Rebecca Lee, Executive Director of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), recently presented at the assembly of the International Federation of Produce Standards (IFPS), in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Rebecca’s presentation focused on key issues affecting the Canadian horticultural sector, namely:
- the need for Canada to have a national nutrition policy;
- payment protection for the produce industry;
- mandatory 15-year pesticide re-evaluations;
- Canada’s carbon pricing policy;
- labour; and
- public trust in the produce supply chain.
Rebecca also engaged in various high-level discussions at the adjoining EU Fresh Forum, and participated in hands-on tours that resulted in key take-aways for Canadian horticulture:
- Labour shortages are also an important issue at the international level, as many EU countries rely on labour from eastern Europe.
- Horticulture industries around the world need to start thinking about innovative technology that will soon be the norm. Ex: swarms of drones, robot harvesters, and the internet of things (IoT). These topics will be covered in greater detail in future issues of CHC’s Fresh Thinking magazine.
Fruit and vegetable scanner that determines calories, carbs and water content. Photo: R. Lee
Food inspection at Hillfresh International Quality Control facility, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Photo: R. Lee
Delegates observing the Urban Farm facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Photo: R. Lee
Lettuce production at Urban Farm in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Photo: R. Lee
About the International Federation of Produce Standards (IFPS)
IFPS works with industry stakeholders to improve the supply chain efficiency of the fresh produce industry through developing, implementing and managing harmonised international standards, and by developing, implementing and managing an international standard for Price Look Up (PLU) numbers.