Select 65ième édition

April 25 2025

 FBA-ABA Members:

Federal Election Priorities – What Parties Are Promising

All major federal parties have released their platforms. You can view them here:

Liberal Party
Conservative Party
Bloc Québécois
New Democratic Party

Below are select highlights from the Liberal and Conservative platforms that are relevant to food and beverage manufacturers (these lists are not exhaustive):

Liberal Party of Canada:

·        Amend CFIA and PMRA mandates to include food security and affordability in regulatory decisions (while upholding health and safety standards).

·        Direct the Canada Infrastructure Bank to prioritize investments in agriculture, agri-food, and food supply chains.

·        Launch a $200 million Domestic Food Processing Fund.

·        Invest an additional $30 million in the AgriMarketing Program.

·        Partner with CFIA to expand mutual recognition of food safety standards with trusted trading partners.

·        Work with provinces/territories to streamline foreign credential recognition.

·        Expand climate risk disclosure requirements.

·        Extend immediate expensing for manufacturing/processing machinery and equipment.

·        Introduce a tax credit to support AI adoption among SMEs.

·        Increase interprovincial labour mobility for skilled trades.

·        Open a $25 billion export credit facility to support Canadian companies entering new markets.

Conservative Party of Canada:

·        Eliminate capital gains tax on reinvested proceeds in Canada until the end of 2026.

·        Launch a Tax Reform Task Force within 60 days of taking office.

·        Convene premiers to eliminate exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement within 30 days.

·        Introduce strict penalties for executives and board members complicit in forced or child labour; create a private right of action against goods made with forced and child labour that are sold in Canada.

·        Set a target to keep population growth below growth in housing, jobs, and healthcare capacity.

·        Repeal the single-use plastics ban and halt work on the pollution prevention planning notice.

·        Require union consultation (LMIA pre-checks) for TFW hires.

·        Increase funding for the Union Training and Innovation Program.

Upcoming Webinar: Made in Canada – Strengthening Our Food and Beverage Industry for Global Success

Join FBC-ABC and member firm MNP for an engaging webinar focused on insights from the Global Agri-Food Most Influential Rankings report—commissioned by MNP and produced by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Register here.

Date: May 12, 2025

Time: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT

Featured Panelists:

Matt MacDonald, National Leader, Food & Beverage Processing, MNP

Kristina Farrell, CEO, Food and Beverage Canada

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University

Bianca Parsons, Executive Director, Alberta Food Processors Association

Calling All Members: FBC-ABC’s Annual General Meeting

FBC-ABC is inviting members to attend its virtual Annual General Meeting, taking place at 1:00pm EST on Wednesday, May 14. This session will include an update on association activities and the presentation of the annual report. Please reach out to admin@fbc-abc.com if you did not receive a calendar invitation for this event.

Upcoming Webinar: Beyond U.S. – Strategies for Expanding Canadian Trade

Join Food in Canada for a webinar to explore the unique opportunities and challenges faced by food and beverage manufacturers in reducing dependency on the U.S. market and diversifying their trade partnerships. Register here.

Date: May 7, 2025

Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT

Featured panelists:

·        Kristina Farrell, CEO, Food and Beverage Canada

·        Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network

·        Ashley Kanary, Director, Global Agri-Food, Export Development Canada

·        Francis Cooke, President & CEO, Taste of Nature Foods