Laurent Lessard, La Coop fédérée’s minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, announced that the company is welcoming the Quebec government’s new bio-food policy.
“With regards to vision and strategic objectives, the bio-food policy demonstrates a willingness to work with the sector to take on challenges in the bio-food industry. Those challenges were raised by La Coop fédérée during the numerous consultations held in previous years,” said Ghislain Gervais, president of La Coop fédérée. “Moreover, the inclusion of additional amounts intended for the bio-food policy announced in the last provincial budget, shows a willingness to make it a reality.”
The bio-food sector, ranging from processing to distribution, food services and production in farming operations, is diversifying itself at a steady pace, which is in line with consumer expectations.
Today, the challenge La Coop fédérée faces, is to meet these expectations while preserving the basic elements that currently make the bio-food sector in Quebec, a success. On this issue, the new bio-food policy recognizes the importance of maintaining a collective approach, as well as the emergence of multiple value chains to meet the various consumer needs.
“Farming is a human activity that requires coherence to prosper and develop in a responsible manner. For nearly 100 years, the cooperative movement has been contributing to the development and success of the Quebec bio-food sector,” Gervais explained. “As leader in this industry, La Coop fédérée intends to continue its important work in terms of supplying and marketing agricultural products, land development, manpower, succession, innovation, research and development, and to also contribute to reaching the objectives stated in the new bio-food policy.”
The new bio-food policy opens new promising horizons with regard to the expectations of the various stakeholders of the sector.
In addition, La Coop fédérée hopes that the debates surrounding the new bio-food policy go beyond the scope of the upcoming provincial elections. For it to be durable, all of the Quebec political parties should adopt the orientations contained in this policy, which is the result of numerous previous consultations, and commit to its implementation.
“The new policy represents a step in the right direction. The importance of the Quebec bio-food industry, which contributes $25.4 billion to the Quebec economy and generates more than 500,000 jobs, most certainly deserves the attention the government is giving it today,” Gervais concluded.
