Produce Talks

At the CPMA Annual Convention Ron Lemaire, CPMA and John Stackhouse from RBC held a fireside chat to explore the current state of the North American agri-food and produce market. They delve into key issues such as macroeconomic trends affecting supply chains, ongoing trade and market access challenges for agri-food, and the ripple effects of volatile stock markets on industry investment. They also examine the shifting retail and consumer behaviours in a potentially high-inflation environment, along with sustainability pressures, labour shortages, and logistics constraints that continue to shape the industry's growth trajectory.

CPMA President Ron Lemaire is very pleased to introduce MP Lianne Rood as CPMA’s 2024 Produce Champion. Lianne is the Member of Parliament for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex in Ontario.

Joining the conversation are CPMA Board Members, Steve Bamford of Fresh Advancements and Quinton Woods of Gwillimdale Farms.

CPMA’s annual Produce Champion award is given to a Member of Parliament or a Senator who has been supportive of the produce industry and effective at bringing industry issues to the forefront on Parliament Hill

Subscribe to CPMA Produce Talks on Apple Podcasts, Simplecast and Spotify and on most other podcast players.

In this episode of Produce Talks, Dan Duguay, CPMA’s Sustainability Specialist, leads a discussion with Tom Pierce of Sobeys and Matt Aronson of Verdant Technologies.

In an effort to improve sustainability in the supply chain for broccoli, these two companies worked together in a pilot project to remove ice from broccoli shipments and actually improve the shelf life of the product. They provide their insights in developing the process and how this innovation led to success at the farm, transport and the retail levels.

Subscribe to CPMA Produce Talks on Apple Podcasts, Simplecast and Spotify and on most other podcast players.

In this episode of Produce Talks, we listen to the recording of a Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA Annual Convention and Trade Show in Vancouver. Moderator Colin Chapdelaine of Whole Leaf, leads a discussion with 4 representatives from the retail sector. They provide their insights about changes in consumer buying and their strategies to enable Canadian consumers to continue to have access to healthy, affordable fresh produce.

Panellists:

• Tom Pierce of Sobeys  
• Jerry Dzikowski of Giant Tiger  
• Sierra Johnston of Save-On-Foods 
• Mimmo Franzone of Longo’s.

Subscribe to CPMA Produce Talks on Apple Podcasts, Simplecast and Spotify and on most other podcast players.

In this episode, we listen to the recording of a Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show in Vancouver. Moderator Kevin Sorichetti of EarthFresh Foods leads a discussion with Passion for Produce Alumni who speak about their produce journeys, what motivates them, and what they expect from their employer.

Panellists include:

• Colbert Rahal – Oppy
• Alexa Hambly – Gwillimdale Farms
• Elena Pitsikoulis – Canadawide Fruit Wholesalers Inc.
• Jennifer Taylor – Loblaw Companies Limited

Subscribe to CPMA Produce Talks on Apple Podcasts, Simplecast and Spotify and on most other podcast players.

Industry innovation is a key area of focus for CPMA. Over the years, CPMA has offered its members the opportunity to share their innovation efforts and facilitated connections to new innovators in the produce industry.

In this episode, we hear from 3 different innovative companies about their products and their experiences at the Innovation Zone at the CPMA Convention and Trade Show. Mike Mauti asks these companies to share their stories and how they benefited from CPMA’s innovation efforts.

1. Laurent Dallaire representing Innodal (www.innodal.com)
2. Dil Vashi representing CO2 Gro (www.co2gro.ca)
3. Todd Fabec representing Clarifruit (www.clarifruit.com)

The end of this month’s episode features Industry Insights with Mike Mauti, as he shares current consumer perceptions and trends from the Canadian market.

You can subscribe to CPMA Produce Talks on Google or Apple Podcasts, Spotify or many other podcast players.

In this episode, Jane Proctor, CPMA’s Vice President of Policy & Issue Management leads a discussion with CPMA Chair, Colin Chapdelaine, Brian Faulkner of BCfresh and Sue Lewis, CPMA’s Vice President of Market Development on the state of the Canadian produce industry.

The four share their perspectives on:

• Two recent research reports on the enormous contribution of the fresh produce industry to the Canadian economy.

• What the industry and the government can do to improve Canadians’ health by encouraging the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Marketing fresh produce to Canadians using tips from the Half Your Plate website.

Ron Lemaire President of CPMA leads a Year in Review discussion with David Coletto. David is the Chair and CEO of Abacus Data, a Canadian market and public opinion research agency. Ron and David give an overview of what Canadians think of the political climate and how it relates to the fruit and vegetable industry. David also provides insights to how Canadians view key areas of sustainability, climate change, our health, inflation and the economy.

Listen to the end for this month’s episode of Industry Insights as Mike Mauti shares some end of the year statistics from the Canadian consumer market.

In this episode, Dan Duguay, CPMA’s Sustainability Specialist, provides an update on the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) packaging regulations that aim to significantly reduce plastic packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables.

We discuss CPMA and the industry’s response to these proposals and report on the impact they would have on the fresh produce industry in Canada.

Listen to the end for this month’s episode of Industry Insights as Mike Mauti shares more current statistics from the Canadian consumer market.