Canadian produce industry hosts successful Farm to Plate meetings with Parliamentarians

Ottawa, Ontario — On May 7, 2019 industry leaders representing the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) and Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) met with parliamentarians and their staff in Ottawa to discuss key issues currently affecting the Canadian fresh fruit and vegetable sector, in particular: crop protection, financial protection for the fruit and vegetable industry, and the new Food Policy for Canada.

 

This was the last formal advocacy event for both CHC and CPMA prior to the 2019 federal election. The fresh fruit and vegetable industry will continue to keep issues affecting the supply chain top-of-mind as parliamentarians prepare to go back to their ridings and seek re-election.

 

After meeting with over 20 parliamentarians and other key stakeholders, including the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Dr. Siddika Mithani, President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CHC and CPMA hosted a reception at the Metropolitan Brasserie. The evening provided all attendees a more informal environment to network and build positive relationships with over 80 decision-makers in Ottawa. CHC and CPMA are thankful to parliamentarians and their staff for their ongoing support and recognition of the critically important role the fresh fruit and vegetable industry plays in the Canadian economy and the health of Canadians.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.