Hope you’re having an amazing summer!
I’ll keep this short so you can get back to enjoying those Atlantic-made food and drinks by the pool or at the BBQ! As we gear up for the fall, FBA is thrilled to announce that we’re looking for two enthusiastic and positive people to join our team. These new roles will help us deliver even more benefits to better serve our members.
Registration is now open for the 2024 FBA Conference in October and remember to nominate deserving companies (or yourself) for the 2024 Awards!
We’ve got some incredible learning opportunities lined up, including sessions on “Getting the Most Out of a Distributor or Broker Relationship,” our Fall Retail Pitch Programs, and a series of GS1 sessions to help you navigate their program with ease.
A special shoutout to CEO Naomie Sarazin and her team for welcoming FBA as a partner and me as a judge for the Tobique Pow Wow Pitch. It was inspiring to see Indigenous entrepreneurs share their dreams in such a supportive environment. Congratulations to Chef Amy Pelletier of KWEY Cuisine, who was awarded a one-year FBA membership as part of her win!
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we look forward to seeing you this fall!
Tammy Brideau, Executive Director
|
| Join us at the 2024 FBA Conference & Awards in Charlottetown PEI on October 22nd and 23rd for an unparalleled experience of discovery, networking, and inspiration. Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of industry innovation and excellence. Together, let’s Scale Smart! |
|
Take advantage of our special hotel rates at the Rodd Charlottetown!
|
| FBA AWARD NOMINATIONS CLOSE ON AUGUST 16TH
Mover and Shaker, Innovator, Rising Star, and Storyteller of the Year
The FBA Awards are celebrating the visionaries who are forging the path forward in our industry. This is our moment to spotlight the exceptional individuals and businesses that challenge conventions, elevate standards, and establish new levels of excellence. These awards not only highlight remarkable accomplishments but also recognize the collective efforts propelling our industry towards progress.
Act Now! Self-nominate or submit deserving companies before the nominations close on August 16th. |
|
Join us and welcome the newest Members of FBA. Together, we can achieve anything!
- Foodarom Flavour Designers – Vasile Foltea is happy to assist you find that next flavour sensation.
- Sussex Ice Cream (Sussex, NB) – welcome, Jake Freeze. Yes, that’s his real last name, how cool!
- Air Canada Cargo – Jacqueline Boudreau is eager to learn about your cargo needs.
- V.I. Supply Plus Ltd (St John’s, NL) – welcome, Ivan Kotylyuk! We are proud to help you start promoting Ukrainian food products.
- Ocean Trout Canada (St Albans, NL, Bedford NS and Stephen NB) – delighted to have you aboard, Jackie Rose and team!
- Halifax Honey (NS) – glad to have you back, Jesse Abbass and Jake Mahoney!
|
FBA is growing and in need of two passionate individuals to join our dynamic team! These are full-time, remote positions that can be based anywhere in Atlantic Canada.
Administrative Assistant – This role is vital in supporting our FBA team. This person must be highly organized, enjoy working with others, and take pride in contributing to the smooth operation of a dynamic organization.
Project and Partnership Manager – This position will grow FBA’s capacity and maximize impact through fund development, member and stakeholder relations, and project management. We are looking for someone who is driven, caring and consultative.
If you or someone you know is passionate about making a difference in the food manufacturing and processing sector, join us in our mission to build a strong food community within Atlantic Canada and be a part of our success story.
|
Maximize Your Partnership: Getting the Most Out of Your Broker/Distributor
Are you considering hiring a broker or distributor to expand your business? Or perhaps you are already working with one or both! Now what? How do you ensure they have everything they need to maximize your sales? And how can you measure their effectiveness?
Join this session to learn how to pick the right partner and make the most out of your collaboration. Included is 30 minutes of one-on-one time afterwards for additional feedback.
FBA Members: Free
Non-Members: $49 +HST
Date: September 10th starting at 10am
Facilitated by: Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci, owners of Commerce Life
|
Do you have a product to pitch to grocery, specialty food and health retailers this September?
FBA is pleased to be working with Sobeys, IGA, Pete’s Frootique and Simply for Life to create exciting opportunities for companies with market-ready products. Sign up to attend our FREE education session on August 19th at 10am, and learn more about what is required for food safety, labelling, distribution, and marketing.
Not sure if you are ready? That’s okay, FBA is here to guide and assist. Join FBA Brand Specialist Dwayne Boudreau who will discuss the details about what you need to do when successfully pitching to each of these retailers and how to apply to participate in the FBA Pitch Program this fall.
Once approved, FBA Members will receive the necessary training and techniques from Dwayne and Peter Chapman of SKU Food to help get your products listed.
|
GS1 Canada Learning Series – Barcodes and Beyond
Learn how your business can leverage a GS1 Canada subscription to access authentic barcodes, data and content standards to ensure you are trade ready for retailers, foodservice, broker-distributors and online marketplaces.
This 4-part series will Introduce you to GS1 global standards, emphasize the importance of unique product identification using GS1 Canada GTINs and barcodes, importing and exporting regulations and GS1 Canada Industry Managed Solutions.
FBA Members: Free
Non-Members: $79
Dates: September 18, September 25, October 2, October 9
|
CALLING ALL BAKERS!
Join BAC for a gathering of local bakers, pastry chefs, chocolatiers, pizzaioli, and bakery industry people!
This exciting event will provide bakers with an introduction to the Baking Association of Canada, along with education sessions on the building blocks of baking: flour, dough improvers and conditioners, gluten-free baking and yeast.
Date: September 17, 2024
Time: 9:30am to 5:00pm
Location: College of the North Atlantic, 1 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5P7
|
THE TEAM IS HERE FOR YOU!
The team at Food & Beverage Atlantic is here to service your needs, make connections, and provide unbiased advice.
Above: Nancy Brace, Tammy Brideau, and Dwayne Boudreau
|
| FBA-ABA Members:
Government to provide $1.2M to establish office of Grocery Code of Conduct
Following the meeting of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced that the federal government and its counterparts will provide $1.2 million in one-time funding to support the creation of the office that will oversee the Grocery Code of Conduct.
Competition Bureau seeks feedback on Competition Act’s new greenwashing provisions
The Competition Bureau has launched a public consultation to gather input from Canadians on specific questions related to the new greenwashing provisions of the Competition Act. The consultation will inform the Bureau’s development of enforcement guidance about environmental claims, including those related to the new provisions. FBC-ABC Members are invited to submit feedback for inclusion in the association’s submission. Comments are due September 27, 2024.
Reminder: Participate in a State of the Industry survey, organized in collaboration with Farm Credit Canada (FCC)
FBC-ABC is excited to invite companies to participate in an important survey on the state of the food and beverage manufacturing sector, organized in collaboration with Farm Credit Canada (FCC). Your feedback will help us advocate for Federal policies that enhance our business environment, build resilience, and drive success in the Canadian food and beverage manufacturing industry. Once you sign up to join FCC’s Vision Panel, you will receive a link to complete the State of the Industry Survey. We encourage you to share this link with an appropriate representative from your company.
Invitation: Pre-publication presentation on the Federal Plastics Registry guidance document
On August 16 from 1:00pcm – 2:00pm, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) will be holding a meeting for a pre-publication presentation that will provide an overview of a guidance document from ECCC on reporting to the Federal Plastics Registry. Please reach out to FBC-ABC if you would like to receive the calendar invitation. FBC-ABC will be circulating the draft guidance document in the weekly News from Ottawa following the presentation.
FBC-ABC’s CEO on FBO’s Podcast
This week, FBC-ABC’s CEO joined Chris Conway, CEO of Food and Beverage Ontario for a podcast on Advocacy 101: Empowering Ontario’s Food and Beverage Processing Industry. Click here to listen to the podcast.
Summary of items from the 2024 Annual Meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture
Last week, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture held their annual meeting in Whitehorse, Yukon. The meeting focused on work to advance the resilience and competitiveness of the sector and strengthen the food supply chain. Topics discussed include the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, the FPT Pesticide Management Working Group, Specified risk material, honeybee imports, interprovincial trade, AgriStability, and emergency management. A backgrounder, which summarizes the items discussed, can be found here.
Prime Minister announces changes to the Ministry
Last week, the Prime Minister announced that Steven MacKinnon becomes Minister of Labour and Seniors, following the departure of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan from Cabinet. Minister MacKinnon, the Member of Parliament for Gatineau, Quebec, will be the Minister responsible for overseeing potential strike action in the coming months.
|
|
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Provinces are seeking Atlantic Canada based food and beverage companies interested in participating in the Show Walker Program at SIAL Paris, followed by a Canada Export Café / B2B Mission to the Netherlands from October 18-25, 2024.
Trade Mission Features:
- Access to SIAL Paris as a Show Walker.
- Information session on the France market, retail and distribution structure, consumer preference, and meetings with European buyers.
- Information session on the Netherlands market and other presentations such as logistics and retail, food trends/innovations, and food distribution networks.
- B2B meetings in Rotterdam, Netherlands coordinated by an in-market matchmaking consultant.
Expression of Interest Submission
To get more information and submit your expression of interest in being part of this trade mission, please contact your provincial representative below.
Jamie Blanchard, Trade Development Officer
Global Trade Services, Innovation PEI
Government of Prince Edward Island
902-314-0749 | jrblanchard@gov.pe.ca
Roxane Plaisance, Global Food Marketing Specialist, Marketing and Trade-Food, Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Province of New Brunswick
506-479-4125 | roxane.plaisance@gnb.ca
Matthias MacLellan, Manager, International Trade – Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture
Province of Nova Scotia
902-497-5356 | matthias.maclellan@novascotia.ca
Laurel Veitch, Provincial Trade Commissioner
Department of Industry, Energy and Technology
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
709-729-8055 | laurelveitch@gov.nl.ca
Omaira Ospino, Export Development Executive Invest Nova Scotia
Province of Nova Scotia
902-220-2185 | Omaira.Ospino@investnovascotia.ca
Troy DeWare, Development Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
506-962-2643 | Troy.DeWare@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
Expression of Interest Deadline: Friday, August 9, 2024 at 12 p.m. ADT
|
| The Nova Scotia Association of Community Business Development Corporations, with the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency NS are hosting an in-person trade mission this November 13th to November 20th, 2024.
The project has the capacity to accommodate up to ten trade-ready companies, from the four Atlantic Provinces, to participate in this multi-sector trade mission to Costa Rica and Panama.
Registration fee: $750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FBA-ABA Members:
