At the CPMA Annual Convention Ron Lemaire, CPMA and John Stackhouse from RBC held a fireside chat to explore the current state of the North American agri-food and produce market. They delve into key issues such as macroeconomic trends affecting supply chains, ongoing trade and market access challenges for agri-food, and the ripple effects of volati…

CPMA President Ron Lemaire is very pleased to introduce MP Lianne Rood as CPMA’s 2024 Produce Champion. Lianne is the Member of Parliament for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex in Ontario. Joining the conversation are CPMA Board Members, Steve Bamford of Fresh Advancements and Quinton Woods of Gwillimdale Farms. CPMA’s annual Produce Champion award is given t…

In this episode of Produce Talks, Dan Duguay, CPMA’s Sustainability Specialist, leads a discussion with Tom Pierce of Sobeys and Matt Aronson of Verdant Technologies. In an effort to improve sustainability in the supply chain for broccoli, these two companies worked together in a pilot project to remove ice from broccoli shipments and actually impr…

In this episode of Produce Talks, we listen to the recording of a Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA Annual Convention and Trade Show in Vancouver. Moderator Colin Chapdelaine of Whole Leaf, leads a discussion with 4 representatives from the retail sector. They provide their insights about changes in consumer buying and their strategies to enable…

In this episode of Produce Talks, we listen to the recording of a Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA Annual Convention and Trade Show in Vancouver. Moderator Jessica Levac of Bellemont Powell leads a discussion with 4 other women as they speak about the power of mentorship, how they have benefited from mentors and how women can get involved in a …

In this episode, we listen to the recording of a Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show in Vancouver. Moderator Kevin Sorichetti of EarthFresh Foods leads a discussion with Passion for Produce Alumni who speak about their produce journeys, what motivates them, and what they expect from their employer. Panellists inc…

Industry innovation is a key area of focus for CPMA. Over the years, CPMA has offered its members the opportunity to share their innovation efforts and facilitated connections to new innovators in the produce industry. In this episode, we hear from 3 different innovative companies about their products and their experiences at the Innovation Zone at…

In this episode, Jane Proctor, CPMA’s Vice President of Policy & Issue Management leads a discussion with CPMA Chair, Colin Chapdelaine, Brian Faulkner of BCfresh and Sue Lewis, CPMA’s Vice President of Market Development on the state of the Canadian produce industry. The four share their perspectives on: • Two recent research reports on the enormo…

Ron Lemaire President of CPMA leads a Year in Review discussion with David Coletto. David is the Chair and CEO of Abacus Data, a Canadian market and public opinion research agency. Ron and David give an overview of what Canadians think of the political climate and how it relates to the fruit and vegetable industry. David also provides insights to h…

In this episode, Dan Duguay, CPMA’s Sustainability Specialist, provides an update on the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) packaging regulations that aim to significantly reduce plastic packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables. We discuss CPMA and the industry’s response to these proposals and report on the impact they would have on the…

In this episode, we hear from different innovative companies and incubators about their products and how they have benefited from the Innovation Zone at the CPMA Convention and Trade Show. The first part features Mike Mauti interviewing Denise VanderVeen of CleanWorks, a produce innovator, and Andrew Wylie of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre…

This episode features CPMA President, Ron Lemaire, CPMA Board Member, Kendra Mills of the PEI Potato Board, and the 2023 CPMA Produce Champion, Member of Parliament (MP) Kody Blois, in a discussion about opportunities and key challenges within the fresh produce sector in Canada, and how Members of Parliament can help advance the goals of the Canadi…

In this episode, we listen to the recording of the Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA’s Convention and Trade Show in Toronto. Moderator Stewart Lapage from Oppy talks with 4 Passion for Produce Alumni. These young professionals talk about their experiences in the produce industry, including going through the COVID years and their thoughts on what…

This is the recording of a Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA Convention and Trade Show in Toronto. Effective leadership is essential to ensure sustainability and innovation across the produce industry. This recording focuses on some female leaders who are helping move the food industry forward utilizing innovative solutions to challenges that im…

In this episode, we’re excited to present the annual “Between Two Chairs” podcast. Ron Lemaire shares stories with the previous CPMA Chair Mario Masellis and current CPMA Chair Colin Chapdelaine. Mario is with Catania Worldwide and Colin Chapdelaine is with the Star Group. Listen as they tell us where the industry is going and how sustainability an…

In this episode, we listen to the recording of the Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA’s Convention and Trade Show in Toronto.Supply chain challenges continue to impact the fresh produce industry. Compounding these issues, geopolitical, weather and economic impacts are now at the forefront of pressure to maintain the supply of fresh produce in a p…

Greg Ogiba is the Chair of the CPMA Education Committee and President of Mike and Mike’s. In this episode, Greg leads a discussion about mentorship and CPMA’s Passion for Produce Program with Jessica Levac of Bellemont Powell and Michael Wexler of the Oppenheimer Group.CPMA looks forward to hosting the next group of 18 Passion for Produce participa…

In this episode, CPMA’s registered dietitian, Jen Ong Tone, discusses money-saving tips to help consumers continue to eat healthy with fruits and vegetables. She is joined by Christina Iaboni and Laurence Vezina as they discuss ways to stretch your food dollars in a safe and healthy way and offer other tips from the halfyourplate.ca website. Play t…

This episode tackles the challenging goal of reducing plastics in produce packaging. Daniel Duguay is CPMA’s packaging specialist and coordinator for the pilot project developing sustainable packaging guides for the food and produce industry. We hear about an innovative new product that is helping reduce plastic packaging in cucumbers. Daniel intro…

This episode features a recording of one of the 2022 Convention and Trade Show Learning Lounges, Growing in Produce. Moderator Mike Catalano of The Wonderful Company discusses with other young professionals who are Passion for Produce program (PFP) alumni about how they started in the produce industry and their current roles. The panelists are: • K…

October is Cybersecurity Awareness month in Canada. We welcome Johnny McGuire and Eric Regnier who are representing the Produce Supply Organization. The PSO is a not-for-profit organization that was established to help suppliers in the produce industry understand and use technology effectively. We have a discussion about cybersecurity and what orga…

In this episode, CPMA President, Ron Lemaire and CPMA Chair, Mario Masellis of Catania Worldwide welcome the 2022 CPMA Produce Champion, Scot Davidson, the Member of Parliament (MP) for York-Simcoe. CPMA’s annual Produce Champion award is given to one or more Members of Parliament and/or a Senator who have been supportive of the produce industry an…

In this episode we feature the recording of a Learning Lounge from our recent Convention and Trade Show in Montréal. Listen now to Moderator Michèle McMillan of Ippolito Fruit and Produce, as she speaks with Julie Trepanier of The Wonderful Company, Susan Leung of Fresh Direct Produce and Jennie Coleman of Equifruit about their experiences in the p…

In this episode, we feature a recording of a Learning Lounge from the recent CPMA Convention and Trade Show. As we come out of the global pandemic, the disruptions in the supply chain are still a stress on the produce industry. Listen to some of the buyers for Canadian retailers to learn how they’ve had to adjust and how their expectations are shif…

CPMA President Ron Lemaire chats with past Chair Guy Milette of Courchesne Larose and current Chair Mario Masellis of Catania Worldwide. This annual Between Two Chairs special features them talking about the current produce industry challenges and issues and how our industry helps consumers continue to enjoy fresh produce in these challenging times…