Raise public and industry awareness of the environmental importance of protecting biodiversity.

8.10 A National Measuring System Accurately Assesses the Food System’s Environmental Impacts

• Develop sustainability objectives and rigorous metrics to measure performance in achieving them.

• Use national measuring system results to “eco”-brand Canadian products as being eco-friendly.



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chApter 4

Implementation

Implementing the Canadian Food Strategy is voluntary. Some results

must come from business or government leaders choosing to take

action. Others will be achieved by engaging a “community of common

interest” from across the public and private sectors, together with

individuals and families.

In many cases, the best chances for success come from involving many

stakeholders—some taking action on their own, others choosing to act

within multi-stakeholder collaborations. In the end, it will be through the

efforts and support of a great many Canadians that the most important

results are achieved.

Broad engagement is as important as leadership. Although any one

group may initiate change, real and lasting impact is more likely to occur

when the change is embraced by a wide variety of Canadians. The

Strategy reflects this reality by featuring desired outcomes and action

strategies that are broadly supported, even though each may find its lead

in one group or locality.




Balancing Market operation and Government oversightUnderpinning the economic components of the Strategy is the reality

that market operation is, and will remain, the pre-eminent basis of the

Canadian economy, including the food sector. Market operation has

led to a greater variety of foods available to consumers at historically

low prices, as the efficiencies of scale and global trade have yielded

their benefits to households and consumers. Overall, markets have

been highly effective in improving our standard of living, making more

and more varied foods available to Canadians at lower real costs than

ever before.

At the same time, markets work best when they operate under a degree

of public sector oversight. They benefit from being regulated and

inspected by governments—especially when they are not over-regulated

and regulations have a clear, consistent purpose and are applied in a

fair, consistent, transparent, and equitable fashion.

Government regulation signals to the public and our international

trading partners that there is significant governmental oversight, which

builds confidence in our systems. In fact, not all inspection needs to

be performed by government to be effective in ensuring quality, safety,

and healthiness. Private inspection systems, with government oversight,

already play a highly significant role. These inspection systems are

part of private standards systems—industry’s managerial systems for

ensuring quality and safety. Indeed, while government establishes the

regulations and standards, inspection processes depend heavily on

industry involvement—both in expertise and resources—in order to

operate on the scale and with the timeliness and accuracy required to

achieve quality and safety performance targets.

Given the gradual reduction in numbers of government inspectors over

the past decades, this pattern of government-industry collaboration is

almost certain to continue. As a result, where there are problems and

challenges, both public and private sectors typically share responsibility

and need to work together on solutions.


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Implementation Roles for Key Stakeholders

BusinessFood and food-related businesses, including producers and farmers,

processors and manufacturers, distributors, shippers, retailers, and food

services, can take the lead in accomplishing many of the goals and

desired outcomes highlighted in the Strategy. They have the capacity to

make progress, often through the efforts of individual firms or industry

subsectors, and sometimes through very broad efforts involving the

whole food sector working together.

Much of the economic effort proposed in the Strategy involves individual

businesses expanding their innovation efforts, accessing investment

capital, hiring management talent, improving production and quality

processes, adopting new trade strategies, and finding partners to access

new markets. Similarly, new emphasis on safety advances, healthy

products, and mitigating environmental impact can yield results for firms

acting on their own.

In some cases, it will be more efficient or effective for firms to collaborate

in groups or entire food industry subsectors. For example, for many

years, small farmers have benefited through collective action, most

notably in cooperative marketing. Collaborative efforts can also be

facilitated by a subsector’s industry association.

Some action strategies will require very large-scale collaboration across

the food sector for maximum impact. Universal traceability is a case

in point, as are industry standards for limiting advertising to children.

In these and other instances featured in the Strategy, broad collective

action advances businesses’ common interest while, at the same time,

mitigating the risk of investing in action where competitors might take

advantage. There are important models for these forms of collaboration.

For instance, several industry associations could pool resources to work

on issues of common interest along a value chain.




GovernmentGovernments have a leadership role to play in achieving many of the

Strategy’s goals and outcomes. This includes creating policies, laws,

regulations, and programs to improve the food sector’s operating

environment. Governments also set legal standards and approval

processes for food innovation. Governments are particularly important

in initiating change in areas where there is a market failure. Their efforts

are key to promoting economic growth and expanded domestic and

international trade; maintaining efficient and effective oversight of food

safety; broadening household food security; promoting healthy diets and

choices; safeguarding the environment; and supporting fundamental

food research.

In addition, the Strategy is intended to inform and influence government

agriculture and food strategies now in development or under

consideration. It is also possible that aspects of the Strategy will be

incorporated into future federal or provincial government strategies.

public-private partnerships and CollaborationIn many areas, including standards, safety, compliance, and R&D for

healthy products, public-private collaboration between business and

government, sometimes involving communities and interest groups, is

the optimal approach to accomplishing the Strategy’s goals and desired

outcomes. Collaboration is crucial to build sufficient capacity and

harness expertise and resources on the scale needed to bring about

large-scale changes in both the supply and demand for food that are

envisioned in the Strategy.

Communities and Interest GroupsCommunities and special interests groups have a leadership role to

play in some areas, notably relating to household food security, local

food, and environmental sustainability. In addition, they can play a role

in some health and economic-related public-private partnerships

and collaborations.

Governments are particularly important in initiating change in areas where there is a market failure.


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Researchers and educatorsResearchers and educators in the post-secondary education system

carry out much of the foundational research that leads to major food

innovations (e.g., biotechnology), higher productivity practices, and safe

food. In their role as educators, elementary and secondary educational

institutions have a powerful part in shaping food literacy and attitudes

toward food. Their potential influence on the millions of students in

the educational system constitutes the single most important locus of

behavioural change in the overall population outside of households.

