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Raising the Bar for Sustainability Performance in Ontario's Food & Beverage Processing Sector
New project to boost sustainable performance of
Food and Beverage Processing Sector
TORONTO, July 29, 2009 -- Ontario-based food and beverage manufacturers have a new resource to support them in their efforts to improve long term sustainability, with a project announced today by Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC) and the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA).
The project, entitled "Raising the Bar for Sustainability Performance in Ontario's Food and Beverage Processing Sector" will produce a sustainability framework and tools to assist the food and beverage processing sector, in particular small and medium-sized (SME) companies, with integrating environmentally sustainable business practices.
"The food and beverage sector has long been focused on environmental sustainability and there are already many examples of world-class environmental practices in place. This program will be an excellent resource and a real boost to small and mid-sized companies who may not have the resources that have enabled larger food and beverage manufacturers to improve their environmental performance," says Derek Nighbor, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, FCPC.
The project will be implemented in several phases over three years:
- Phase 1 will benchmark the superior sustainable performance of leading global companies in the food and beverage sector and develop a comprehensive and customized “how to” framework to guide SME food and beverage processors with integrating sustainability aspects into their business operations.
- Phase 2 will involve the actual pilot testing of the framework and tools developed in Phase 1, with SME food and beverage companies in Ontario.
- Phase 3 will transfer the pilot program platform across the entire food and beverage sector in Ontario.
"This project will provide Ontario food and beverage processors with leading edge sustainability benchmarking information and the tools to assist the sector across the nation," says Cher Brethour, Director, Sustainability Services, Guelph Food Technology Centre. "The successful completion of all three phases of this project will allow other provinces and industries to utilize the lessons learned from this project for further implementation of sustainable business practices."
The core funding for Phase 1 of this project is supported in part through the Food and Beverage Industry Innovation Fund (FBIIF) by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Program and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs through the Alliance of Ontario Food Processors. The Agricultural Adaptation Council administers the FBIIF. The Fund has been established to encourage investment into new, innovative processes, products, and skills development.
Other organizations providing funding support and resources for the project include the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) through the Conservation Fund and the City of Toronto, Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department.
"This is great news for Ontario's food and beverage processing sector," says Kevin Jones, President and CEO, OCETA. "This initiative is both timely and strategic as it will enable food and beverage processing companies to improve their sustainability performance and gain a competitive advantage."
The project will result in the development of a first-ever sustainability framework and customized tools targeted to Ontario's small and medium-sized food and beverage companies. Major products will include:
- An understanding of the current state and capacity of Ontario's small and medium-sized food and beverage processing companies in implementing environmentally sustainable business practices.
- A sustainability performance self-assessment tool.
- A list of superior sustainability performance benchmarks (based on performance of global industry leaders).
- A sustainability implementation framework.
- The development of a Food and Beverage Industry Sustainability Leadership Program.
Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) is the largest industry association representing Canadian-operated food, beverage and consumer product companies that make and market national and retailer brands sold through retail and foodservice outlets. The sector employs almost 300,000 Canadians in more than 6,000 facilities in all regions. Annually, the consumer products industry generates approximately $22 billion in GDP and donates an estimated $33 million in cash donations to charitable causes and over five million bags of groceries to food banks in Canada.
Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation focused on improving the competitiveness of the food and beverage processing sector through commercialization of new technologies, sector-specific training, and consulting services in the application of innovation to new products, process improvement, food safety, and sustainability.
The Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that accelerates the commercialization and market adoption of clean technologies and environmentally sustainable solutions through the provision of programming, business and technical services. Since 1999, OCETA has taken a leadership role in the delivery of industrial sustainability programs to assist SME companies with improving their environmental performance and economic competitiveness.
Contacts:
Food & Consumer Products of Canada:
Nancy Bagworth, Vice President, Communications
416-510-8024, x2226
nbagworth@fcpc.ca
www.fcpc.ca
Guelph Food Technology Centre:
Cher Brethour, Director, Sustainability Services
519-821-1246 x5062
cbrethour@gftc.ca
www.gftc.ca
Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement:
Kevin Jones, President and CEO
905-822-4133 x232
kjones@oceta.on.ca
www.oceta.on.ca
Funding Partners:
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