Officials from the City of Guelph and University of Guelph were be in Brazil last week to attend SIAL Brazil and Fispal Food Service trade events from June 25 to 28.
The Guelph group met with business executives and decision makers in all areas of the agriculture and food and beverage industries that are looking to invest in Ontario.
Guelph participated in this mission as part of the Ontario Food Cluster (OFC), a group of southern Ontario economic development agencies, as well as the provincial and federal government.
A founding member of the OFC, Guelph benefits from the organization’s ability to leverage the combined agri-food strengths and assets of the region, making this sector the country’s largest economic and employment sector and the second largest in North America.
“We have developed this year’s OFC program to reach out and attract agri-food firms from abroad and highlight southern Ontario’s collective strengths in the industry,” said Barbara Maly, this year’s chair of the OFC.
“This includes the over 150 agri-food and life science companies and research and academic institutes that call Guelph home.”
The OFC also promoted Conestoga College’s new Institute of Food Processing Technology. Located at the Cambridge campus, the institute provides the industry with a new generation of skilled front-line food processing workers educated on the latest in touch screen computer, robotics, and other state-of-the-art industry technologies.
“Local businesses are increasingly seeking out global markets and cities are competing globally for investment and jobs. Guelph needs to be at the table,” said Mayor Karen Farbridge.
“Guelph is already recognized as the province’s centre for agri-food innovation. We have lots to offer new investment prospects, including a talented labour pool coming from University of Guelph and Conestoga College and an abundant supply of shovel-ready lands in the Hanlon Creek Business Park and elsewhere.”
This event is part of Economic Development’s marketing efforts to target the agri-food and innovation sector as directed by Economic Development’s guiding document Prosperity 2020.
Made possible through the funding of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada , the OFC builds international trade and investment opportunities for its expanding 3,200-company agri-food sector. These companies have manufacturing revenue of $34 billion, including $9.9 billion of exports, and employ 130,000 people.