Households, parents, and IndividualsHouseholds and individuals have a key role to play in implementing the

Strategy. Many of the Strategy’s desired outcomes and action strategies

embody research findings that show the importance of informed and

committed households and individuals in making major gains in health

and safety. Canadian households have the most powerful influence on

the food system through their buying patterns. They drive $90 billion

in annual food sales. Their spending power has an important influence

on health and safety outcomes as businesses respond to consumer

demands for better and safer food products in order to maintain or grow

their sales and market share. In addition, their expectations of the food

system standards have an important political influence on governments

as they consider changes to governing policies, laws, and regulations.

Parents, sometimes in partnership with formal education institutions,

have an extremely important role in shaping food attitudes and

behaviours of their children as well as themselves, with attendant

health impacts.




Making Change Happen

Moving from strategic ideas and concepts to large-scale implementation

has been a challenge for food strategies around the world, as it is likely

to be in Canada. On the other hand, particular aspects of food systems

in countries everywhere are constantly evolving in response to a wide

variety of economic, social, and political forces for change. Canada is

no exception. In fact, Canada’s food system has changed and been

changed considerably over the past decades. Wartime Canadians

faced severe controls on food supplies and prices. Today, Canadians

have a vast array of food choices at market prices. International and

domestic trade in food has grown enormously during the same period.

The food system is constantly evolving to meet changing needs and

appetites of Canadians. Typically, changes occur through a combination

of efforts and behaviours of governments, businesses, industry sectors,

non-governmental organizations, and householders in response to

emerging issues and needs. Less commonly, the collaborative action is

more proactive.

The key to successful implementation is to draw on the lessons learned

about why and how changes to sector and firm-level behaviours actually

occur; how governments direct, regulate, and cooperate with business

to achieve desired outcomes; and how individuals, households, and

communities play their part. These lessons provide an important source

of guidance for implementing the Strategy and practical lessons in how

to get the most out of investments of time and resources.

The following analysis of how change has occurred in the food system is

intended to assist groups and individuals that are considering how they

might take action. The best practices and lessons learned, below, reveal

a range of processes and levels of engagement that can serve as guides

and models for future efforts.


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Learning From Best practices

1. Demand-Driven ChangeChange in the food sector is often the result of market demand. This

type of change occurs through the natural interaction of food businesses

and consumers. A case in point is the process of food product innovation

and consumer acceptance of new food products—when new types

of products are created and brought to market, positive consumer

response means a rising demand that stimulates more business effort

and investment. While governments set the safety, health, and other

regulatory ground rules for these interactions, the innovations that

occur through the interaction, and their impact on diet and consumption

patterns, are a natural part of the food market.

Change of this type can be stimulated by helping businesses identify and

assess likely market demand, both domestic and international. Capital

can be attracted and investments made on this basis, resulting in firm-

level growth, sector gains, and possibly improvements in diet and health.

The market acceptance of organic food and the resulting business

response to consumer demand provides an excellent example of this

type of food change.

Case 1: organic Agriculture: Consumer Demand Drives Industry GrowthOrganic agriculture began as a niche movement in Europe. In the

1920s and 1930s, Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, developed

biodynamic agriculture as a new form of natural agriculture that

eschewed the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. For decades,

organic farming remained a niche form of agriculture practised by

relatively few farmers. Then in the 1970s consumers started to

take notice.

Consumer acceptance and buying behaviour were key to transforming

organic agriculture from a fringe philosophical movement to a

mainstream agricultural technique. Consumers have demanded more




organic products in the belief that they are healthier, safer, and more

environmentally sound than mainstream agricultural products. (These

beliefs may not be based on scientific evidence.)

In Canada, rising consumer purchasing levels are driving farmers,

processors, and retailers to offer more organic products. As late as 1998,

organic food accounted for only 1 per cent of retail food sales,1 and there

were fewer than 2,000 organic farms in Canada. By 2010, organic retail

sales had reached around 5 per cent of total retail sales; now Canada

has over 3,700 organic farms.2 Since 2006, the size of the Canadian

organic food market has tripled and is now a $3.7-billion market.3 Fifty-

eight per cent of Canadian shoppers buy some organic product every

week.4 Worldwide, organic is a US$63-billion market.5

It has been a challenge to standardize the definition of organic to avoid

consumer confusion. In general, organic food is grown without the use

of genetic techniques (e.g., genetically modified organisms [GMOs],

synthetic inputs [fertilizers or pesticides], or irradiation). In 2009, Canada

introduced Organic Products Regulations requiring mandatory organic

certification. These regulations incorporated private standards for organic

products. Today, producers that describe their products as “organic”

must meet the standards set out in the regulations and be certified by

certification bodies that have been accredited by the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency (CFIA).

As noted in the CFIC report Funding Food, organic agriculture is now

attracting significant capital.6 In that report, we highlight the case of

Dundee Capital. Dundee has made four investments in agriculture in

organic fish farms and organic beef. The emergence of new players

funding organic agriculture is a sure sign of its mainstream acceptance.

1 Forge, Organic Farming in Canada, 1.

2 Canadian Organic Growers, Certified Organic Production, 1.

3 Canada Organic Trade Association, Canada’s Organic Market.

4 Ibid., 1.

5 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Organic Production.

6 Grant and Butler, Funding Food.

The Canadian organic food market is now a $3.7-billion market; 58 per cent of Canadian shoppers buy some organic product every week.


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But none of this would have happened had consumers not demanded

more of these products: clearly a case of “organic” growth stimulated by

market demand.

2. partly Structured and Unstructured Multi-Stakeholder CollaborationSometimes change occurs through collaborative effort between

government, educational institutions, and industry. The plans for these

multi-stakeholder collaborations are often not fully structured from

inception and initial design. Such partly structured or unstructured

collaborations often grow up and evolve over time as progress in a

particular area of research and development or evidence of emerging

market or social demands becomes clearer and the potential benefits of

collaboration become more obvious.

Change of this type can be stimulated by helping researchers,

governments, businesses, and investors “connect the dots” to see

the potential for commercialization or for satisfying health, safety,

environmental, or social needs. This can help to focus the development

process and gain higher levels of support needed to expedite the

process of turning first concept into fully functioning reality. The results

can lead to rapid firm-level growth, sector gains, trade growth, and

improvements in diet, health, environmental sustainability, and advances

in meeting global needs for food.

