{"id":11657,"date":"2021-07-09T21:14:45","date_gmt":"2021-07-09T21:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2021\/07\/09\/why-processing-beans-peas-and-lentils-could-solve-canadas-commodity-conundrum\/"},"modified":"2021-07-09T21:14:45","modified_gmt":"2021-07-09T21:14:45","slug":"why-processing-beans-peas-and-lentils-could-solve-canadas-commodity-conundrum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2021\/07\/09\/why-processing-beans-peas-and-lentils-could-solve-canadas-commodity-conundrum\/","title":{"rendered":"Why processing beans, peas and lentils could solve Canada&#8217;s &#8216;commodity conundrum&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><\/div><p> \n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<header aria-label=\"Beginning of Article\" class=\"article-header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Breadcrumb Trail Links<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"breadcrumbs__items list-unstyled\">\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> Economy <\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> Commodities <\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> Agriculture <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p class=\"article-subtitle\"> Plant-based protein craze a rare and fleeting chance to finally build Canadian food-processing into global powerhouse <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"published-by\">\n<p>Author of the article:<\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"published-by__author\">Jake Edmiston<\/span> <\/div><\/div>\n<figure class=\"featured-image\"><picture class=\"featured-image__ratio featured-image-category__economy\"><\/picture><figcaption class=\"featured-image__caption image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Soybeans on a farm in Ontario.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Peter J. Thompson\/National Post files<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Durum wheat is as good a place as any to try to wrap your head around one of the more stubborn problems in Canadian food production. Millions of acres are devoted to growing the crop. Local producers then mill and ship it around the world, making the country a major player in the global export market.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-2\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[6,6],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"6x6\" data-ad-loc=\"2\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[6,6],[320,50],[300,50],[300,250],[300,600]]\" id=\"ad-2\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:600px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>What happens next is the problem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s being processed somewhere else and we buy it back in pasta,\u201d Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said.<\/p>\n<p>That pasta represents a missed opportunity for the Canadian economy. That wheat that sells relatively cheaply on the commodities market ends up in another country, where companies create jobs and pay taxes to turn it into consumer goods that can then be sold at a healthy markup.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can definitely do more as a whole industry,\u201d Bibeau said in a recent interview about increasing Canada\u2019s food processing capacity. \u201cThis is something I\u2019m struggling with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not a new struggle. Canada\u2019s ability to grow crops in abundance has long outmatched its ability to process those crops into higher-value consumer goods, but that could be about to change, due in large part to beans, peas and lentils.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-3\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[7,7],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"7x7\" data-ad-loc=\"3\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[7,7],[300,250],[320,50],[300,50]]\" id=\"ad-3\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Wheat grows in a field before harvest near Brunkild, Manitoba.\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288,\n                https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709wheat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=576 2x\" height=\"750\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\"> Wheat grows in a field before harvest near Brunkild, Manitoba.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Shannon VanRaes\/Bloomberg files<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Those crops \u2014 known as pulses, all grown in massive quantities in Western Canada \u2014 are some of the main players behind the plant-based protein craze. The market for those products \u2014 Beyond Meat Inc. burgers and the like, protein supplements, and dairy and egg substitutes \u2014 is projected to hit $250 billion in the next 15 years, according to a report by Ernst and Young.<\/p>\n<p>Federal cabinet ministers, industry advocates and food processors all believe that growth in plant-based products represents a rare and fleeting chance to finally build the Canadian food-processing sector into a global powerhouse. If it does, some estimates suggest homegrown processors could capture 10 per cent of that $250-billion market. Currently, they have just 3.3 per cent.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-4\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"4\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-4\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWe have a once-in-a-generation opportunity,\u201d International Trade Minister Mary Ng told the Financial Post in an interview last month.<\/p>\n<p>Earning more money isn\u2019t the only advantage. The pandemic has exposed the problems of being dependent on other countries to produce your food. In times of crisis, unexpected surges in demand and logistical complications can shoot through the global supply chain, and some trading partners can get a bit touchy about sharing.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity<\/p>\n<p>International Trade Minister Mary Ng<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Exporting processed, packaged goods \u2014 such as canola oil \u2014 is also considered less risky than exporting commodities, since bulk shipments can face intense, sometimes political, scrutiny at foreign ports for food-safety problems and pests.<\/p>\n<p>For example, China in 2019 started rejecting canola seeds from Canada after alleging that inspectors detected pests in samples from a Canadian shipment \u2014 a move that many interpreted as retaliation for Canada\u2019s arrest of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. executive Meng Wanzhou.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-5\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"5\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-5\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Treated canola seeds on a farm in Manitoba.