Creating International Connections
As countries around the world look to secure their food supply, there is an opportunity for Canada to be an important part of the solution. The work of Protein Industries Canada to create relationships with international partners is an important part of supporting the growth of the Canadian ecosystem. It is through international partnerships that Canada will find customers for most of our high-protein, sustainable ingredient products. It is also one way that we will attract new investment and development into the ecosystem.
Over the past fiscal, Protein Industries Canada worked to further develop relationships with key international markets including, Singapore and the ASEAN region as a whole, Japan, Europe, the UK and the USA. These markets have been identified as having the largest opportunity for partnership and growth. For the ASEAN region, food security is a priority for many of the countries, and to reach their goals they will require partnerships with countries such as Canada. Europe, the UK and the US represent important gateways to multi-national food companies who are looking to source reliable and sustainable ingredients. In addition, these countries, along with Japan, are potential sources for investment to help support the development of new processing plants in Canada.
Over 2023-24, Protein Industries Canada has engaged in numerous activities to help develop and grow relationships in these markets.
International activities
- Future Food Tech, San Francisco, USA
- Natural Products Expo, Anaheim, USA
- Canada In Asia Conference, Singapore
- Food Ingredients Europe, Frankfurt, Germany
- Future Food Tech & Outbound trade mission, London, UK
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
- Good Food Institute conference, San Francisco, USA
- Future Food Tech, New York, USA
- Pathway to Silicon Valley, San Francisco, USA
- Singapore Agricultural and Innovation Week, Singapore
A highlight of the year was announcing a formal partnership with Innovate UK to develop collaborative R&D projects between Canadian and UK companies. The partnership included reciprocal missions to Canada and the UK, where innovative companies from both countries got a first-hand chance to make connections and learn about the ecosystem. In September 2023, the countries launched a $20 million CDN joint call for collaborative R&D projects. The joint call further supported the advancement of plant-based foods and ingredients and strengthened the relationship between the two countries. The projects are currently going through the evaluation process and will be announced in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
As we continue to further Canada’s international reputation as a global leader in the development of high-protein and sustainable plant-based ingredients, the development of international partnerships is increasingly important. Over the next fiscal, Protein Industries Canada will continue to explore collaborative R&D partnerships, customer creation and offtake agreements and potential investment leads.