Case 2: CanolaA good example of a partly structured collaboration is the development

of canola, which is now a major Canadian cash crop. (See box “Canola:

Government-Sponsored Research Partnership Transforms Prairie

Agriculture.”)

The fundamental research that led to the transformation of rapeseed

into canola was conducted by researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food

Canada and the University of Manitoba. But businesses, including

farmers, played a key role in commercializing the innovation by planning

the new seed varieties, processing oils and meals, and finding end




markets for healthy canola products. No one fully planned the multi-

billion dollar success of canola from inception—it involved the efforts

of thousands of people working in what was only a partly structured

collaboration.

Canola: Government-Sponsored Research partnership transforms prairie Agriculture

The history of canola demonstrates how agriculture can be significantly

transformed through partnerships and collaborative action between the public,

universities, and the private sector.

Rapeseed oil has been used for thousands of years as a fuel and lubricant.

Rapeseed oil is unsuitable for human and animal consumption because of its

high erucic acid content, which is considered toxic. Rapeseed meal is high in

glucosinolates, which are also toxic when consumed in large quantities. This

made rapeseed meal, a by-product of oil, unsuitable as animal feed.

As European agriculture recovered after World War II, the demand for Canadian

rapeseed significantly declined. Rapeseed acreage fell from 80,000 acres

in 1948 to only 400 acres by 1950.7 Prairie farmers needed an alternative

cash crop.

Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the University

of Manitoba were interested in developing a version of rapeseed that preserved

its many desirable nutritional qualities (such as low saturated fat and high

omega-3, omega-6, and monounsaturated fats) while reducing toxicity. If

successful, canola would provide Prairie farmers with an alternative crop to

traditional wheat, barley, and rye. The technical challenge of developing a low-

toxic version of rapeseed was beyond the capabilities of individual farmers.

Government funding, in the form of direct support to AAFC research and the

University of Manitoba was critical to developing a new type of rapeseed.

A research team led by Dr. Richard Downey of AAFC and his collaborator Baldur

Stefansson of the University of Manitoba led to the development of a low-erucic,

low-glucosinolate version of rapeseed. A key innovation was a seed partition

7 Canolainfo.org, History of the Canola Plant.


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method that allowed researchers to test one half of a seed for nutritional content

while the other half germinated.8 This allowed them to select the seeds with

desirable nutritional and toxicity traits, through a gas-liquid chromatography

(GLC) technique. Ultimately this technique led to the development of 18 varieties

of canola and 5 varieties of mustard. Health Canada played a key role in

certifying the safety and nutritional authenticity of these new varieties.

Government-university collaboration provided prairie farmers with a new cash

crop. But it was up to individual farmers and processors to take the initiative

to plant the new varieties and develop domestic and international export

markets for seeds, oils, and meals. Because of private sector initiative, canola

oil production increased from 300,000 tonnes in 1972 to over 7 million tonnes

in 2012.9 During this period, exports of canola increased from 1 million tonnes

to over 8 million tonnes.10 An active canola futures market developed in the

Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (now ICE Futures Canada), which facilitated

transactions and risk management.

Canola is a major Canadian success story. It shows how government-university-

led innovation and private sector commercialization can work together to create

new, healthy agricultural products that the world needs.

3. Structured partnership CollaborationSometimes collaborative efforts between government, educational

institutions, and industry are fully structured from inception and initial

design. These occur when a fundamental challenge or opportunity is

identified by multiple parties and they are able to agree upon a common

strategic approach and plan of action.

Change of this type can be stimulated by developing a forecast of

the likely impact of adopting a particular course of action to bring

about change in the food system. A compelling forecast of the impact

8 Science.ca, Richard Keith Downey.

9 Statistics Canada, “Table 001-0005.”

10 Statistics Canada, “Table 001-0015.”




of action combined with cost-benefit analyses of plausible strategic

options for action can lay the groundwork for a sustained partnership or

collaborative effort.

Case 3: ontario Grapes and WineThe transformation of the Ontario grape and wine industry was a similar

multi-stakeholder effort, albeit more structured than in the case of

canola. In this case, change was initially predicated by changes in trade

policy (a General Agreement on Tariff and Trade [GATT] panel ruling and

the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement). This led to the industry working

with government on an adjustment program that focused on restructuring

the industry around higher quality grapes and wines. Those businesses

that decided to stay in the industry took on major investments in new

vines, techniques, and processing technologies. (See box “Ontario

Grapes and Wine: Industry Works With Government to Transform

Industry.”)

ontario Grapes and Wine: Industry Works With Government to transform Industry

The Ontario grape industry is over 200 years old. The industry was established

by European settlers who grew grapes to make wine. Wineries continue to

be the users of Ontario grapes. The early Ontario wine industry was based

on vitis labrusca grapes, a hardy species that grows well in Ontario’s short,

humid summer.

The vitis labrusca species of grape is ideal for the production of sweet and

low-cost wines. Given that Ontarians were relatively unsophisticated wine

drinkers, the vitis labrusca species aligned well with local demand. But

ongoing immigration, an aging population, and higher levels of education

and income combined to change the nature of Ontario wine demand. By the

1980s, Ontarians demanded more sophisticated wines based on European

varieties from the vinifera grape species. Europe had a long history of

producing fine wines from this species. New-world wine from California,

Australia, Chile, and Argentina were made from vinifera grapes using European

winemaking techniques.


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For a time, Ontario grape growers and wineries were sheltered from import

competition through tariff and non-tariff barriers. Ontario is unique among

developed economies in granting a virtual retail wine monopoly to the Liquor

Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), a Crown corporation. The LCBO applied

differential markups to keep Ontario wineries competitive with foreign producers.

Canada’s and Ontario’s tariff and non-tariff barriers were targeted by foreign

wineries seeking access to the lucrative Ontario wine market.11 In 1979, Canada

had agreed to reduce differential pricing as part of its commitments in the Tokyo

Round negotiations of the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT).

