Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Healthy Food Processing Sector Creates Opportunities for Our Farmers

By Nathan Stevens
June 10, 2011
 
Efforts are being made to increase awareness of the importance of the food processing industry in Ontario. The Government of Ontario and Synthesis Agri-food Consulting recently developed A Global Hub for Food Processing: Agri-food Asset Map. This document highlights the province’s diverse food growing and processing sector.
 
The Agri-food Asset Map highlights the strengths that Ontario has to offer as a place for food companies to set up shop. And the strengths are multiple.
 
The business climate in Ontario is good. Ontario farmers produce over 200 different commodities, which is far above and beyond what most jurisdictions can boast. This means that a diverse number of foods can be produced from product grown close to home. Ontario’s infrastructure is solid, with transportation options on both land and water. From a natural resource perspective, Ontario is blessed with tremendous access to fresh water, many soil types for food production, and a moderate overall climate.
 
Companies with a focus on innovation have a strong research network to draw upon. Research and innovation clusters are placing Ontario on the leading edge of new developments in food technology. Universities, research parks, incubators and technology transfer all help facilitate the development of a diversity of new opportunities from functional foods to traceability systems.
 
The people of Ontario are an incredible asset for food processors in many ways. As employees, the people are well educated and skilled. Moreover, the people of Ontario are ethnically diverse which has a two-fold benefit. First, this diversity means that acquiring a sales team with fluency in a large number of languages is possible. Second, ethnic diversity creates innovative food opportunities close to home and and helps develop long-term markets.
 
Ultimately, a healthy, growing food processing sector in Ontario is a good thing for farmers. Growing demand close to home improves the viability of farms across this province. The Agri-food Asset Map is a great step in attracting new business to Ontario, growing the opportunities for farmers in this province.
 
Nathan Stevens is the Research and Policy Advisor for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston. It is also archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 23

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Gophers gotcha going gaga?

With escalating gopher populations causing increasing concern for landowners across Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF), with the support of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), is stepping up to offer practical assistance. Gophers are a significant cause of crop loss and land degradation, impacting the livelihood of Saskatchewan producers and landowners, according to the SEF. In response, the SWF is connecting landowners with trusted SWF members who are ready to assist in controlling gopher numbers in a responsible and ethical manner. Landowners experiencing challenges with gophers are encouraged to contact the SWF office at 306-692-8812. The SWF will then work to identify available SWF members in that area to co-ordinate arrangements directly with the landowner. All SWF members participating in this initiative carry an additional $5 million in liability coverage, and are expected to uphold the highest standards of safety, conduct and la

Attention Researchers: The BCRC Opens Call for Letters of Intent

The Beef Cattle Research Council invites letters of intent (LOIs) for research projects. The application deadline for this call is September 2, 2025,?at 11:59?PM MT. The purpose of this call is to achieve specific priorities listed in the 2025 Call for Letters of Intent – Research document (selected through consultation with industry stakeholders from the Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy).  Approved projects will be required to?use the industry funding to leverage additional funds from government or other funding organizations to fulfill project budgets.  Preference will be given to projects that are one to three years in duration; if the need for a longer timeframe can be clearly demonstrated, four or five-year projects may be considered. Projects will commence no earlier than May 1, 2026. Refer to the documents below for more information. All call-related information can also be found on the BCRC’s Call for Proposals webpage. Sharing or reprinting BCRC posts

Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth

A young man from Milverton auctioned a prize calf, raising over $31,000 for Autism Ontario, inclusive sports, and milk programs, with huge support from the local community.

BFO Cow-Calf Financing Survey

BFO is soliciting feedback from Ontario cow-calf producers on the use of various financial assistance and herd financing programs through the completion of a short survey.

Moving More Lentils: Progress & Priorities in Europe

Work is underway to expand opportunities for Canadian pulses in the European Union and United Kingdom, particularly for lentils, while addressing regulatory and policy barriers that continue to impede market access.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service