Yes, thank you.
Thank you, Bob.
I think it should be organic; that is, it should naturally evolve where there are business opportunities to be had. Government absolutely plays a key role. They are regulators, they are funders, and they are trade promoters, so in their own right they can have an impact on the marketplace as a whole or on a specific value chain or supply chain.
Where we see an example of that—and I believe this is through the Ontario government—is that they are helping producers, retailers, chefs, and restaurants find each other in the marketplace. They've set up a website called Ontariofresh.ca. Through that they are trying to create new links, essentially new supply chains between growers, producers, and the markets in the populated areas around the green belt. So government can help in that regard, but government sometimes doesn't need to be part of this transaction.
We're familiar with, and have invited to one of our symposia, an entrepreneurial couple who have sourced product from 29 farmers and producers—beef producers and horticultural producers—in the Ontario region to feed healthy meals to thousands of school kids every day in the GTA, the greater Toronto area. They've actually shortened the supply chain, because they have developed a relationship together. They've developed trust. They see value, and now they're moving into the processed foods area, because they're trying to use the full carcass, for example, or they're trying to have a year-round supply of products, so they're getting into sauces and other things. I'm not sure if government was part of their story, but they've found a common desire to create a quality product that improves the quality of meals delivered to thousands of kids every day. We should celebrate that.
The question to them would be, what stands in their way of succeeding? I'm sure they would have a list. But I think we should embrace the fact that there's diversity out there and there are going to be large and small chains.