Canada’s new food supply platform will help COVID-19 recovery and boost plant-based food

11 Aug 2021 --- Canada’s leading food and beverage processing associations have come together to invest in a first national supply chain platform to help strengthen its food security. Protein Industries Canada is spearheading the Food Convergence Innovation (FCI) Canada – Food and Beverage Supply Chain Project in collaboration with local F&B companies and institutions.

The project focuses on creating a national, sector-wide platform with enterprise-to-enterprise connectivity capabilities.

Linking food and beverage companies across the country, the initiative aims to make it easier for the nation’s food chains to recover from COVID-19 and other emerging issues while diversifying Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredients offerings through collaborative partnerships.

“Canada’s Protein Industries Supercluster is bringing together companies of all sizes and academic institutions to create new possibilities for innovation and collaboration and promote bold new ideas in the agrifood sector,” says François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. 

“Through this project, the Supercluster is bringing together partners from all across the country to find innovative solutions to today’s challenges and make our food and beverage supply chain stronger and safer.”

Connecting to a national food network
Canada’s leading food and beverage associations will build provincial and regional databases connected to a national network. 

“This digital platform will help connect the value chain across the country, from ingredient processors in the east to food manufacturers on the west coast,” says Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel.

“And better yet, it will do so in a way that will improve the lives of Canadians, thanks to its ability to strengthen our domestic supply chain further and increase the selection of food products available across the country.”

This project builds on Conseil de la Transformation Alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ)’s existing Systeme Numerique Alimentaire Collaboratif (SNAC) collaboration platform, developed by Bivizio and currently in use in Quebec, as well as data science work conducted at the University of Ottawa. 

In its evolution to FCI-Canada, the national platform will help companies from across Canada make connections across the value chain by posting and searching for specific products, services, and partners within given geographic parameters.

The FCI-Canada platform will also evolve to respond to supply chain disruptions such as those associated with COVID-19. Expanding its functionality across the country will mean better responsiveness across the national supply chain and will help ensure the security of Canada’s food system.

“Canada is at the forefront of agricultural innovation, and to stay ahead of the curve, we must continue to invest and collaborate. Our Government launched the Protein Industries Supercluster in 2018 has been a made-in-Canada success story of dynamic new partnerships and innovations in agriculture,” remarks Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

“This project is yet another example of how the Protein Industries Supercluster is creating exciting new opportunities for producers and agrifood entrepreneurs that respond to emerging consumer demands.”

Multi-million dollar project
McGill Centre will lead the FCI-Canada Project for the Convergence of Health and Economics with a national consortium of Food and Beverage Canada, CTAQ, Food & Beverage Atlantic, Food and Beverage Ontario, Food & Beverage Manitoba, BC Food & Beverage, Bivizio, and the University of Ottawa. 

These organizations are together investing CA$500,000 (US$398,912) into the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing CA$2.1 million (US$1.7 million) for a total project value of CA$2.7 million (US$2.2 million).

“The COVID-19 pandemic did more than reveal weaknesses in our healthcare system, it also exposed the fragility of Canada’s ability to feed itself,” comments McGill vice-principal of Research and Innovation Martha Crago. 

“This project demonstrates the value of academia working together and with industry to impact a precious, but all too often taken for granted, resource: the food we eat.”

The platform will help the Canadian plant-based food, feed and ingredients sector improve its international competitiveness by allowing companies to respond collaboratively and more easily to shifts in consumer demand. 

This will lead to the development of new plant-based protein ingredients and products, providing consumers worldwide with more choices that align with their values, lifestyles and nutrition needs.

The project marks Protein Industries Canada’s third project through its capacity-building program and its 25th overall. Together with industry, Protein Industries Canada has committed more than CA$377 million (US$300.8) to the Canadian plant-based food, feed and ingredients sector.

Earlier this year, Protein Industries Canada also launched a project with New School Foods and Liven Proteins to develop plant-based seafood products. A total of CA$1.9 million (US$1.558 million) has been committed to the project, with Protein Industries Canada co-investing half of the funds and New School Foods and Liven together investing the remaining half.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer