Produce Talks

In Canada, as in many counties, immigration is the main driver behind population growth to the tune of roughly 250,000 people per year. With this growth comes an opportunity to tap into a customer base that can be incredibly loyal. This seems pretty important as according to CPMA research 1st Generation Canadians spend more on Fresh produce and shop more often. Joining us this month on the podcast are Robin Brown and Kathy Chen with Environics and the authors of, “Migration Nation,” a book that explores the growing cultural diversity in Canada. Download Podcast

Over the course of the coming year we will be connecting with retail members of the CPMA to discuss issues relevant to the produce industry. This is the first of our conversations where we connect with Jean-Guy Mazerolle from Co-Op Atlantic to discuss upcoming and ongoing trends for 2015. Download Podcast

In this episode we will learn about this joint initiative from The Canadian Produce Marketing Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Public Health Association and the Canadian Cancer Society to improve fruit and veggie consumption in Canada. Featured are Sue Lewis, Director of Market Development at CPMA; Carol Harrison, a Registered Dietician; and finally Ethan Adeland - Managing Director, Partnerships & Marketing with Food Bloggers of Canada Inc. Download Podcast

Over the course of the coming year we will be connecting with retail members of the CPMA to discuss issues relevant to the produce industry. This is the second of our conversations where we connect with Jean-Guy Mazerolle from Co-op Atlantic and Eric Biddiscombe from Loblaw to discuss expectations when working with vendors. Download Episode

In this episode we are pleased to bring you the speech from the new chair of CPMA, Mike Furi, of The Grocery People. Mike addressed the members in attendance to describe some of the activities that he expects CPMA to accomplish over the coming year including upcoming Town Hall events. Download Episode

We continue to connect with retail members of the CPMA to discuss issues relevant to the produce industry. This is the third part of our conversation with Jean-Guy Mazerolle from Co-op Atlantic and Eric Biddiscombe from Loblaw.  In this episode, we discuss what it takes to build and manage business relationships between vendors and retailers.Download Podcast

There are many different ways that partners in the produce supply chain help to drive the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.  We have already done a podcast on the CPMA's major program the Half Your Plate program. In this episode we connect with a member that is creating consumer education opportunities all over the place by using a mobile greenhouse.  Peter Quiring, President of Nature Fresh Farms joins us to discuss the project, how it all started, and some of the conversations he's having with people along the way. You can check out the Nature Fresh Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for some great pictures of the mobile greenhouse in action. Download Podcast

This month we connect with Village Farms to discuss a new study that they have commissioned to examine the feasibility of using gas from retired landfills as a source of carbon dioxide.  Jonathan Bos a development director from Village Farms is able to join us to walk us through how the project came about, what are the potential benefits, and the partners they have gained along the way. Download Podcast

This month on the podcast we continue our year long conversation with Eric Biddiscombe. from Loblaw, and Jean-Guy Mazerolle, formerly of Co-op Atlantic.  In this episode, we explore the different nature of the relationships with international vendors and some of the challenges that come up with sourcing international product. Listen here.

This month on the podcast we explore a topic that has been popping up over and over again, beacon technology.  Beacons are heralding a new way to interact with consumers, and the technology has potential to impact every level of the produce supply chain. We are joined by Doug Thompson CEO and Co-Founder of Dot3 Ltd.  As well as being a leading expert in the field Doug is the author of  beekn.net, a blog that explores the latest developments in beacon technology. Also joining us is Roland Hung, an Associate with McCarthy Tétrault.  Roland has authored an article titled, "Beacon Technology: A Primer for Retailers."  Roland speaks to us about how existing privacy legislation and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation may impact any beacon technology strategy. Download Podcast

This month we are pleased to connect with Luc and Andrea from the DRC. Luc Mougeot, Vice President of the DRC, provides an overview of the Safe Food for Canadians Act, the recent amendments, and their impact on the fresh fruit and vegetable industry. Luc and Andrea discuss why the act is important and how it will affect the Produce Industry as it comes into effect. Download Podcast