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Plant Forward 2024: the second edition of the Canada-led international conference on plant-based food

Capacity Building
Capacity Building Priority

Global Presence

PROJECT TIMELINE
March 2024 to June 2024
PROJECT STATUS
Fund II: Complete
TOTAL INVESTMENT
$589,000

Consortia Contribution
$203,000

Cluster Contribution
$386,000

Partners

Protein Industries Canada

Pulse Canada

Plant-Based Foods of Canada

Goal

To gather global industry leaders to expedite innovation and adoption of plant-based food and ingredients.

Project Summary

Plant Forward 2024 marks the second edition of the premier Canada-led international conference on plant-based food and ingredients. This project consists of planning and executing this conference, building off its inaugural debut in 2022.

This biannual event catalyzes global industry leaders to expedite innovation and the adoption of plant-based foods, support the transformative shift in the global food industry and put on display Canada's ecosystem and strengths in innovation, sustainability, agricultural base and integrated value chain in hopes to bring more investment into the country.

The event was held at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Ont. on Apr. 16 to 18, 2024.

Results and Impact

  • Plant Forward 2024 brought together over 200+ delegates from seven countries, including thought leaders and experts from around the world
  • Two-thirds of attendees leveraged 1:1 meetings between delegates, including dedicated inbound missions particularly from the UK
  • Increased opportunities for collaboration and stronger relationships with international players from the USA, UK, UAE, Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands
  • Across three days, the conference featured 43 speakers who covered key themes of consumer trends, innovation, R&D, capital, international and sustainability.
  • Over 60% of attendees reported it was their first time at Plant Forward
  • Survey respondents rated the sessions, programming and networking opportunities with an average score of 4.5/5
  • Over 80% of survey respondents found their familiarity with the Canadian agri-food value chain improved

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