Dissatisfied that Canada was not living up to its Tokyo Round commitments

on differential pricing, Europe filed a complaint with GATT in 1985. In 1988, a

GATT panel ruled against Canada on discriminatory pricing practices of state

monopoly wine retailers. The panel ruling coincided with the conclusion of the

Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, which reduced tariff and non-tariff barriers

that were applied to U.S. wineries. Specifically, Ontario moved to close the

pricing differential between Ontario and U.S. wines, which amounted to

66 per cent.

This presented the Ontario grape growers and wineries with an existential

challenge—adjust or die. In 1989, the industry negotiated with the federal and

provincial governments to fund a Grape and Wine Adjustment Program. The

program focused on uprooting the vitis labrusca vines that were at the core of

the industry’s competitiveness challenges. For those growers who wished to

remain in the industry, the program offered technical assistance on growing

vinifera grapes. It also included assistance for marketing to change the image

of Ontario wines.

The total program expenditure was less than $100 million over four years. A

program of that size could not transform the industry alone. Rather, Ontario

grape growers and wineries needed to embrace change and compete for wine

consumers’ palates. Industry leaders, like Inniskillin, took it upon themselves

to make the necessary investments to improve competitiveness. The industry,

too, collaborated on branding, creating the vintners Quality Alliance (vQA)

11 The discussion of GATT and the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement also draws on Centre for Trade Policy and Law, Case Study.




appellation system, which sets standards for wines that use Ontario grapes. The

VQA Act established the legal framework for private regulatory standards, which

are now administered by vQA Ontario, a non-governmental organization.

Today Ontario has a well-deserved reputation for producing excellent, award-

winning wines. It has transformed itself from a sheltered jurisdiction known for

poor-quality wines to one that produces wines that regularly garner international

award recognition. Ontario’s wine industry is now well-positioned for long-term

growth and prosperity, both domestically and internationally.

4. Structured Government-Led CollaborationSome large, structured collaborations require government leadership

in order to build the scale required to achieve the desired outcome.

This is the situation, for example, when the private sector perceives

action by individual firms or even a subset of a particular food industry

to entail a high degree of business risk, unless all competitor firms

take simultaneous, common action. A good example is the case of

sodium reduction efforts. (See box “Weaning Canadians Off Sodium:

Government Leads Citizen Groups and Industry.”)

Case 4: Weaning Canadians off Sodium: Government Leads Citizen Groups and Industry

Recent collaborative efforts to reduce sodium consumption have been led by

government. Today, Canadians consume too much sodium, a substance that

is increasingly linked to hypertension and heart and liver disease. Canadian

consumption of sodium is almost double that which scientists recommend. yet

change is difficult to achieve because dietary patterns cannot change overnight.

In this case, the change process has important business risks associated with

it. Since consumers’ preferences for sodium are strong and long-standing, food

processors and food service companies that take the lead on sodium reduction

may face substantial consumer resistance. This could affect their market share,

profitability, and, ultimately, their viability as businesses. Risk-mitigation for

individual food sector businesses requires simultaneous large-scale industry


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engagement across the food sector. In these circumstances, government is best

placed to take the lead in initiating broad collaborative action for the public good

through a population health approach.

Recognizing that sodium presents a major population health risk, Health Canada

convened a multi-stakeholder group to devise strategies to lower Canadians’

sodium consumption levels. (See box “Improving Health: Government Takes

Lead to Address Population Health.”) The Sodium Working Group, struck in

2007, included membership from government, businesses, advocacy groups,

consumer groups, and health professionals.

Given the highly complex nature of the change, a variety of actions are required,

including changes in business practices and consumer buying behaviour. The

Sodium Working Group hopes that the desired changes can be made through

voluntary efforts by industry, advocacy and consumer groups, and health

groups acting with government guidance. As one food sector executive put it:

“Education is really the key here as consumers who are more aware of their

diets create market opportunities for processors and retailers, and a business

case to pursue changes that are desirable from a public health perspective.”12

This is an important model for large-scale collaborative action, instigated and led

by government.

12 Letter to M. Bloom, February 7, 2014.




Improving Health: Government takes Lead to Address population Health

Canadians eat too much sodium, primarily through direct and indirect

consumption of salt. A gram of salt contains 393 mg of sodium and a teaspoon

of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Although sodium is essential for normal body

function, excessive sodium is linked to hypertension and heart and liver disease.

Health Canada recommends that people over the age of one year eat between

1,000 and 1,500 mg of sodium per day and that Canadians over the age of 14

consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium daily.13 yet, Canadians, on average,

consume 3,400 mg of sodium daily. A study found that Canadians could reduce

their incidence of hypertension by 30 per cent if they reduced their average

sodium intake to 1,840 mg per day.

High sodium consumption is partly the result of taste (Canadians like salty

foods) and partly due to the preservation and taste-enhancement qualities of

sodium, which make it useful in food processing. These two factors reinforce

one another—generations of Canadians have developed a taste for salty foods

through their consumption of processed foods. The market satisfies their need.

As pointed out in the CFIC report Improving Health Outcomes: The Role of Food

in Addressing Chronic Diseases, Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal has 0.258 grams

of sodium per 100 grams in the United States, whereas the same product has

0.861 grams in Canada.14

As such, sodium reduction is a challenge. No one processor wants to take the

lead for fear of losing market share. The pervasiveness of the problem called

for a population health approach spearheaded by governments at the federal,

provincial, and territorial levels. Other countries have been successful in

reducing sodium using population health approaches, as indicated by the wide

range of sodium content for similar foods.

