Canada India Agriculture and Food Processing Forum 2013

Canada-India Foundation successfully hosts its first Agriculture and Food Processing Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Forum aimed at policy-driven growth in two-way trade and investment between Canada and India.
Vancouver, BC September 17th, 2012 – During September 10- September 13, 2012, Canada-India Foundation hosted the first Canada India Agriculture and Food Processing Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This public policy forum, aimed to develop policy and strategy framework to enhance two-way trade investments and relations between Canada and India in the agriculture sector, was the third such policy forum organized by Canada India Foundation, after Energy (2009) and Mining and Metals (2010). The theme for this year’s forum was selected in light of the global concern on food security, the challenges faced by India to ensure food production and distribution to meet the demands of its billion plus citizens, and potential of Canada to work with India in overcoming these challenges.
Dignitaries among the 250 attendees at the forum in the two cities included Hon. Lynne Yelich, Minister of State, Western Economic Diversification, Government of Canada, Dr. Saumitra Chaudhuri, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India, Mr. Don Stephenson, Canada’s chief negotiator in the free trade (CEPA) discussions with India, Hon. Norm Letnick, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Moira Stillwell, Minister for Social Development, and Hon. Michael de Jong, Minister of Finance, Government of British Columbia, Senator Asha Seth, Senate of Canada, Mr. Ravi Shankar Aisola, Consul General of India in Vancouver, Hon. Rob Norris, MLA, Government of Saskatchewan, Hon. Bob Trost, Member of Parliament, Canada, Hon. Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver, Hon. Donald Atchison, Mayor of Saskatoon and other prominent delegates from India and Canada. For 4 days, attendees and local delegates gathered and discussed various topics such as food security, attracting trade/investment agriculture, business opportunities in food processing, grain storage/handling, supply chain logistics, cash crops and value added-products, land resource management, plants and animals and technology enablers. The high quality of discussion was complemented by the on-the-field perspectives from two farmers from India, Mr. Ramesh Chandra and Mr. Eswarappa Chakote. The forum addressed the opportunities and challenges in the agriculture and food processing sector and concluded with a special panel to discuss policy recommendations, which would be presented by CIF to the national and provincial governments of Canada and India.
Barj Dhahan, Chair for Canada India Foundation thanked all the partners whose support made the forum possible, particularly the Presenting Partners, Government of British Columbia and Government of Saskatchewan, as well as RBC Royal Bank of Canada, University of British Columbia, University of Saskatchewan and others. Dr. V.I. Lakshmanan, co-chair of the forum added, “the high caliber of the participants the discussions should result in policies conducive to greater trade in the agriculture and food processing sector, contributing to the projected $15 billion overall bi-lateral trade between Canada and India.”

About CANADA INDIA FOUNDATION

Canada India Foundation is a national, non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization formed in 2007 to foster support for stronger bi-lateral relations between Canada and India; to educate Canadians on the changing face of India; and to increase the participation of Indo-Canadians in the public policy process in Canada.