The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) held its semi-annual board of directors meetings in Victoria,BC, September 13-17. The event brought together the executive committee, board members, and past chairs to focus on important issues impacting the produce industry and CPMA members.

The agenda included presentations by Paul Shorthouse of the Canadian Plastics Pact, of which CPMA is a signatory, and David Guthrie of KPMG on the topic of sustainability and its impact on the produce sector.

The Board received a report from the CPMA Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Working Group, which was tasked toinvestigate D&I and potential paths forward for CPMA to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Canadian fresh fruit and vegetable industry. As a first step, the CPMA Board adopted a recommendation that all CPMA directors andcommittee members will participate in D&I training by the end of 2022. Additionally, the association will work todiagnose the current D&I landscape. CPMA will collaborate with a partner to survey members to gain an understandingof the D&I activities and training needed within the industry.

“Diversity and inclusion are critical to the success of our sector,” says Mario Masellis, CPMA board chair. “It issomething I chose to focus on during my tenure as chair, continuing the work began by previous chairs. As anorganization and a board, we have committed to increasing our knowledge around diversity and inclusion, their importance to our organizational culture, as well as exploring ways to support our members on their D&I journeys.”

“CPMA continues to be a national and global leader on topics and issues impacting our supply chain,” said RonLemaire, CPMA president. “Supply chain disruptions, sustainability, plastics packaging, and diversity and inclusion are all areas which need ongoing focus and investment. The Board leadership on these topics and others are essential to our sector’s success.”

Source:   Canadian Produce Marketing Association September 22, 2022 news release