b"growth of value-added processing arentimpact is there to farmers byASG: Are there more opportunities recapitalized. Did that have a setback forhaving multiple plants of this kindfor plant protein processing in the the industry? I think at the end of the day,located in the province? province?what we do see is, its really companiesBG: I think it's a really exciting time forBG: Yeah, I think there is. If you look that have to make investments. They'refarmers. When I think about it, the moretoday in Canada, we process less than the ones that create jobs and GDP andoptions that a producer has to deliver raw20 per cent of all the crop that we grow. make the investment.commodities to a local processing facility,That means that there is a huge upside It's always good to have non-profitthe better it is for their farm for a numberpotential. We did some work with Ernst organizations that advocate for that onof reasons.and Young in 2020. And that work behalf of the sector. But at the end ofOne is, we all know that in theindicated that in order to satisfy just the the day, it's still a very strong investmentrecent past, we've had transportationalternative meat market on a global basis, climate in Alberta to support the growthbottlenecks caused by weather andwe need to process another 40 million of value-added processing. labour disruptions in rail lines inmetric tons of crop production on an Canada. We've had some of our exportannual basis. ASG: Theres been a lot ofmarkets shutting down the importationFor Canada, we could easily increase plant protein processingof raw commodities. In China that wasprocessing capacity by three to five announcements in Alberta overcanola, based on geopolitical issuesmillion metric tons, and still not achieve the last year. What has stirred thisand challenges. The Indian market10 per cent of the global market. If you interest in the province? was largely closed off from pulsethink about what that means for Alberta, BG: I think there's a few things that thatimportations due to domestic policiesthat could be hundreds of thousands, are underpinning it, and one is certainlythat they introduced in India.if not a million, acres of additional the growth trajectory of the plant-basedSo really what this diversification ofprocessing capacity could be built, and food sector. If you look on a globaldomestic markets does is give producerstheres certainly a market for that.basis, there's a couple of things that aremore options, it buffers against the global underpinning the growth of ingredientcommodity prices, the geopolitical forces,ASG: The Canadian government processing, and one is certainlythe environmental forces, the tradeis currently looking at updating population growth. disruption. And not only that, it createsthe countrys plant-based food Population on a global basis continuesjobs in the in the local market, which isregulations. What does this mean to grow. The demand for food globally isalways good for rural economies. for farmers and what impact will increasing. In addition to that, consumerit have on the countrys plant preference is changing and that's beingASG: When should farmers startprotein processing industry?driven by a number of things. It can beincreasing their acreages forBG: I think anytime that government can consumers are more conscientious ofthese processing plants? enable innovation through regulatory the environmental impact of the foodBG: Farmers are always going to makechange, its a good day. What the products they're eating. Consumers arechoices for the crops that they growgovernment of Canada is looking at is making choices based on values likebased on a number of criteria. And ita few different things, making it more animal welfare. Consumers are makingcould be everything from agronomicattractive for companies to innovate choices based on wanting convenience.decisions to the price of commodities.both ingredients and plant-based food. They want good, healthy, nutritious food,And so, I think producers will have toAnytime that we can do that, and we can and plant-based foods checks the box forrespond to market signals.increase the domestic consumption, or all of those. The overall global demandI think the really interesting thingwe can make Canada more attractive is driving it.about what's going to happen, is localfor processing, both ingredients and But I think what Alberta has toprocessing facilities in different regionsfood, from a regulatory perspective. offer is this combination of access toof Alberta will lead to new relationshipsThat increases investment in ingredient raw commodities, to the feedstock,between farmers and processingmanufacturing and plant-based food the great transportation environment,facilities. So, farmers should think aboutmanufacturing, which has to follow the entrepreneurial spirit of peoplethe relationship that they have withon opportunities for producers to in Alberta, and the transportationthe local processing facility, so theydiversify markets, to have markets that infrastructure. All of those things arecan make long term plans around cropare close to home, which gets back to combining to make it a very attractiverotation, as opposed to responding orthis conversation that we had about location for investments in value addedchanging acreage, because theres soinsulating ourselves against trade processing. many factors that affect the impact ofdisruption and geopolitical forces, and producers rotation. I think the bestdisruptions in transportation.ASG: What should Alberta farmersthing to do is to create a great working Ashley Robinsonkeep in mind when seeing theserelationship with local processors, from a plant announcements? Whatfarmer's perspective.18seed.ab.ca"