An update from CEO Bill Greuel | Creating an industrial policy for Canada’s agri-food sector
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I have written many times about the pride I have in being a “farm kid from Saskatchewan” and the influence my parents and the family farm have had on my career path, most recently after celebrating my Mom’s 90th birthday. It was my upbringing and support from my parents that set me on my journey. And it’s that foundation that feeds my passion to advance Canada’s agrifood sector every chance I get.
As CEO of Protein Industries Canada, I have the privilege of representing the organization and our ecosystem at various events and to many different audiences. Further, I am often provided a platform to share my perspectives and thoughts on Canada’s agriculture and food sector. A position that I feel honoured to be trusted with, and that I never take for granted.
And while my point of view has changed – from the field to an office – and from a focus on breeding and plant genetics to value-added processing, my belief that the agrifood sector must be a national priority has not changed. I am firm in my belief that we need a strong industrial policy in Canada’s agrifood sector, and by creating one, we will create sustainable economic growth for Canada.
At Protein Industries Canada, we have been hyper-focused on the development of strong industrial policy for the value-added agriculture sector for the better part of the last 24 months. This work has culminated in the launch of The Road to $25 Billion and the subsequent work we have done to drill down in The Path Forward on three specific areas: enabling capital, improving Canada’s productivity and GDP through innovation and market diversification and expansion. For each of these three areas, we have identified specific and actionable recommendations to drive economic growth in value-added agriculture.
The challenge now is increasing awareness and support for the agriculture sector as a solution. It needs to be recognized that agriculture as a whole is a growth sector for the Canadian economy, and to reach its full potential in any segment, including value-added processing, is through a strong industrial policy.
That is why I advocate so strongly on our sector’s behalf. Since November 2023, when we released the updated version of the Roadmap, I have taken every opportunity I can to increase awareness and support of Canada’s ingredient manufacturing, food processing and bioproducts sector. This includes talking to federal and provincial elected officials, officials within the Minister’s offices and ministries, members of the capital and business community and really, anyone who will listen … (turns out one audience I can’t seem to get to is my kids). I believe strongly in Canada owning this opportunity, and the need to get it right.
At Protein Industries Canada, we have spent the last five-plus years deep-diving into Canada’s value-added agriculture sector. We have worked to develop deep expertise and have become vocal supporters of the growth of the sector. This is about more than just investing in innovation; it is about furthering one of the most important sectors for Canada’s future.