In late 2007, Health Canada took the lead to convene the Sodium Working

Group, consisting of non-governmental health organizations, food processors,

food service companies, health professionals, consumer advocacy groups, and

various levels of government. The group presented their recommendations to the

federal Minister of Health in July 2010. The Working Group made six overarching

13 Statistics in this paragraph are from Health Canada, Sodium in Canada.

14 The Conference Board of Canada, Improving Health Outcomes, 43.


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recommendations and targeted recommendations in four areas (for a total of

33 recommendations). The targeted recommendations focused on the food

supply, awareness and education, research and monitoring, and evaluation.15

The Working Group set an interim goal of reducing the average sodium

intake to 2,300 mg per day by 2016. Notably, the Working Group recognized

the complexity of sodium-reduction strategies. It therefore recommended a

voluntary approach, with Health Canada working with industry to reduce the

sodium content of Canada’s food supply without compromising food safety or

security. Working with industry, Health Canada has taken a staged approach. It

publishes targets for sodium content by product category. The Working Group

also advocated that Health Canada change the nutritional facts table to reflect a

recommended daily consumption of sodium reduced from 2,300 mg to 1,500 mg.

Through a system of ongoing monitoring, Health Canada will be in a position

to determine the effectiveness of the Working Group’s voluntary approach to

sodium reduction.

15 Sodium Working Group, Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada.




chApter 5

Guide to Action tool

The following guidelines are intended to help users make the most of the

Strategy. The seven steps can be used to focus on areas for action, find

partners and collaborators, make your own action plan, identify metrics

to gauge progress in implementation and gaining results, and identify

areas for improvement.


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Exhibit 3Guide to Action tool


1. Read and review the Strategy• This will give you a broad overview of the main

issues and challenges of Canada’s food system.

2. Prioritize• Prioritizing will help you to focus your resources for optimal impact.• Identify the goals and/or desired outcomes most relevant/important to

you and your organization.

3. Connect and collaborate• Contact others in your business, industry, community, or elsewhere who

are likely to have a shared interest.• Discuss opportunities to collaborate by aligning efforts and sharing

expertise and resources.

4. Develop an action plan and metrics• Prepare an action plan before you act—to ensure that you are clear about

what you want to accomplish, timelines, and how to be effective and efficient in using resources.

• Clarify roles and responsibilities with your partners/collaborators.• Set clear, measurable metrics that will allow you to track progress.

5. Take action

• Put your action plan into effect.

6. Measure results to track progress

• Measure results as you go and at key milestones to assess progress.

7. Adjust activities based on measured results• For timeliness and maximum benefit, use measures to

improve your efforts.




chApter 6

Conclusion and Next Steps

Releasing the Canadian Food Strategy is the first step in a longer

process—a journey of change that will require both time and substantial

effort in order to make progress on the scale that the Strategy envisions.

Some important results are possible in the short to medium term;

others will take longer. This is not simply a matter of vision, motivation,

or ambition. Resources will need to be invested.

Actions involving changes to policies, laws, and regulations that can only

be taken by government—given its exclusive role in making public policy,

enacting new legislation, and setting regulations—can be carried out

relatively quickly if governments choose to make this a priority. Similarly,

governments may choose to fund food literacy, food security, and food

nutrition programs based on the ample evidence of their value and the

need to take action.

The private sector can also act relatively quickly in some areas. For

example, business leaders can choose to take firm-level decisions

around product innovation, entering new markets, and expanding scale

to improve productivity and competitiveness, subject only to the skills of

their people and the availability of capital to fund their efforts, whether

internally or externally sourced.


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Other changes will likely take longer to bring to fruition because they

require a broader consensus on action and widespread collaboration.

This is the case, for example, for a number of the environmental and

health initiatives proposed in the Strategy that are likely to be acted upon

when demand for action rises and a concerned community emerges to

respond to the increasing demand for change.

encouraging Implementation and tracking progress

To encourage implementation efforts and to track progress, the

Conference Board’s Centre for Food in Canada intends to continue its

work on promoting the Canadian Food Strategy through three initiatives:

1. the Canadian Food observatoryThe Conference Board will establish the Observatory to monitor progress

in the food sector and measure the food system’s progress in achieving

the goals of the Strategy. The Observatory will also:

• promote strategic action, raise awareness, communicate with media and

stakeholders, and share information about initiatives under way;

• provide advice on engagement processes to foster collaborative action;

• create an online site to track implementation activities;

• add online tools and information to assist Strategy implementers;

• bring together stakeholders in conferences and meetings to share

successes and best practices;

• build collaborative networks in support of further action to achieve

the Strategy.




2. Annual Report Card: Food in Canada—Performance and PotentialThe Conference Board will produce an annual report card summarizing

the progress made in the previous year, using metrics established by

the Observatory.

The set of food metrics will be used to establish benchmarks for

performance; provide the basis for gauging performance over an

extended period; and conduct sector, interprovincial, and international

comparisons of performance. Where it is important to make progress

in competition with other countries, the metrics will enable international

comparisons. In other cases, where the key is to make progress against

our own standards (e.g., on sodium or trans fat consumption or on

mortality levels from food-borne illness) regardless of the performance of

other nations, the metrics will be domestically focused. Metrics selected

will take into account the availability of data.

3. Research on emerging Issues The Conference Board will undertake further research on new and

emerging issues in order to build on the evidence base generated by the

20 research projects carried out as part of the process for developing the

Canadian Food Strategy.

This research is intended to help inform future additions to the Strategy.

Our goal is to ensure that the Canadian Food Strategy remains a living

document, reflecting evolving conditions, needs, and priorities for food

and the food sector in Canada.


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AppenDix A

Centre for Food in Canada Reports Used in preparing the Canadian Food Strategy

2011

1. Bloom, Michael, Michael Grant, and Barbara Slater. Governing Food:

Policies, Laws, and Regulations for Food in Canada. Ottawa: The

Conference Board of Canada, 2011.

This foundational study examines the state of Canada’s food policies,

laws, and regulations (PLRs). It assesses Canada’s current approach to

food PLRs and identifies areas for in-depth examination in subsequent

studies that are being undertaken as part of the Centre for Food in

Canada’s (CFIC) research agenda. It examines the characteristics of

an “optimal” regulatory system and considers how PLRs have been

developed in Canada. The report then explores how Canadian food

PLRs stack up against this optimal system. It examines six important

sets of food PLRs that provide concrete examples of the strengths



Appendix A | The Conference Board of Canada

and weaknesses of the Canadian approach. The report’s final chapter

draws conclusions and discusses the implications for the Canadian

Food Strategy.

