Saskatchewan agri-food meets the world in Chicago

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

A group of Saskatchewan companies and organizations will be showcasing the province’s agri-food industry at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) conference in Chicago at the end of July.

The IFT gathering, called “FoodSmarts,” brings together researchers, executives, marketing organizations and buyers from around the world for four days.

The Saskatchewan delegation is being co-ordinated by Ag-West Bio Inc., the member-based organization that works to create new value in agriculture, food, health and bio-based products in the province, with sustaining support from Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food.

Lisette Mascarenhas, Ag-West Bio’s Vice President of Health and Nutrition, says the IFT show is the largest of its kind.

“It’s a science and research exchange, education meeting and trade show all in one for people involved in the agri-food business,” Mascarenhas stated. “They learn about each other’s products, any new developments in the market and people who are trying to plug in to the market.”

Literally thousands of people from around the world will attend the conference, and Saskatchewan’s display will be part of a trade show that boasts over 2,000 exhibitors. The delegation, known as “Solutions Saskatchewan,” will include private companies such as POS Pilot Plant Corporation, CanMar Grain Products Ltd., FarmPure Foods and Mustard Capital Inc. There will also be representatives of Ag-West Bio, the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

“We will talk about Saskatchewan as the home to 40 per cent of Canada’s arable land, and our position as the largest grain producer,” Mascarenhas said. “We have top quality ingredients and technical expertise, right from basic research and product research to commercialization and venture capital. Our cluster includes everything needed to make it ideal for a company to come to our province.”

According to the IFT, some 70 per cent of those attending the conference are there to find new products, and 87 per cent of the visitors either make the buying decisions or have significant influence over the buying decisions of their companies and organizations.

Mascarenhas says those delegates will hear a lot about a very well-integrated agri-food industry in Saskatchewan.

“If you want cutting edge research in the agri-food business, you have that represented here,” she stated. “If I was looking from the outside, I would want to know what complementary and enabling technologies Saskatchewan offers, in addition to providing capital and research experience. People should be proud of the fact that we go right from basic research to product launches here in the province.”

The trade fair at the Chicago meetings includes displays organized around the themes of organic food ingredients, health food ingredients, food safety and quality, and international suppliers like the Solutions Saskatchewan group.

Mascarenhas says her group will be exploring some very large potential markets for the province’s products. “For instance, as a producer of oats, partly processed oats and wheat, or finished grain products, I would want someone perhaps from Kellogg’s or Quaker to buy my product,” she noted. “If you are into mustard processing, Dijon and French’s and various large mustard companies will be there. There are companies such as Unilever, Kraft and Nestlé who will all be looking for ingredients. We will be talking to their leading-edge food technologists.”

Mascarenhas says, while actual contracts may not be signed at the show, relationships will begin which may see two-way visiting between Saskatchewan agri-business players and major international companies, and eventually representatives of those companies coming here to see our industry cluster at work.

“If you are looking for a channel to connect to the rest of the world, here is an opportunity,” she stated.

The IFT conference in Chicago runs from July 28 to August 1.

For more information, contact:
Lisette Mascarenhas, Vice President of Health and Nutrition
Ag-West Bio Inc.
Phone: (306) 668-2692
E-mail : lisette.mascarenhas@agwest.sk.ca
Website: www.agwest.sk.ca