LAKELAND – Connect for Food (CFF) is an initiative aimed at connecting and bringing together various sectors of the food industry.
On April 15, CFF will be holding a symposium in Vermilion aimed at bringing together “diverse members of the food system to dialogue, build networks, and strengthen our collective power,” according to information from the organization.
Keleigh Cormier, co-founder of CFF, says different sectors of the food industry will be present, covering topics such as finance, production, processing, logistics, marketing and access, consumption, innovation and technology, and education and advocacy. The event will act as an exchange of information.
The primary goal, however, is to build connections between people.
“We’ve learned through dozens of workshops that... people are not connected that well anymore,” said Cormiere, despite modern communication tools like social media. “We’re just not connected - especially around our food system.”
She explained that there are many moving parts of the industry. From the grower to the processor, to the distributor, and then to the consumer. Everyone needs food.
But despite that connection between sectors, there is less connection between the people involved.
“We don’t know each other anymore, and we need to talk about our food system... how we can participate,” she said.
Connection is crucial to improve and find more opportunities in the food industry, said Cormier. Thus, the purpose of the symposium.
“[CCF] is a grassroots initiative. We’re not coming in with a silver bullet saying, ‘This is what you have to do’,” she explained, reiterating it’s about bringing people together to see how they can work better together and figure out what they can do together.
During the afternoon of the symposium, a diverse set of individuals with different perspectives in the food industry will cycle through tables to talk and learn from each other.
“We’ll have facilitated and themed discussions where people will move around and talk and meet,” Cormier explained.
Representatives from industry experts will be present at the event, such as the Alberta Food Processors Association, and the Food Processing Development Centre at Leduc.
Registration for the event is available online.
