Choosing Canada as a strategic partner

Canada is a global leader in plant-based proteins. As the world’s largest exporter of pulse crops (lentils, peas, beans, and chickpeas), we offer a reliable and diverse selection of crops to create some of the most sustainable ingredients from around the world.

Our integrated value chain—from world-leading research facilities, to large crop production—makes Canada a natural leader in plant-based ingredients. We offer the ability to locate processing within kilometres of crop production. This allows for a direct connection to the farmers growing the crops, reduced transportation costs, a commitment to sustainability and more—including a secure energy supply, a competitive business environment, and access to major North American, European and Asian markets through free-trade agreements.

Canada has the land mass to support a high volume of crop production.

• 62 million hectares of arable land committed to farming and agriculture.
• Leading producer of canola, peas and lentils along with emerging crops such as chickpeas, faba and lupin.
• The largest exporter of oats and has multiple oat processors including Avena Foods in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Home to the largest pea processing plant in the world with Roquette’s facility at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
• Saskatchewan is home to AGT Food and Ingredients, a global trailblazer in the plant-based food sector.

Canada boasts some of the most sustainable crop production in the world and can help you reach your sustainability goals.

• Large land base, rain-fed agriculture and technologies, such as zero-tillage farming and crop rotation.
• A regulatory system that supports the adoption of best practices and a strong commitment to food safety.

Canada is a stable place to do business.

• Offering a stable geopolitical environment, combined with a competitive business environment and a low cost to do business.
• Having a strong labour pool, with lower labour costs than U.S.
• Ranked as the Best Place to do Business in the G7 (Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit)
• Ranked #2 in the G7 Low Marginal Effective Tax Rate and lower than the US (Source: Department of Finance Canada, September 2021)

• Acclaimed research and academic institutes and research centres such as the University of Saskatchewan, University of Guelph, University of Alberta, University of Manitoba, the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre and many more.
• Strong support from the finance community.
• National organizations, such as Mitacs, to support skilled talent and collaborative partnerships into Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

Canada opens doors and provides secure access to the world's richest markets of 1.5 billion customers across 51 countries.

• 15 free trade agreements covering 60% of the world’s GDP.
• Access to American and Mexican markets through close geographic proximity and preferential access to markets in EU and the UK.
• Free Trade Agreements with Mexico and the USA (CUSMA), European Union (CETA), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

• Canada is a resource-rich country with a unique mix of energy sources.
• While we have an abundance of oil and natural gas, much of Canada’s energy is also generated from hydroelectricity, coal, nuclear power and renewable resource installations to capture wind, solar and geothermal energy.

Protein Industries Canada, one of Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters, accelerates innovation in plant-based food, feed and ingredients. Working with trailblazing companies, Protein Industries Canada provides a structure that lessens risk and allows for bold initiatives, creating new plant-based ingredients and food products. By facilitating industry partnerships, and opening doors to investment opportunities, Protein Industries Canada is working to create a $25 billion plant-based food sector for Canada by 2035. From its inception in 2018 to March 2023, Protein Industries Canada co-invested in 55 projects worth $477 million.

Our main program is our Technology Leadership Program. Through this program, we co-invest with industry to advance R&D related to new plant-based ingredients, products and processes. In Fund I of our investment, we leveraged $173 million of investment by the federal government into nearly half-billion of total investment. Through this investment more than 300 pieces of new IP were developed, and new innovative ingredient and food products hit the market in Canada and abroad.

In February 2023, it was announced that Protein Industries Canada was recapitalized with another $150 million over five years. We are currently in the process of working with industry to identify and invest in the best projects that will further advance plant-based food innovations.

It is an unpleasant truth that we are most likely on the brink of a global food shortage. After decades of surplus, we are ushering in a new era of geopolitical tensions, climate events and a growing global population. Countries around the world are grappling with how to produce more food within the realities of today’s environment.

For Canada, this presents an opportunity. We should be a leader in a shifting global food system. However, decreased productivity, a lagging innovation economy and an increase in global competition has Canada fighting for a seat at the table.

Plant Forward is the premier plant-based food and ingredient conference for decision-makers in the global plant protein sector.

The conference hosts industry leaders from around the world with the mutual goal of accelerating the innovation and adoption of plant-based foods to support the global food system shift.

Make meaningful connections, learn about Canada's integrated ecosystem, and gain tangible insights as we move toward a plant-centred future.

If you have questions about doing business in Canada – whether it’s finding out more about investing here, or sourcing ingredients, Protein Industries Canada is your entry point into Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredients sector.

If you have any questions or would like a conversation, please reach out to James Street, our Director of Business Development at James@proteinsupercluster.ca.