For Release: September 28, 2005

ONTARIO GOVERNMENT POSITIONS AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY
FOR THE FUTURE
New Policy Institute Promises Innovative Approach

GUELPH - The Ontario government is strengthening the province's agri-food industry by helping it develop innovative plans with long-term benefits that will improve our quality of life, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky announced today.

"Ontario's economy relies on the agri-food industry. It is in our best interests to plan now for future success," said Dombrowsky. "The new Institute of Agri-Food Policy Innovation will take the lead in ensuring that Ontarians can continue to enjoy the benefits of home-grown products for generations to come."

The institute, developed in partnership with the University of Guelph, will identify and assess policy issues of special significance to the agri-food industry and rural communities. The result will be innovative policy proposals that protect the environment, provide safe and nutritious food, and have long-term benefit for all Ontarians.

"The agri-food industry is changing at an incredible pace and policy is hard-pressed to keep up," said David Sparling, the Institute's newly appointed executive director. "The Institute will tackle some of today's big issues, but focus on looking ahead to future policy needs."

Sparling will work with an eight-member Board of Directors - leaders from industry, government, and academia - with a wide range of expertise in the farming, agribusiness, food, rural and consumers sectors.

"The ministry and the university have a long history of working together and fully understand the benefits of strong partnerships," said Craig Pearson, board chair and dean of the Ontario Agricultural College. "The creation of this institute will bring independent advice, a global perspective and thinking 'outside the box' to the policy debate. It is the natural next step towards a vital, internationally-competitive industry."

In a strategic review conducted by the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph, representatives of Ontario's agriculture, food and rural communities expressed a strong desire for the college to take a leading role in the development of forward looking policies.

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Contacts:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
416-326-6439

David Sparling
Institute for Agri-Food Policy Innovation
519 824-4120 ext. 52775

BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE
INSTITUTE OF AGRI-FOOD POLICY INNOVATION

The institute will assess policy issues of special significance to the future well-being of Ontario's agri-food economy and of associated rural communities and the natural environment. It will communicate the results of these analyses to agri-food and rural leaders, other policy makers, the interested public and peers through the media and journals. The overall goal is to stimulate the consideration, development and implementation of agri-food and rural policies with long-term benefits for all Ontarians.

The Board of Directors is drawn from across the agri-food and rural sector:

Craig Pearson
Board Chair and Dean, Ontario Agricultural College (OAC)
Dr. Craig Pearson took over the leadership of Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph in December, 2001. He was formerly a chief scientist with the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Australia. Prior to that, Dr. Pearson was pro vice-chancellor of the Gatton campus of the University of Queensland and executive dean of its faculty of natural resources, agriculture and veterinary science. In addition to his duties as dean of OAC, Craig is a professor of agricultural policy in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Business.

Bob Bedggood
Chair, Agricultural Adaptation Council
Bob Bedggood is one of Ontario's outstanding farm leaders. Mr. Bedggood joined the Agricultural Adaptation Council Board of Directors in 1999 and has served on its executive committee since 2000, and as chair since 2003. A former president of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO), Mr. Bedggood also served on the national Agricultural Policy Framework advisory committee on the environment and as co-chair of the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition . He continues to serve as a member of the Johnston Hall Group that advises the dean of OAC on research, education and outreach needs.

Most recently, he served as a member of the Agricultural Advisory Team appointed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to investigate farm concerns related to the Greenbelt.

Ezio Di-Emanuele
Ontario Director, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Ezio Di Emanuele is co-chair of the Canada-Ontario Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) management committee and ex-officio board member of the Ontario Agricultural Adaptation Council. He is also a board member with Soy 20/20, BioEnterprise, and the Agriculture Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO).

This year marks Mr. Di Emanuele's 25th year with the federal government. His career to date has included Ottawa-based assignments as a policy advisor to the Federal Minister of Agriculture (1980-84), and an AAFC Senior International Trade Officer responsible for the People's Republic of China and Japan desk from 1984-1988. He subsequently completed a 10 year (1988-1998) stint with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada with assignments as a Senior Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo and the Canadian High Commission in Great Britain. While in London, he was elected Chairman of the International Grains Council. Mr. Di Emanuele holds a B.A. in Political Science from Lake Superior State University and completed all course work for a Masters in Public Policy (M.P.P) from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

John FitzGibbon
Director, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph
John FitzGibbon teaches community-based resource and environmental management, water resources planning and management and land use planning, primarily at the graduate level. He has also been involved in delivering short courses on resources management internationally.

