International Trade committee  Thank you very much. Thank you for inviting us and for giving us the opportunity to provide you with our point of view about the TPP. The food industry is the largest in Quebec. Its output is in the order of $24 billion and it represents 16% of manufacturing shipments. It is al

International Trade committee  Canada's reputation in agri-food is widely recognized around the world. This has particularly been the case in recent years with the crisis in Japan. Canadian products are seen as safe products and good to export. Canada has an enviable international reputation when it comes to f

International Trade committee  We were established in 1999, but it was by the fusion of two older associations, one called AMPAQ, which was about 60 years old, and another that was a bakery group, which was 80 years old.

International Trade committee  Yes. It's ten now.

International Trade committee  The groups were small, so they could not provide themselves with staff or resources. By merging or by getting together, we became a federation of smaller associations, which provides them with more service and a stronger voice with federal and provincial governments, partners, an

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all committee members for this invitation. The CTAQ, which I am representing here today, has over 550 members, which makes it the largest group of food processors in Quebec. The Canadian food and beverage processing industry is the second

Agriculture committee  The workforce, productivity, new technologies and innovation are certainly priorities for the food industry. If we do not innovate, we won't be competitive. With all the new agreements with Europe, and hopefully with the U.S. again, we need to be competitive and productive. Righ

Agriculture committee  We have a submission in with Guelph, so we're talking more about intelligence with regard to innovation, accessibility of innovation, and information on what's available out there to make our industry more productive.

Agriculture committee  I would like to add some information. In Quebec, for example, the food industry is the largest contributor to Moisson Montréal, Moisson Québec and other Moisson organizations, as well as La Tablée des Chefs. These organizations collect food scraps or offer classes to teach peopl

Agriculture committee  Education is obviously the number one aspect. We must collectively work to launch a campaign that will allow consumers to better understand product labelling, know what they are eating and decide what is good for them as individuals. That is the first thing. There is also the wh

Agriculture committee  I won't repeat what Carla just said on GMO foods. With respect to remote areas, specific crop projects need to be tailored to different regions to allow people in remote areas to meet their needs in part. Greenhouses should be installed or agriculture suitable for their region s

Agriculture committee  I can't answer you with respect to agriculture, but in terms of food processing, it's an industry that is currently emitting low levels of carbon dioxide, because we are using energy that is considered clean, especially in Quebec and Ontario. Food processors work according to the

Agriculture committee  Thank you for having us here today. The Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec, or CTAQ, is the main alliance of food and beverage processing companies. Its mission is to help entrepreneurs reach their full potential to ensure the sustainability of the food industry

Agriculture committee  Right now, the program is creating serious competition for food processors. They barely make the equivalent of what the federal government is providing. The Quebec government decided to give people a bonus as an incentive to stay on the job, paying workers an extra $100 a week.

Agriculture committee  Yes, I think so.