Partner blog feature: Creating an experience around food

Feb 13, 2024

Laura Virginillo’s company, Modern General Food Group, traces its origins to a 1,400 square foot bakery in Vancouver, where she started out offering fresh baking, handcrafted coffee and drinks and unique pantry staples. Like so many others, the pandemic caused her to change course and Virginillo began producing her own products.

Following a move to Ontario in 2021, she’s also been building a wholesale business where she develops, manufactures and sells unique food products under her own brand name. Innovation is key for her when she’s developing recipes or packaged products and looking for better ways to do things.

Learn more about Laura’s journey in an article by the Small Scale Food Processors Association, a Bioenterprise Canada industry partner.

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Video: Independent Seed, National Impact | On The Brink: Episode 9

A survey of 200 independent seed businesses reveals what Canada's seed sector actually contributes — and what it stands to lose.

On the Brink, Justin Funk, a third-generation agri-marketer, shares the findings of a national survey conducted in early 2026. The numbers reframe the conversation: independent seed companies in Canada represent upwards of $1.7 billion in dedicated seed infrastructure, approximately 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs in rural communities, and an estimated $20 million in annual community contributions. And roughly 90% of Canada's cereals, pulses, and other small pollinated crops flow through them.

The survey also asked how dependent these businesses are on public plant breeding to survive. The answer was unambiguous. For policymakers evaluating the future of publicly funded breeding programs, Funk argues the economic case for this sector and the case for public plant breeding are the same argument.

On the Brink is a cross-country video series exploring the future of plant breeding in Canada. Each episode features voices from across the industry in an open, ongoing conversation about innovation and long-term investment in Canadian agriculture.