2. Grant, Michael, Michael Bassett, Matthew Stewart, and Julie Adès.

Valuing Food: The Economic Contribution of Canada’s Food Sector.

Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2011.

This foundational study examines the contribution that Canada’s food

sector makes to our national economy and our engagement in the global

food economy. Canada’s food sector makes an enormous contribution

to our national economy. The food economy consists of all stages

involved in the food value chain, from the production of food through

to its preparation and ingestion. In all, the food sector is responsible

for more than 9 per cent of GDP and 2.3 million jobs, roughly 13 per

cent of all employment in Canada. This report considers the underlying

forces shaping food supply and demand, analyzes Canada’s current

food economy footprint, and looks at our engagement in the global

food economy. It concludes with a summary of major findings and their

implications. The report is designed to shed light on the food economy

from the broadest possible perspective, so as to inform the development

of the Canadian Food Strategy.

2012

3. Burt, Michael, Erin Butler, Michael Grant, and Jean-Charles Le vallée.

The Sky’s the Limit: The Viability of Canada’s Food Economy. Ottawa:

The Conference Board of Canada, 2012.

This report explores the viability of Canada’s food economy. It considers

the industry, company, plant, and farm viability that, while achieving

commercial success, address the nutritional needs of Canadians. It

draws on a variety of sources, including a thorough review of the relevant

literature; data from the Centre for Food in Canada’s proprietary surveys:

the Industry Survey and the Household Survey; and the extensive use


http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/byauthorid.aspx?author=426







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of other data sources, most notably from Statistics Canada. The report

also highlights four examples of innovative and adaptable Canadian

food companies whose viability supports many jobs and that contribute

to the wealth and standard of living of large numbers of Canadians and

communities. It concludes with six suggestions for improving the viability

of Canada’s food economy.

4. Butler, Erin, Daniel Munro, and James Stuckey. Competing for the

Bronze: Innovation Performance in the Canadian Food Industry.


The innovation performance of Canada’s food industry has direct

consequences for the health and well-being of Canadians, as well

as for the economy and society. This report examines Canada’s food

innovation performance, identifies opportunities for further innovation,

and considers the barriers to improvement. It assesses the contribution

that food innovation makes to the competitiveness and economic growth

of the industry, the extent to which the industry is performing below

potential, and the challenges that businesses face when they innovate.

Additionally, the report explores how food innovation contributes to

broader social and economic objectives, such as the health and safety

of food. Several potential solutions that could improve food businesses’

innovation performance and enhance their domestic and global

competitiveness are also examined.

5. Grant, Michael, Erin Butler, and James Stuckey. All Together Now:

Regulation and Food Industry Performance. Ottawa: The Conference

Board of Canada, 2012.

Addressing the risks of an increasingly complex and global food supply,

while also supporting the success of the Canadian food industry in a

competitive global marketplace, is a challenging task. The report uses a

performance-based framework to explore the impact of food regulation

on food industry performance. It provides a conceptual overview of how

food regulations affect food companies’ value creation processes. It








then explores ways in which the food regulatory system and the food

production system work together to achieve the outcome of a safe,

nutritious food supply. The report concludes by exploring options for

improving the way regulations and company systems could interact to

achieve shared goals.

6. Grant, Michael, Jessica Edge, and Alison Howard. Forging Stronger

Links: Traceability and the Canadian Food Supply Chain. Ottawa: The


Companies and governments both have an interest in food traceability,

but have differences in how they determine its optimal level. This report

explores public and private interests affecting traceability adoption.

In response to the globalization of food markets, changing trade

regulations, and greater focus on food safety incidents, calls for better

traceability systems and tools grow louder. This has prompted industry,

encouraged by government, to speed up investments in traceability.

The report analyzes food traceability system issues and examines the

costs and benefits of traceability for the different participants in the food

supply system. Without a solid grasp of the costs and related benefits of

the available traceability options, supply-chain stakeholders may not be

investing wisely. At the same time, if governments are not fully aware of

the costs and benefits for supply-chain stakeholders, and for consumers,

they risk mandating traceability regulations that are unaffordable or

unsustainable. Several potential solutions that could lead to more and

better traceability systems, which meet both public and private interest

priorities, are also examined and recommendations presented.

7. Munro, Daniel, Jean-Charles Le vallée, and James Stuckey. Improving

Food Safety in Canada: Toward a More Risk-Responsive System.


This report examines where most food-borne illnesses come from and

what potential solutions could improve Canada’s current food safety

system. Given the importance of food safety and calls to improve







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Canada’s responsiveness to food safety risks, there is a need for an

informed dialogue about how well the current system performs, what

could be changed to enhance performance, and what options are

appropriate for achieving change. This report provides a foundation for

that dialogue. It examines and assesses the structure and performance

of the current food safety system, provides an overview of issues and

challenges to enhancing food safety in Canada, and identifies the

drivers and constraints that influence industry investment in food safety

and consumer behaviour. The report’s final chapter identifies potential

solutions and key areas for action to improve food safety in Canada.

8. The Conference Board of Canada. Improving Health Outcomes: The

Role of Food in Addressing Chronic Diseases. Ottawa: The Conference


This report gives an overview of the issues, challenges, and potential

solutions for improving dietary risk management. It examines the

relationship between food, health, and chronic diseases. The report

considers the food-related risk factors for three highly prevalent chronic

diseases—cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. It examines

current and historical dietary patterns to assess Canadians’ food-related

risks; assesses how well consumers, industry, and governments are

managing the key dietary risks; and considers the effectiveness of

interventions to encourage healthy eating. The report concludes by

proposing seven potential measures that consumers, government, and

industry can take to improve dietary risk management to cut the burden

of chronic diseases.




