A word from Bill Greuel, CEO

When one thinks of innovation – more specifically Canadian innovation – a few things come to mind: insulin, the telephone, the Canada Arm on the International Space Station.

For those of us in agriculture, a few more things come to mind: the adoption of GM technology, canola and zero-till.

At Protein Industries Canada, we are working to support Trailblazing companies to bring that next generation of innovation to life. And while a pea protein isolate or a plant-based seafood alternative will never be as visually inspiring as the Canada Arm, it should inspire the same amount of national pride.

Recent work completed by Ernst and Young has estimated the global plant-based food, feed and ingredient market to surpass $250 billion CDN by 2035. We are currently chasing Canada’s share of that market – a share we believe can be upwards of 10% of the global market, or $25 billion CDN in annual sales.

To think about that in another way, we believe that by 2035 Canada will be the supplier of one out of every 10 plant-based meals or beverages served around the globe. That is millions of healthy meals a week coming from Canadian crops and ingredients.

For Canada that means a more robust and diversified supply chain, more domestic processing, more investment, and more jobs. It also means a secure food supply chain for Canadians.

To accomplish all these things will require growing domestic companies and attracting international companies to invest, and set up, operations in Canada. Canada must be recognized as the place to grow and do business. Companies must have access to the resources they need – including talent, financing, markets, a competitive business environment, and a stable and predictable regulatory environment.

On the surface, this may seem like a lot. But at Protein Industries Canada, it is almost all we have been thinking about for the past two years. We believe that with a coordinated approach, strategic investments and a continued dedication from our trailblazing companies, academic and research institutions, capital community and all levels of government, that Canada will become the global leader in plant-based foods, feed and ingredients.

However, above all, we need a belief that not only are these ambitious goals achievable, but they are also necessary.

So next time you sit down to enjoy a healthy, nutritious meal, do not just think of food on your plate; consider the opportunity it represents and the benefit to Canadians. And while it may not conjure up the same image as the Canada Arm, it should conjure the same amount of awe and Canadian pride.

Canada has long prided ourselves on our ability to feed the world. Now we must move beyond the breadbasket and work to create ingredients and finished food products here in Canada.