Produce Talks

This episode we feature a panel of women in produce and recognize the achievements of women leading the promotion of produce in Canada. Earlier this year, CPMA partnered with Grocery Business Magazine to recognize some of the exceptional women in the industry. The Grocery Business article was released in the March/April edition recognizing ten outstanding women in produce. Joining this episode wer...

In this episode, we turn to a panel of young leaders in produce as we continue our focus on the development of young professionals in our sector. This panel webinar was held in February and featured past Mary Fitzgerald Award Winners Mike Catalano of POM Wonderful, Stephanie Lariviere of Erie James, and Ryan Goad of Loblaws. The discussion focuses on several topics including leadership, mindset, m...

The Suez Canal crisis, COVID-19 implications and ongoing port labour disputes have all showcased that moving product globally day in and day out is an incredible feat. There are implications when one link in a global supply chain breaks and this episode we’re talking about the movement of produce across borders, through ports and around the globe. We dive into factors and initiatives at the border...

This episode dives into sustainable agriculture and looks at alternative production practices that we are seeing across Canada. It is estimated that by 2050, the world's population will rise to almost 10 billion people with over 67% expected to live in urban areas. In order to feed this growing population, the United Nations estimates that food production will have to increase by 70%. We explore t...

As supply chains, investors, and government all push to reduce impacts on the environment, the ability to measure and demonstrate sustainability credentials from farm to retail becomes paramount. On this episode, we widen the lens on sustainability and talk about Canada’s agri-food system including a collaborative project to benchmark and demonstrate Canada’s sustainable agri-food performance. Gue...

This episode features a panel of young professionals in the produce industry with a lens on the development, recruitment, and retention of young talent in our sector. We look back on 2020 and explore several themes such as resiliency, adaptability, value alignment, mentorship, and more. Panelists included Passion for Produce (PFP) Alumni Kara Badder from NatureFresh Farms, Kevin Sorichetti from Ea...

With greater demand and sales on-line, customer experience enhancements, and COVID-19 protocols in place, the retail landscape has changed dramatically in 2020. This episode dives into retail trends and changes with a look ahead to 2021. We look at what makes a good on-line grocery experience, merchandising opportunities and considerations, and the new normals that are here to stay. Guests on this...

On this episode, CPMA President, Ron Lemaire speaks with 2020 CPMA award winners about their careers, key focuses, and the industry changes they have seen and experienced through the years. Ron first talks with the 2020 CPMA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Mike Ecker, along with Oleen Smethurst, The Packer's 2020 Canadian Produce Person of the Year. This is followed by a conversation with the C...

Food safety has become a more and more prevalent topic for the produce sector and for regulators. This episode focuses on food recalls and the impacts and processes when a foodborne illness outbreak occurs. We specifically unpack the processes behind food recalls and advisories, the impacts on consumer confidence, the role and improvements in traceability, and the importance of instituting a cultu...

On this episode, we unpack new developments and barriers to automation and technology across the produce sector. As labour gaps remain, the future of automation, robotics and innovation is a large focus from farm to fork. We talk about several factors influencing the shift to automation such as measuring return on investment, system integration, and the evolving expansion of artificial intelligenc...

On this episode of Produce Talks, we feature an interview with CPMA Chair Davis Yung of Fresh Direct Produce and CPMA Past Chair Oleen Smethurst of Costco Canada for our annual Between Two Chairs special. We take a look back at the last several months, revisiting the ways that CPMA continues to support the produce industry with new resources and advocacy efforts. We also take a look at what is ahe...

This episode, as we hit the three month mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, we revisit the impacts along the supply chain and unpack the key takeaways since March as businesses continue to adapt and prepare for a busy summer and harvest season. Featured guests Stéphanie Levasseur, President of Quebec Apple Growers, Satri Alpine, Director of Talent and Culture at Oppy and Tammy Vautour, Quality Assuranc...

Ensuring food quality, sustaining food availability, reducing waste, minimizing costs to consumers and maximizing recyclability – all while mitigating the impacts on the environment – makes the conversation on sustainable packaging and preferred packaging materials remarkably complex. On this episode, guests talk about their work in the area of sustainable packaging and highlight the need for cont...

