Minister Bibeau Promotes Pulses

Jun 21, 2023

Strengthening Bilateral Ties and Promoting Trade for Global Food Security

Photo Courtesy Pulse Canada

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, successfully concluded her mission to India. At the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting, she emphasized Canada's commitment to providing safe, high-quality agri-food products.

She met with Indian ministers to promote agricultural cooperation, and she visited McCain Foods India and Heads Up for Tails to learn about their operations.

"The importance of our partnership with India, rooted in our mutual dedication to agriculture and rich heritage, cannot be overstated. By cultivating our trade ties, especially in the pulse sector, we can enhance sustainability, strengthen supply chains, and advance global food security," shared Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Minister Bibeau praised India's G20 presidency and discussed strengthening the bilateral relationship. She condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pledged to work with trade partners on food security and market stability.

While in New Delhi, the minister met with Pulse Canada to discuss the growth of Canada’s pulse sector and the numerous trade opportunities in India and the Indo-Pacific Region.

Bilateral meetings were held with India, the UK, Japan, Vietnam, the UAE, and others. Minister Bibeau visited an Ag Tech start-up and engaged with agricultural stakeholders to explore opportunities for Canadian exports.

Key Facts: G20, India, Canada-India Trade, and the Indo-Pacific

G20: Primary forum for global economic cooperation, consisting of major developed and emerging economies representing all inhabited continents. In 2022, G20 members accounted for 80% of world GDP, 75% of global trade, and 60% of the world's population.
India: World's most populous country and fifth-largest economy. • Canada-India Trade: In 2022, Canada exported agricultural and seafood products worth $454.3 million to India.
Indo-Pacific: Encompasses 40 countries and economies, including Australia, China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asian nations. Predicted to comprise two-thirds of the global middle class by 2030 and over half of global GDP by 2040.

Video: Dry Farming, Deer Fencing, and Cover Crops in the Paths with Eric Nordell

We cover: today I am so excited to share this conversation with my buddy Eric Nordell of Beech Grove Farm in Pennsylvania to chat about, well, a lot of things. Eric and his wife Anne have run beech grove farm since 1983 and they do things a little differently (like farming with horses) but they dry farm which we discuss, they use some cover crops in the paths in interesting ways (also discussed) and in fact, we get into a whole digression about their deer fencing that you’re gonna wanna hear.