2013

9. Audet, Kristelle. Liberalization’s Last Frontier: Canada’s Food Trade.


This report examines Canada’s food trade patterns, the barriers to

trading food that Canada still has in place, and the potential benefits of

reducing those. It shows how Canada stands to benefit from lower trade

barriers to food and increased food trade. Trading food allows us to

get access to a wide variety of food products year-round, at affordable

prices, and opens new markets for Canadian food producers. Despite

those benefits and the fact that Canada is one of the few countries with a

large food trade surplus, we still maintain very high import tariffs on key

food products. Those include commodities under supply management,

beef and veal meat, wheat, and barley. This is in sharp contrast to the

low tariffs found in other similar export oriented countries like Australia,

New Zealand, and Chile. It concludes that lowering our trade barriers to

food, particularly with key emerging markets, is the best way for Canada

to capitalize and expand upon its position as a large food exporter.

10. Brichta, Jessica, and Alison Howard. What’s to Eat? Improving Food

Literacy in Canada. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2013.

This report discusses why food literacy matters; analyzes the state of

food literacy in Canada; highlights current efforts to develop food literacy;

and recommends strategies to further improve Canadian household food

literacy. In recent years, there has been a rise in interest in the role of

food in health and in how food is grown and processed. yet, it is unclear

whether household attitudes, skills, and knowledge about food—food

literacy—have developed along with that interest. The report reveals that

there are gaps and deficits in Canadians’ knowledge and skills related

to food. Improving food literacy in Canada will support healthier choices

in diet and nutrition and better food skills, leading to improved nutrition

and health outcomes. Information and education are crucial, but must be

presented using strategies that engender lasting behavioural changes.





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11. Butler, Erin, and James Stuckey. Seeds for Success: Enhancing

Canada’s Farming Enterprises. Ottawa: The Conference Board of

Canada, 2013.

The modern farming landscape is changing. This report considers the

state of farming business in Canada, and how it can be improved to

achieve greater economic and social value. Farming in Canada has

deep roots and traditions, but the sector undergoes significant changes:

the old ways of doing things are no longer guarantors of success. The

report explores the modern realities of farming business and how it can

be bolstered to achieve even more of the economic and social value that

consumers expect. It reveals that Canada’s farming sector is increasingly

dynamic, presenting new opportunities as well as risks and challenges.

This report considers the farm management issues facing farming today.

It finds that although farmers have long been skilled at managing the

growth of crops and livestock, they must now also be increasingly skilled

at managing their businesses.

12. Edge, Jessica, and Alison Howard. Enough for All: Household Food

Security in Canada. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2013.

All Canadians should have access to enough safe and nutritious food

to sustain them, keep them healthy and enable them to lead productive

lives. However, nearly 2 million people in Canada (about 7.7 per cent

of Canadian households) self-report being “food insecure.” Household

food insecurity is influenced by a household’s ability to pay for food,

physical access to adequate food resources, health requirements for

nutritious food, and preferences for culturally appropriate food. This

report analyzes the current state of food security in Canada; explores

key risk factors associated with food insecurity; highlights current efforts

to address food insecurity in Canada; and recommends strategies to

alleviate Canada’s household food security challenges.








13. Edge, Jessica. Cultivating Opportunities: Canada’s Growing Appetite for

Local Food. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2013.

The increasing interest in local food in Canada has been driven by

concerns about food quality, health and nutrition, food safety, local

economies and farmers, and the environment. Local food systems

have a significant economic impact in Canada. Local food can create

opportunities for firms throughout the food system—for example, it can

bring higher margins for producers and allow businesses to differentiate

themselves from their competition. However, local food creates

challenges for some businesses, particularly those dealing in volume and

relying on economies of scale to be competitive. The report evaluates

the drivers behind local food; examines the economic impact of local

food systems in Canada and the challenges and opportunities local food

poses for consumers, governments, and industry; highlights successful

local food initiatives throughout the food supply chain; and recommends

strategies to optimize local food systems.

14. Gill, vijay. We Have Been Here Before: Supply Management in

Transportation. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2013.

This briefing is a precursor to the Centre for Food in Canada’s

comprehensive new report exploring reform options for Canada’s supply-

managed agricultural commodities. It explores “supply management”

in industries other than agri-food—specifically the trucking and taxicab

industries. One of those industries has experienced considerable

deregulation, while the other continues to have significant entry and

price controls. The briefing isolates case studies on supply management

in transportation that help to place the broader discussion on supply

management reforms into context.


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15. Gill, vijay. Fast and Fresh: A Recipe for Canada’s Food Supply Chains.


This report explores the underlying economics and recent developments

in Canada’s food supply chains and provides insights and implications for

industry, policy-makers, and consumers. Perishable food products face

unique logistical challenges. Small technological changes, infrastructure

investments, or business processes can have large impacts on what

food products can viably be shipped. How these changes can impact

the viability of food products can be anticipated through logistics cost

modelling. Understanding this approach is useful not only for businesses,

but for policy-makers and even consumers. The report concludes by

making several recommendations for improving supply-chain efficiencies.

16. Grant, Michael, and Erin Butler. Funding Food: Food and Capital

Markets in Canada. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2013.

This report examines the capitalization of Canada’s food industry.

Efficient capital markets give Canadians access to a wide variety of

relatively inexpensive, high-quality food. The food sector is among

Canada’s most capital-intensive. Hence, the way that food industry

assets are funded is of key strategic importance to the sector’s

performance. This report explores the different capitalization challenges

faced by the primary, processing, and retailing sectors of the industry

based on their existing organization, markets, and competitive threats.

It reveals that the way that food industry assets are funded is crucial

to the sector’s performance, and that capital is part of the solution to

addressing the range of competitiveness issues in food. Based on the

premise that one way that Canada’s food companies can improve their

capitalization is through better management, conclusions are offered for

the Canadian Food Strategy.

17. Grant, Michael, Jean-Charles Le vallée, and James Stuckey. Pathway

to Partnership? Private Food Standards in Canada. Ottawa: The









This report sheds light on the emergence of private standards

in Canada’s food system, their role in food governance, and the

opportunities they offer for improved food system outcomes. Without

the right quality controls, the food industry can be risky business.

Demands and expectations are rising, especially for food that is safe.

