CEO Message: an invitation to the 2023 Annual Conference & General Meeting

As always seems to be the case, summer goes by too fast, and Fall is upon us quicker than ever. Along with bringing on harvest and back to school, Fall also brings Protein Industries Canada’s Annual Conference & General Meeting. This year we are inviting Canada’s plant-based ecosystem to join us in Edmonton, Alta., on Sept. 12 and 13.

I look forward to our AGM and conference, as it provides an opportunity for the entire industry to join together and share successes and learnings, and, most importantly, work together to drive Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector forward.

I think most of us would agree that along with our progress from the last four years, there has also been the realization that growing a business within a relatively new industry comes with its unique set of challenges. And while none of this is a surprise, it has resulted in what I would call more of a cautious optimism within the sector. And while we may be more realistic about the journey that we are on, we should remain optimistic – the fundamentals that are driving growth in the sector remain.

As you may recall, we originally had Ernst and Young (EY) undertake a global market sizing study in 2020. This information became the basis of The Road to $25 Billion – a goal for the future of Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector. With the lens of current state, we again asked EY to go back and do a global market sizing study, as well as provide further insight on Canada’s value proposition and positioning. I am pleased to share that it does reconfirm their outlook that Canada can achieve a $25 billion plant-based sector. We’ll be releasing the full report in early September, in anticipation of discussing it at our AGM and conference.

This will be through a panel I’m excited to moderate, which will further explore the new EY report and discuss how we can build momentum domestically to fully realize this opportunity for Canada. I am also pleased to be welcoming a delegation from the UK, along with representatives from The Netherlands and Singapore.

Along with the conference portion of the event, there is also the business of the organization which will be handled during the AGM. While most of the AGM agenda is straightforward, we will be putting a motion forward to change our bylaws as they pertain to membership. We will be asking our membership to approve a change that will simplify our membership structure, and bring the same benefits to all members, regardless of organization type.

The event will begin on the afternoon of Sept. 12 with a matchmaking session with Innovate UK, followed by an opening reception. The main event begins with breakfast on Sept. 13 followed by a full day of panels and keynote speakers. If you have not yet registered, I encourage you to do so. Registration closes on August 31.

I hope you enjoy the last days of summer, and that you have a great fall. And hopefully, I will see you in Edmonton.