Canada is investing in plant-based food. | Zoe Schaeffer via Unsplash
The Canadian Government has announced more than $2.6 million in federal funding for the plant protein sector.
Leduc, Alberta’s Food Processing Development Centre will receive the investment. It will go toward new equipment for plant-based product development. The Canadian Prairies are ideal for producing a number of high-protein pulse crops, including lentils, chickpeas, and peas. The western provinces are on their way to becoming a hub for “pulse fractionation,” a relatively new process that extracts protein for use in food products, including plant-based meat.
The intention is to support the agri-food industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The investment will give farmers and producers “the tools” to be part of Canada’s economic recovery.
The government aims to encourage agri-food producers to turn these crops into higher-value ingredients, or even finished plant-based products.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada, said in a statement: “The wellbeing of all Canadians—physically, socially, and economically—begins with a safe food supply. Western Canada’s farmers and agri-food businesses are essential to this, and we’re here for them.”
She added that the investment will secure the necessary resources for agri-food companies to develop new products. In addition to this, it will allow them to capture opportunities in the burgeoning plant-based food market. According to the National Research Council of Canada, sales of plant-based protein products increase 7 percent to $1.5 billion from 2016-2017.
“Initiatives such as this are vital to enabling our agri-food companies to scale up, support good jobs, and ultimately ensure the security of the safe, nutritious food supply we all rely on,” Joly continued.
This isn’t the first time the Canadian Government has given the plant-based food sector a boost.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier this year that the government would invest $100 million in Merit Functional Foods. Based in Winnipeg, the company specializes in plant-based protein.
Merit will use the investment to build a commercial-scale protein production plant. The factory will be capable of utilizing 10,000 metric tonnes of yellow peas when it is fully operational.
Trudeau said in a statement: “As people around the world start eating more plant-based products, we have an opportunity to bring together Candian innovation and Canadian crops, and a chance to create good, well-paying jobs.“
This post was last modified on July 13, 2021 11:21 pm