The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) held its 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) April 8, bringing members together to reflect on a year marked by strong governance, member engagement, and meaningful advocacy outcomes for Canada's fresh produce sector.
The association's leadership outlined key accomplishments delivered over the past year, despite ongoing cost pressures, regulatory complexity, and global trade volatility. The association remained focused on delivering value beyond its Convention and Trade Show through year-round advocacy, industry development, and tools that support members' businesses.
© Canadian Produce Marketing Association
L-R: Steve Bamford, Ron Lemaire
CPMA 2025 chair, Steve Bamford, shared with members key achievements which included:
- Continued member growth, with the association now representing more than 900 companies across the fresh produce supply chain.
- Strong convention outcomes, with the organization's Montreal Convention & Trade Show marking the association's largest show to date and donating more than 46,000 pounds of fresh produce to local food banks.
- Major advocacy wins, including the adoption of Bill C-280 (the Financial Protection for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farmers Act) into law and the removal of select retaliatory tariffs.
- Expanded international engagement, with the association supporting trade missions, market development initiatives, and buyer outreach across key global markets, while continuing to advocate for predictable, tariff-free trade ahead of the upcoming CUSMA/USMCA review.
- Practical leadership on food safety and sustainability, supported through targeted research, education programs, and guidance designed to align regulatory compliance with commercial realities.
President Ron Lemaire shared results from its recent member Pulse Survey. The survey highlighted three clear and consistent themes:
- Cost pressures are structural, not temporary. Members reported that energy, freight, labour, and input costs continue to place sustained pressure on margins, limiting the sector's ability to absorb additional shocks without downstream impacts on availability and pricing.
- Trade certainty is now a core business requirement. With the upcoming CUSMA/USMCA review, respondents identified the preservation of tariff-free, predictable trade conditions as the single most important factor influencing investment, contracting, and long-term planning decisions.
- The sector's adaptive capacity is increasingly policy-dependent. While in 2025 produce businesses have demonstrated resilience and innovation in the face of volatility, members emphasized that future performance will depend less on operational agility alone and more on stable, science-based, and commercially grounded policy frameworks.
During the AGM, Leadership Committee chair, Angela Santiago, announced the new directors to the board. They are:
- Yan Branco, Sobeys
- Gary Cabral, Walmart Canada
- Michelle Loucks, Whole Foods Market
- Justin McGregor, Save-On-Foods
- Ezio Bondi, Bondi Produce & Specialty Foods
- Kendra Mills, PEI Potato Board
- Jennie Coleman, Equifruit Inc.
- Jennifer Harris, Island Growers Cooperative
- Domenico Procopio, Courchesne Larose
- Chris Sarantis, Canadawide Fruit Wholesalers Inc.
- Michael Catalano, POM Wonderful
- Amanda Knauff, Taylor Farms
- Jeff Madu, Windset Farms
For more information:
Micken Kokonya
Canadian Produce Marketing Association
[email protected]
https://cpma.ca/
