Thank you, Mr. Chair, and good morning, committee members. I want to thank the committee for the opportunity to speak on the issues impacting Canada's horticultural sector.

CPMA, as you know, represents 850 companies growing, packing, shipping and selling fresh fruit and vegetables, and is responsible for 90% of the produce sales in Canada. In 2023 the Conference Board of Canada pegged our sector's contribution to the national GDP at almost $15 billion and found that the fresh produce supply chain supported over 185,000 jobs in rural and urban communities across the country.

The issues impacting the fresh produce supply chain are diverse and complex. First, fresh produce consumption is declining. This is a concern. Government support is needed to keep produce accessible to Canadians and make it easier for Canadians to meet Canada's food guide recommendation to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.

Year over year, consumption rates have decreased as food prices have increased. Canadian adults should be eating seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but recent reports found that 34% of Canadians are consuming just one or two servings per day. In fact, the latest Stats Canada numbers show that almost 80% of Canadians over the age of 12 are eating less than five servings a day.

There are both health and economic consequences to these trends. A recent report by Professor Krueger at the University of British Columbia found that as fruit and vegetable consumption has decreased, the economic burden attributed to low consumption in Canada has increased to close to $8 billion annually, a 60% increase since 2015. Supporting access to nutritious produce, including through a national school food policy and school meal program, could contribute significantly to Canadians' health and well-being, while also decreasing the government's health care spending.

Second, increasing overall access to fruits and vegetables across Canada requires government programs and policies to address the regulatory burden and significant challenges impacting our sector's ability to produce and distribute fresh fruits and vegetables, such as the availability and costs of labour, production costs, transportation and border access. The national supply chain office and the development of a national supply chain strategy are important opportunities for more effective cross-government collaboration to help ensure that Canadians can continue to put our essential products on their table.

Third, it is crucial to recognize the costs of adjusting our supply chain to meet the challenges posed by emerging sustainability and environmental policies. CPMA members have been showing leadership in addressing such areas as biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, food loss and waste, renewable energy, soil health, water conservation and much more. The fresh produce sector has also undertaken significant efforts to align with the government's zero plastic waste agenda. Since 2019, our sector has experienced a 17% decrease in plastic volumes due to industry programs to address the government targets. However, the produce industry remains concerned with recent ECCC proposals related to the fresh produce packaging elimination strategy and targets that are impossible to meet for our sector.

We are keen to work with the government to support and build on industry's substantial efforts with regulatory and policy initiatives that align with global practices and policies to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the agri-food industry, offer incentives for industry efforts, provide secure access to safe food for Canadians and do not create unintentional food waste or increase the carbon footprint of the Canadian food supply.

I would be remiss if I did not mention financial protection for produce sellers and the grocery code of conduct. CPMA is greatly appreciative of the support shown by all committee members for Bill C-280. We hope you will strongly encourage your Senate counterparts to prioritize the passage of this important legislation. Also, as an interim board member of the code, I can attest to the fact that everyone continues to work hard to introduce a voluntary code that is uniquely Canadian.

As noted earlier, the issues impacting our sector are very complex. We need to take a full food system approach. We have shared with the committee our list of recommendations for the 2024 federal budget. These recommendations include areas not covered in my remarks.

I would close with this: The government needs to make food a federal priority and promote effective policies to support the production and movement of perishable items like produce to ensure the long-term viability of the fresh produce supply chain in Canada.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to join you today. I'm happy to answer questions later.

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