Mr. FitzGibbon is chair of the steering committee of the Ontario Farm Environment Coalition that has been involved in developing environmental farm plans on 12,000 farms in Ontario. He participates on several Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada committees, and is actively involved in seven other provincial, county and local committees dealing with land and water issues.

Catherine McKinley, MBA
President, CAM Corporation & McKinley Farms (St. Mary's) Ltd.
Catherine McKinley received her MBA in 1987 from the IVEY School of Business, Dean's Honour List, University of Western Ontario. She has been president of CAM Corp. since 1994, offering consulting services to the agriculture, food, cosmetic and wine import sectors, and has also been president of McKinley Farms Ltd. since 2000. Prior to that, she was chief financial officer for McKinley Hatchery (St. Mary's) Ltd. and McKinley Farms Ltd for nearly 20 years. Ms. McKinley is a director on the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan and chairs the Business and Finance Committee. She has also served as a board member and vice-chair of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission. A founding director of the Poultry Industry Council, Ms. McKinley has acted as chair of both its research and education committees. She was awarded the Poultry Industry Council's Award of Merit for service to the Canadian Poultry Industry in 1998.

Barbara Miller
President, Barbara Miller and Associates Incorporated
Barbara Miller works with clients whose business plans require the successful collaboration between the private and public sectors. Previously, she served as deputy minister of Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, serving as a champion for innovation and competitiveness in Ontario.

Ms. Miller has extensive experience in the business world, and a background in the food industry. In the private sector, she has held senior executive positions with the Campbell Soup Company, Ault Foods and Parmalat, both in Canada and internationally. She holds a bachelor of science from the University of Guelph, and an MBA from Queen's University.

John Scott
President, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG)
Mr. Scott is an economist by profession, and following his post-graduate studies in economics at Queen's University, moved to Alberta and was involved in several business and government related ventures. From 1978 to 1990, Mr. Scott was president of the economic consulting firm Scott & Fenrich Consultants Incorporated, acting as a consultant to independent and chain grocery operations across Canada and the United States. He was appointed the economist on northern development by the government of Alberta for two consecutive terms in 1985 and 1990, and was also contracted to develop and implement the $130 million Alberta Heritage Fund Small Business and Farm Interest Shielding Program.

Mr. Scott was appointed president of The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers in 1991. He is involved in a number of national industry and government committees as well as several boards in his home community of Unionville.

Mr. Scott is also is a frequent speaker to audiences throughout North America on the direction of the retail food industry. He has delivered keynote addresses on the Canadian food industry at national events and had the honour, on behalf of Canada, of speaking to the food industry and government in Japan.

Jim Wheeler
Assistant Deputy Minister,
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
Mr. Wheeler has been with OMAFRA for the past 31 years. He has held a number of director positions, was chair of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission, and assistant deputy minister of the Agriculture and Rural Division.

In 2003, Mr. Wheeler assumed leadership for the policy and programs division as its assistant deputy minister. His responsibilities include the ministry's federal-provincial relations, the Agricultural Policy Framework, Farm Income, Business Risk Management programming, trade issues and policy co-ordination within the ministry. He has a keen interest in innovative policy thinking and is known to challenge conventional approaches and thinking.

David Sparling, B.Sc, MBA, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Institute of Agri-Food Policy Innovation
David Sparling combines an agri-food experience with a science and business education. He was an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Business at University of Guelph.

He has been president of an agricultural production company, agri-business insurance company and a biotechnology start-up commercializing a fibre-optic DNA identification technology. His teaching and research interests are in policy, value chain management and the commercialization of new technologies.

Mr. Sparling was a senior associate at the University of Melbourne, teaching in the electronic Master of Agribusiness Program, and he recently developed and taught an MBA course at the Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney.

Mr. Sparling has spoken at numerous conferences and workshops in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland on issues related to trade and animal health policy, innovation, value chains and biotechnology.

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Contact:
David Sparling
Institute of Agri-Food Policy Innovation
519 824-4120 ext. 52775