Government of Canada helps Canada's fresh produce industry transition to more environmentally-friendly packaging

Apr 06, 2022

Montreal, Quebec – The effects of climate change are everywhere and they are a constant reminder of the need to act now. The Government of Canada is supporting industry efforts to find sustainable solutions to agricultural challenges, which contributes to the economy while helping to protect the environment for future generations.

Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of up to $376,200 for the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), under the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP), to support the transition towards more sustainable food and produce packaging.

Packaging serves many useful and essential functions in the food system, such as protecting food from contamination, preserving food and facilitating transportation. With the funds received under CASPP, the CPMA is undertaking a national pilot project that explores effective ways for industry to migrate to using sustainable packaging design and material options that enhance recyclability or compostability. The funds are being used to develop a strategy and enable steps towards the migration.

The project will help industry better understand and characterize the food and produce packaging system in Canada, assess the impacts of various packaging options and create a deployment plan. Key stakeholders including manufacturers, packaging producers, retailers and recycling facilities will be engaged in the development of viable sustainable packaging options.

Today, during remarks at CPMA's Annual Convention and Trade Show, which brings together thousands of participants from all segments of the produce supply chain, Minister Bibeau thanked the industry for their continued efforts to transition to sustainable packaging and reduce waste, while highlighting federal investments to support agricultural clean technologies and practices.

By taking action to reduce packaging waste and increase sustainability for food and produce packaging, the Government of Canada is helping to build a cleaner and more prosperous future.

Source : Government of Canada

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