This episode, we unpack fairtrade practices as an influential method to sustainability. We spoke with Jennie Coleman, President of Equifruit about their approach to sustainability and the Fairtrade certification. We also brought Mimmo Franzone, Director of Produce and Floral with Longo’s into the conversation to talk about their Fairtrade organic banana program with Equifruit and the added value f...

On this episode, we dive into the impacts, responses and anticipated future risks of the COVID-19 outbreak across the entire produce supply chain. We feature interviews with industry leaders Davis Yung of Fresh Direct Produce, Angela Santiago of The Little Potato Company, and Tim York of Markon Cooperative to talk about their approaches in addressing these unprecedented challenges and how it has i...

Dietitians are critical in supporting the health and wellness of Canadians. On this episode, we dive into the diverse roles and responsibilities of dietitians and how they impact the eating habits of individuals at the consumer, community, and national level. We’ll sit down with CPMA’s very own dietitian, Jennifer Ong Tone, Loblaws retail dietitian, Jackie Villeneuve, and Ottawa Public Health diet...

CPMA hosts a roundtable discussion with political insiders representing the Liberal, Conservative and New Democratic parties. We continue the conversation on the political landscape of our new minority government and what it means for Canada’s fresh produce industry, covering issues that are at the top of mind for the sector including: expanding access to export trade markets, tackling labour chal...

We're gearing up for the 95th CPMA Convention and Trade Show in May in Toronto and that includes our Learning Lounge sessions on the trade show floor! One of the Learning Lounge sessions that we always love to host is where we learn about interesting and inspiring careers journeys in the produce sector. On this episode, we go back to the Learning Lounge in Montreal to hear from Andrea Palmer of No...

On this episode, we sit down with David Coletto of Abacus Data to explore the political landscape of our new minority government and what it means for Canada’s fresh produce industry. In the New Year we’ll be back with Part Two of the series with a roundtable discussion covering issues that are top of mind for our sector including: expanding access to export trade markets, enhancing sustainability...

We dive into all the dynamic components and drivers behind the launch of a new variety – specifically looking at apples and table grapes. We kick off the episode with Kate Evans from Washington State University and Kathryn Grandy from Proprietary Variety Management to talk about the launch of the Cosmic Crisp apple and look more broadly at the breeding processes and innovation behind developing a...

As the potentially damaging effects of plastic packaging on our ecosystem has grown to be more visible to consumers through mainstream and social media, the issue of plastics in produce has come to the forefront. CPMA has recognized the need for an integrated industry approach that best meets regulatory requirements, while keeping produce safe and affordable for the end consumer. To that end, the...

On this episode, we speak with Mary Scianna from Grocery Business Magazine and Chris Elliott from Restaurants Canada, to discuss current consumer trends in grocery and in restaurants. The marketplace is as competitive as ever, and as a result we’re seeing unique strategies to reach specific demographics, while companies vie to position themselves at the top of the market by focusing on convenience...

Businesses in our sector are continually innovating to meet industry demands and consumer expectations. Challenges around labour, food waste, forecasting and so much more have inspired companies to adapt and develop new innovative solutions. On this episode, we scrape the surface of some of the exciting technology across the supply chain with guests from Flashfood, Motorleaf, Apeel Sciences and Vi...

Last year we saw the development of the new NAFTA and confirmation of additional free trade agreements. The Canadian government, and others around the globe, are focused on removing barriers to product movement, opening new markets and increasing exports for domestic organizations. On this episode we head back to the Learning Lounge on a session in April with Dr. Stephen Tapp, Deputy Chief Economi...

“Eat your fruits and veggies.” It can be a tough message to convey to kids, so why not show them the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle? The 5th annual Freggie Fresh Ride is happening August 16th, starting in Niagara and ending in Toronto with a stop at a Freggie event at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton and Hamilton in Oakville. The Freggie Fresh Ride will again be raising money, with...