To help manage risks and differentiate products, many food companies

have introduced private standards—systems of quality management

and assurance—throughout their operations and those of their

suppliers. While private standards have become more prevalent in

Canada throughout all levels of the food supply system, and represent

opportunities for improved food system outcomes, little has been known

about where these opportunities exist and the challenges that must be

overcome to achieve them. This report aims to address this knowledge

gap. It provides a conceptual and empirical foundation to inform future

discussions about private standards in Canada and contribute to the

development of the Canadian Food Strategy.

18. Le vallée, Jean-Charles. Toward Performance Metrics for Canada’s

Food System. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2013.

This report examines performance metrics, data, and knowledge

gaps in Canada’s food system that could be used to track progress in

achieving the Canadian Food Strategy’s goals for a healthy, secure,

sustainable, safe, and prosperous food system. It provides examples

of practical performance metrics that could be included in the Strategy.

Ideally, such metrics should spur stakeholders to act, make management

decisions, finance investments, build programs, and improve dietary

choices. However, to track and assess performance, we first need to

set strategic, achievable, actionable, and measurable goals, and that

task requires solid data. To that end, the report also examines the

numerous knowledge gaps in Canada’s food system in relation to the

Strategy’s five elements: industry prosperity, healthy food, food safety,

household food security, and environmental sustainability. The report

also provides examples of performance baselines and ends with steps

for implementing performance metrics.


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19. Le vallée, Jean-Charles, and Alison Howard. Strengthening Canada’s

Commercial Fisheries and Aquaculture: From Fin to Fork. Ottawa: The


This report finds that Canada’s commercial fisheries and aquaculture

sector can benefit from the rising demand for fish and seafood

by improving harvesting and processing methods, protecting the

environment and resource, and modernizing governance. With the right

positioning, Canada’s commercial fisheries and aquaculture sector

can realize significant economic and ecological gains from growth

opportunities to meet rising—largely foreign—demand. This expanding

market represents growth opportunities for Canada’s fisheries and

aquaculture sector, primarily through improved value-based processing,

increased value of landed wild-caught fish, and augmented aquaculture

production and marketing. To protect fish and seafood resources

and habitats, greater investments will be needed in sustainability,

conservation, rebuilding of depleted fish stocks, and reduction of

waste (bycatch and bushing). This report examines the fisheries and

aquaculture sector in Canada, assesses the resource supply, and

examines current governance policies, practices, and legislation. It

concludes with recommendations on how to improve the sector’s

economic prosperity and increase its environmental sustainability.

20. Stuckey, James, Jean-Charles Le vallée, and Caitlin Charman.

Reducing the Risk: Addressing the Environmental Impacts of the Food

System. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2013.

There are concerns about the environmental impacts of Canada’s food

system and its ability to sustainably meet the rising demand for food.

This report examines the major areas of environmental risk and what can

be done to address them. Every Canadian meal has an environmental

footprint. Today, there is a growing concern about this environmental

footprint and how to improve the sustainability of the food system.

Improving this sustainability becomes all the more important considering

the pressures the food system will face to expand production. With









global population estimated to climb to over 9 billion by 2050, Canada

will be among a handful of food-exporting countries called upon to

satisfy rising food demand. The report describes key steps to improve

agri-environmental risk governance in Canada and the ability of the food

system to respond to challenges and opportunities in the years ahead. In

so doing, it provides a basis of evidence and analysis to help inform the

dialogue around food system sustainability in Canada.

2014

21. Grant, Michael, Richard Barichello, Mark Liew, and vijay Gill. Reforming

Dairy Supply Management: The Case for Growth. Ottawa: The


This report highlights the case for reform in the dairy supply management

system in order to benefit domestic consumers and enable dairy sector

growth through access to international markets. It analyses the current

state of dairy supply management, reviews the equity and efficiency

issues related to operating supply management, and explores the benefits

and risks of reforming the system. The report finds that dairy supply

management helped to maintain dairy farms’ viability when Canada’s

food economy was mainly domestic but this supply management came

at a considerable cost to consumers. Today, consumers continue to

pay substantially more than global prices in order to maintain a closed

domestic dairy system while the world’s food trade is increasing rapidly,

fuelled by fast-rising global demand. Using a combination of macro

analysis and farm-level financial analysis, it demonstrates that Canada’s

dairy sector could grow very substantially through reform that would

unwind quota, liberalize prices, and remove barriers to international

dairy trade. The result would create a win-win solution for dairy farmers,

consumers, and Canada.


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AppenDix B

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http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/industry-markets-and-trade/statistics-and-market-information/by-product-sector/organic-products/organic-production-canadian-industry/?id=1183748510661



http://www.ota.com/pics/media_photos.171.img_filename.pdf

http://www.canolainfo.org/canola/index.php?page=5

http://www.canolainfo.org/canola/index.php?page=5

http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0029-e.htm


Appendix B | The Conference Board of Canada

Health Canada. Sodium in Canada. www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/

sodium/index-eng.php (accessed March 3, 2014).

Science.ca. Richard Keith Downey. www.science.ca/scientists/

scientistprofile.php?pID=348&pg=0 (accessed March 3, 2014).

Sodium Working Group. Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada:

Recommendations of the Sodium Working Group. Ottawa: Health

Canada, July 2010.

Statistics Canada. “Table 001-0005—Crushing Statistics of Major

Oilseeds for Canada, Monthly (tonnes).” CANSIM database. http://www5.

statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=0010005&pa

Ser=&pattern=&stByval=1&p1=1&p2=50&tabMode=dataTable&csid=


—. “Table 001-0015—Exports of Grains, by Final Destination, Monthly

(tonnes).” CANSIM database. http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang

=eng&retrLang=eng&id=0010015&paSer=&pattern=&stByval=1&p1=1&p2

=50&tabMode=dataTable&csid= (accessed March 3, 2014).

The Conference Board of Canada. Improving Health Outcomes: The

Role of Food in Addressing Chronic Diseases. Ottawa: The Conference



http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/sodium/index-eng.php

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/sodium/index-eng.php

http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=348&pg=0

http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=348&pg=0

http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=0010005&paSer=&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=50&tabMode=dataTable&csid






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