Highlights from recent industry events

Meghan Gervais, Chief Technology Officer

Bridge2Food hosted a European Summit from June 21 to 23 in Wageningen, a hub for food and bio-based research in the Netherlands. The conference challenged attendees to consider what steps Europe may take toward a “Moonshot Journey” to increase consumption of plant-based foods by 2030. The conference highlighted consumer and industry challenges, including themes around affordability, nutrition, taste, and sustainability, and focused on the importance of integrating retail and foodservice perspective when developing new plant-based products. From a technology perspective, pitches from start-up meat-alternative, vegan cheese alternatives, egg-free products and innovative ingredient processing companies were highlighted.

Protein Industries Canada was able to contribute to the conference discussions through participation in the conference plenary and a panel discussion. The plenary session was a great opportunity to highlight Canada’s perspective on the “protein moonshot”, focusing on the objectives and priorities outlined in The Roadmap to $25 Billion. The work of Canadian industry to build a plant-protein ecosystem and focus momentum behind the roadmap to 2035 was celebrated, and cited as a model for European industry to consider in the context of their own sector growth.

James Street, Director of Business Development

The excitement of attending an in-person event was ever-present in Chicago. A strong contingent of Canadian companies were in attendance, with presentations and tradeshow booths. I participated on a panel that discussed the plant-based eco-system and what needs to happen next. A common thread lay in the need for increased commercialization support to prepare Canada and other markets to deliver the scale the consumer market is forecasted to demand.

The tone was optimistic, reinforced by content that showcased the many innovations in seafood, cheese and lipids. Sustainability echoed throughout the themes, with many discussions centered on how to quantify the wins and then take that information to sustainability focused investors.

Networking was going strong the whole event, with many companies eager to connect with the Protein Industries Canada ecosystem and work with our members and partners.

James Street, Director of Business Development

Well attended with more than 600 registered delegates in both virtual and in-person formats, the Future Food Tech event was full of C-suite brands and technology companies. Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel and I were very impressed with the visibility of Protein Industries Canada in the eyes of international companies. We were often told that companies were envious of Canadian companies having an organization such as ours.

Canadian content in presentations, panels and delegates was again strong. The caliber and innovation of Canadian companies was well received by the Future Food Tech audience. Networking time was precious, but Bill and I made some great introductions, noting again that many companies knew who we were and what the impacts of our programming have had on the sector.

We are proud to have joined Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins this year in New York alongside our CEO Bill Greuel, Big Mountain Foods President Jasmine Byrne New School Foods Founder and CEO Chris Bryson, Wamame Foods President Blair Bullus, and T Base 4 Investments CFO Blair Knippel.

Reminiscing on the "Collaborating with Canada’s Innovative Ecosystem to Create the Next Generation of Products" panel, read Invest In Canada's piece on our session: