The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), in collaboration with Phaff Export Marketing BV and the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, organized a food and beverage-focused inbound trade mission.

The goal of this initiative was to support Ontario companies to educate and guide them with their EU export strategy and to develop and expand their business and related partnerships in Europe.

Trade mission

Together with a delegation of 4 European interested food buyers, Phaff Export Marketing traveled to Ontario, Canada. The program was trade-oriented, with a focus on processed food and beverages, like Artisanal, Beverages, Cocktail Drink Mixes, Condiments, GMO and Gluten‐free, Ethnic foods, Frozen Deserts and Entrees, Organic and Natural, Nut Butters, Healthy Snacks, Bakery products, etc.

Buyers were selected based on the alignment of their products of interest, with the production capacity of Ontario food exporters.

During the visit to Ontario, the European buyers had one-on-one meetings with Canadian vendors that were interested in exporting to Europe. In addition, retail visits and plant visits were organized.

Why Ontario?

  • Ontario, Canada is home to over 4,500 food and beverage businesses throughout the province, employing over 104,800 people and exporting over $19.6 billion in agri-food trade.
  • Ontario’s Agri-food sector is worth $47 billion, at an annual growth of 1.1%. Ontario is the 3rd largest food and beverage manufacturer in North America
  • Ontario is strategically located in the middle of North America, close to major international markets, such as the U.S. which can reach a market of 142 million consumers. Ontario has access to a highly efficient transportation infrastructure, that includes 4 international and 300 regional airports, 250,000 km of road and highway, and a dozen border crossings. Ontario is a natural distribution center for important markets in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
  • Ontario is home to almost 1,500 food manufacturers and hundreds of innovative agri-food exporters, actively exporting a variety of products from meat and vegetables to beverage and baked goods.
  • Ontario's manufacturers and processors offer sourcing solutions in virtually every food and beverage category including pasta, bakery products, baking mixes & ingredients, sauces, salsa, dips, condiments, oils, tea, coffee, beverages, hot cereal, plant-based meat alternatives, frozen prepared foods, beans, grain, snacks, confectionery, deli meat, pet treats, etc.
  • Ontario’s manufacturers and processors are known for meeting internationally recognized food safety and quality standards and for traceability.
  • A multicultural workforce, with more than 200 distinct ethnic backgrounds, makes possible the production of a variety of high-quality health and wellness products appealing to international tastes.

OMAFRA

This trade mission was commissioned by the Labour, Trade, and Economic Development Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

The Labour, Trade, and Economic Development Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) supports Ontario’s food processing industry in the export of top-quality food and beverage products. OMAFRA helps Ontario suppliers identify export opportunities and provide support in developing sales strategies that address the unique challenges of exporting food, beverage, and agriculture products in key international markets.