September Food Bulletin #2

Fall is here once again, and this issue of the Food Bulletin brings you the latest agri-food news, events, funding info and training opportunities.

If you have feedback or questions about any of the information listed in the bulletin please email us at foodinvest@ontario.ca.

Marketing Opportunity

An Olympic marketing opportunity

The upcoming 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver presents a unique and powerful opportunity to connect with thousands of potential new customers for your agri-food enterprise.
The "best of Ontario" products and services will be featured at the Games' Ontario pavilion Feb. 12-28, enhanced by experiential programming, such as celebrity chef demonstrations and culinary wine or beer pairings and tastings.
This marketing venue offers exposure to an estimated 350,000 Canadian, American and international visitors, 10,000 media and thousands of potential investors.
For more information, contact the Ontario 2010 Olympic Secretariat at (416) 327-8857 or by email at Kathy.Tangorra@ontario.ca.

Industry News

New Ontario-Quebec agreement to reduce trade barriers, boost economy

Making it easier to work and do business across the Ontario-Quebec border is the goal of a new trade agreement resulting from a joint meeting of the premiers and their cabinets on Sept. 11.

The Ontario-Quebec Trade and Cooperation Agreement will promote collaboration, reduce trade barriers and improve labour mobility to create a more robust, globally competitive trade environment.

The Agreement covers several sectors, including financial services, energy cooperation, economic cooperation and regulatory cooperation.

For example, business owners from both provinces will be able to access regulation changes under consideration by both jurisdictions, allowing them to participate in the consultation process and anticipate and adjust their practices accordingly.

A third meeting is planned for 2010 as the Ontario and Quebec governments continue working together to strengthen the economy.

2009 Premier's Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence

Calling all agri-food innovators!

It's time to apply for the 2010 Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program. The deadline is Nov. 16, 2009

This program recognizes innovations that add value to existing products, create jobs and drive economic growth. Check out the success stories of past winners.

Up to 55 regional awards, valued at $5,000 each, are presented each year. Recipients of Minister's Award (up to $50,000) and the Premier's Award (up to $100,000) are selected from the regional winners.

Eligible applicants include individual farmers, primary producers, groups of farmers, a combination of agri-food businesses, or agri-food related organizations (a farmer must be one of the applicants in any group).

Additional information, guidelines and applications forms are available on the OMAFRA website or by calling the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300.

Higher-education R&D spending up in Canada

Canada is number one in the G7 for higher-education research and development spending (as a percentage of gross domestic product), according to data recently released by Statistics Canada.

The national statistical agency announced that estimated spending on higher?education R&D was $10.2 billion in 2007-08, representing an increase of 5.8 per cent over 2006-07.

The federal government's investment was $2.7 billion, up 9.4 per cent from the previous year, making it the second-largest contributor to higher-education R&D in the country.

Higher-education institutions continued to be the largest contributors to their own R&D, spending an estimated $4.6 billion in current dollars in 2007-08, an increase of 3.1 per cent over the previous year.

Higher-education institutions include universities, affiliated research hospitals, experimental stations and clinics.
This increase is consistent with the government's commitment to develop a leading-edge economy and implement actions, as set out under its strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage.

Events

Sept. 29 - Preparing for GST/PST Harmonization in Ontario webcast

Brush up on the implications of the Ontario government's proposed Harmonized Sales Tax with this 60-minute webcast, offered by the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) association, Microsoft and Grant Thornton LLP. Learn more and register online.

Oct. 5 - Organic Processing in Canada workshop, Toronto

Learn everything you need to know to comply with Canada's new organic standards, regulations and labelling requirements at this workshop presented by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). OTA members receive discounted rates. For more information and registration, visit www.ota.com.

Oct. 7 - EMC Food Sector Network Event: Leveraging Customer Relationships, Milton

Guest speakers Peter Vandeweg of PWV & Associates Supply Chain Consulting and Neil Lester of First Oak Hospitality Consulting will share their wealth of experience in the food industry and knowledge of best practices. To register, contact Bren McKeachnie at (519) 376-0470 or toll-free at 1-866-323-4362 or by email at bmckeachnie@emccanada.org.

Oct. 14 & 15 - Dollars to $ense workshops, Toronto

These energy efficiency workshops from Natural Resources Canada will benefit both your organization and the environment. Energy Management Planning on Oct. 14 will help you create and implement an energy management plan for your organization. Energy Efficiency Financing on Oct. 15 will help you increase your skills to obtain funding for your energy efficiency projects. Both are full-day workshops. Register online or contact Geneviève Thachik at (613) 943-2361 or genethac@nrcan.gc.ca for more information.

GFTC Sustainability Webinar Series

This new series of live, online, interactive training events for food and beverage processors will explore sustainability-related opportunities with a focus on environmental management. The 60- to 90-minute webinars will help you operate more efficiently while reducing costs! Ontario-based participants will receive a 50% discount on their registrations thanks to the OMAFRA sustainability fund. The series includes:

• Oct. 30 - Your 5-Step Environmental and Energy Management Plan
• Nov. 27 - Capturing the Data
• Dec. 11 - Building a Culture of Sustainability

To register, visit GFTC's website.

Nov. 18 - Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors' Ontario Conference, Toronto

If you are a grocery industry supplier, you won't want to miss this opportunity to get the latest industry news and forecasts. The conference features an industry update from The Nielsen Company, and retailer briefings from Loblaw Companies Limited, Metro, Sobeys and Walmart. General Rick Hillier will give the keynote presentation. More than 250 retailers will be in attendance with excellent networking opportunities during the day. Register online or call Jeanette Lee at (416) 922-6228, Ext. 331 for more information.

Funding Opportunities

Getting businesses growing

Small and medium-sized businesses will have more access to capital and business support, thanks to the federal government's $30-million investment in 37 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) in southern Ontario. This investment, from the Community Adjustment Fund, is earmarked for activities that strengthen and diversity the economies of rural communities and help small and medium-sized enterprises grow and create jobs.

The initiative is part of Canada's Economic Action Plan to address the short-term effects of the economic decline on communities across Canada, while preparing communities for long-term growth.

To contact a CFDC near you, call 1-866-668-2332, email info@oacfdc.com or visit the CFDCs in Ontario website.

Training Opportunities

Searching for training providers? These two not-for-profit organizations can help:

Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC)

Broaden your skills and knowledge this fall with one or more of GFTC's innovative and comprehensive courses, which include the new "Pre- and Probiotics: Applications and Opportunities" (Oct. 8) and "Stepping into Green: Sustainable Packaging Design" (Oct. 21). Check out the complete line-up of training opportunities on the GFTC website.

Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC)

Throughout the year, EMC hosts many training events on topics such as Lean best practices, heath & safety, human capital and other enterprise-wide and advanced manufacturing issues. For a list of upcoming events, check out the EMC events calendar.