The agri-food industry is highly valued by British Columbians because of its impact on our economy, our food-security, and our physical environment.  While we remain a net food importer, the industry serves as a very important source of food products and employment for British Columbians.  As concerns about food safety increase so to does the importance we place on having a strong domestic industry that provides a measure of food security.  We highly value agriculture land because it benefits the environment and protects significant areas of our green space from further urban development.

The agri-food industry is undergoing a period of unprecedented change.  BC producers face increasing pressure from low-cost competitors at a time when the costs of many of our key inputs are increasing. Consumers are becoming more demanding, product life cycles are shortening, and the level of market segmentation is increasing.  Consolidation is occurring at all levels of the food chain.  Unemployment rates in BC have declined to a generational low, making it hard to attract and keep the workers we need. Environmental pressures and incidence of urban/rural conflicts are increasing.  Technology is changing how we develop, produce and market our products. 

How well we react to these changes will determine the future of the agri-food industry in BC.  With this in mind, the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia, the BC Agriculture Council, the BC Food Processors Association and other organizations came together recently to commission the Focus on the Future project.  Specifically, the project was designed to:

n        Identify and assess key issues that are strategically important to the overall long-term success of the BC agri-food industry.

n        Identify specific strategies and meaningful actions that industry, government and the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC can pursue to assist industry to expand, diversify and enhance its competitive position and build a stronger industry future.

The project was undertaken in four phases over a period of ten months.  A copy of the resulting report is available at http://www.iafbc.ca/current.initiative.htm.  The recommendations are now being implemented by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC as well as the Federal and Provincial Government.

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