Published: 15 August 2023

At the Crossroad to Greatness

Report – At the Crossroad to Greatness

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Method

Review of Statistics Canada Reports

Review of other primary and secondary sources

Objective

Profile the sector, sub-sectors, estimate current & potential future contribution to the economy, roject growth in production and employment.

Complement Statistics Canada data and to estimate potential labour demand and identify gaps. Identify key sector trends of most relevance to the labour market (e.g., Industry 4.0, cannabis edibles, climate change).

Approach

Examine the latest and most relevant Labour Market Statistics and Census data.

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Welcome

“This report confirms what businesses across Canada are experiencing – a serious challenge in finding and retaining workers, especially during this difficult time. I encourage all employers to review the recommendations of this report and adopt updated human resource strategies and employment culture best practices which are both key factors in solving the workforce crisis.”

— Mike Timani Chairman of the Board, Food Processing Skills Canada

“At Food Processing Skills Canada, we rely on labour market information to guide development of our workforce resources so that they are responsive to the needs of the industry. It is our hope that industry stakeholders will do the same and use this analysis to underscore the value of their own initiatives.”

— Jennefer Griffith Executive Director, Food Processing Skills Canada

Introduction

Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC), is pleased to present this report to the food and beverage processing industry, government decision makers and other stakeholders. This report stands as a resource for all. It details who the industry is, where it could go, and what’s standing in its way. Producing this report in these challenging times has been a moving target. The world has changed and it’s hard to know how history will look back on this time. A tectonic shift in every sector, and in everyday life, has occurred virtually simultaneously across the entire globe. This report outlines what we observe to be the immediate economic and financial consequences of the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, according to our experts, the medium and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian businesses cannot be fully estimated.

Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC), is pleased to present this report to the food and beverage processing industry, government decision makers and other stakeholders. This report stands as a resource for all. It details who the industry is, where it could go, and what’s standing in its way. Producing this report in these challenging times has been a moving target. The world has changed and it’s hard to know how history will look back on this time. A tectonic shift in every sector, and in everyday life, has occurred virtually simultaneously across the entire globe. This report outlines what we observe to be the immediate economic and financial consequences of the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, according to our experts, the medium and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian businesses cannot be fully estimated.

A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”

Winston Churchill

In 2017, there was an enthusiastic call from the Advisory Council on Economic Growth “to unleash the sector’s full potential”. The Agri-Food Table set even more ambitious growth targets calling for Canadian agricultural, agri-food and seafood exports to reach $85 billion by 2025, a 32% increase from 2017 levels.
The recent international trade agreements – Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canadian-United StatesMexico Agreement – present obvious opportunity outside our borders, although there is significant opportunities for growth in Canada’s domestic market as well. The Advisory Council noted Canada processes only half of its own agricultural output. Domestic market growth should be made easier by The Canadian Free Trade Agreement which was put into place in the summer of 2017, and focuses on eliminating barriers that restrict the movements of goods and services within Canada. These trade mechanisms clear a path to capture greater shares of domestic and international markets.

Canada will welcome more than 1.2 million newcomers between 2021 and 2023.”

If the sector is to achieve these ambitious targets, it would place Canada in an enviable position of truly “feeding the world”. The domestic and international strategic advantage of doing so is obvious. Abroad, we would strengthen our place in the world, develop trade relations and participate with our allies in lifting other nations out of food poverty. At home, we would strengthen and build the industry by creating wealth and jobs, and Canada would grow by welcoming more newcomers. In fact, the Government of Canada announced late last year, that to make up for the shortfall in 2020 due to Covid-19, the country would welcome more than 1.2 million newcomers between 2021 and 2023, in addition to more than 400,000 new permanent residents every year from 2021 to 2023.
Still many ask, “is there really that much opportunity?”. The answer is, “never more so than now”. The global demand for food is expected to rise by 70 % between 2009 and 2050, fueled by a growing population and an expanding middle class that will consume considerably more protein than is the case today. Many of these middle class consumers will want to know their food has been produced in a safe and environmentally sustainable way and will favour products from countries such as Canada where environmental, labour, and food safety and quality standards are globally-recognized.

The Canadian Food
Processing Sector in Profile

The food and beverage processing industry with its more than 7,600 businesses directly employs over 280,000 people accounting for almost 1 in 5 of all manufacturing jobs in Canada. The COVID-19 global pandemic has also clearly shown the industry’s great strategic importance. The industry is made up of 11 sub-sectors, with Meat Product Processing being the largest and Cannabis Product Manufacturing being the newest. Ontario, Quebec, and BC are home to three-quarters of the industry’s businesses. The industry is dominated by small or medium-sized businesses, with fully 91% of businesses employing less than 100 people.

COVID-19 Impacts

Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC), is pleased to present this report to the food and beverage processing industry, government decision makers and other stakeholders. This report stands as a resource for all. It details who the industry is, where it could go, and what’s standing in its way. Producing this report in these challenging times has been a moving target. The world has changed and it’s hard to know how history will look back on this time. A tectonic shift in every sector, and in everyday life, has occurred virtually simultaneously across the entire globe. This report outlines what we observe to be the immediate economic and financial consequences of the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, according to our experts, the medium and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian businesses cannot be fully estimated.

Key highlights

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Table of Contents

At the Crossroad to Greatness

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