\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288,\n                https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709canola.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=576 2x\" height=\"750\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\"> Treated canola seeds on a farm in Manitoba.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Shannon VanRaes\/Bloomberg files<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bibeau said the risk of such \u201cnon-tariff barriers\u201d is higher for raw commodities than it would be for, say, a Canadian company that processes the crop into \u201ca bottle of oil.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The opportunity to boost Canadian processing isn\u2019t just in making veggie burgers. Most in the industry believe that Canada\u2019s wealth of pulse crops make it uniquely suited to extract proteins from the crop and then process them into concentrated protein ingredients for plant-based products. Those ingredients are required in lower volumes than raw commodities, but fetch higher prices.<\/p>\n<p>The rising need for plant protein could spell the end of Canada\u2019s \u201ccommodity conundrum,\u201d said Murad Al-Katib, chief executive of Saskatchewan pulse processor AGT Food and Ingredients Inc.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-6\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"6\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-6\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cInstead of selling yellow peas to China, we\u2019re going to sell pea protein concentrates,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing the barriers breaking down and the vision changing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But ramping up the production of such ingredients depends on a major wave of private-sector investment, infrastructure development and regulatory reform to pave the way for state-of-the-art facilities that specialize in isolating and extracting protein from pulses.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"A farmer holds a yellow pea plant on a farm in Alberta.\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288,\n                https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709yellow-pea.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=576 2x\" height=\"750\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\"> A farmer holds a yellow pea plant on a farm in Alberta.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Shaughn Butts\/Postmedia files<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Several of those projects are already underway, including a $600-million project built by France-based food processing giant Roquette Fr\u00e8res SA in Portage la Prairie, Man.<\/p>\n<p>Still, more plants need to be built. The Roquette plant is expected to process 125,000 metric tonnes of peas per year when it reaches full capacity next year. Canada will need to process an additional six or seven million metric tonnes to have a shot at capturing that 10 per cent of the plant-based market in the next decade or so, according to Protein Industries Canada (PIC), one of the five federally funded superclusters designed to spur innovation and investment in emerging sectors.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-7\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"7\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-7\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThis is not trivial stuff,\u201d said Bill Greuel, PIC\u2019s chief executive. \u201cI hope I\u2019m giving you a sense of the scope and the scale of what\u2019s at stake here for Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The concern for Greuel and others is that Canadian investors and legislators won\u2019t act fast enough, thereby allowing another country to take up the opportunity instead. Currently, Canadian ingredient manufacturers\u2019 share of the plant-based market is only in the low single digits, he said.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>There is a race on right now to build out the ingredient-processing capacity, because once it\u2019s built, it\u2019s built<\/p>\n<p>Bill Greuel<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThere is a race on right now to build out the ingredient-processing capacity, because once it\u2019s built, it\u2019s built,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>A lot needs to change if Canada is going to compete in that race. First, Greuel said, the talent pool for food sciences and engineering needs to grow. The federal and provincial governments also need to offer better incentives to attract foreign multinationals to build here.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-8\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"8\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-8\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Investors need to step up, too. PIC has provided government funding to roughly 22 projects since its inception in 2018, including an investment in Merit Functional Foods Corp., which recently built a new pea and canola protein processing facility in Manitoba. But many domestic startups that have developed new production techniques can\u2019t round up enough capital to build a plant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re long on intellectual property and short on assets,\u201d Greuel said. \u201cThe VC community or the capital community is not really interested in them, because it\u2019s a longer hold, it\u2019s risky because they don\u2019t have assets to borrow against and they\u2019re not cash positive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But he said one of the most urgent needs in the chase to ramp up plant-protein processing is changing Canada\u2019s \u201carchaic\u201d regulations on plant-based protein.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-9\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"9\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-9\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>The current system hasn\u2019t kept up with changes and innovation in the industry, and what\u2019s left is a confusing mix of rules that often contradict one another.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Greuel said plant-based chicken nuggets have to be fortified to a protein level higher than that expected of real chicken, while oat milk is not allowed to be fortified to the same standard as standard milk.<\/p>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"moreTopicLabel3891248747380688847313360136770305\" class=\"more-topic\" data-carousel=\"\" data-carousel-icon-button=\"\" data-carousel-type=\"list\"><button aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"more-topic__button-prev\" data-carousel-prev=\"\" tabindex=\"-1\" title=\"previous\" type=\"button\"\/><\/p>\n<ol class=\"more-topic__items list-unstyled\" data-carousel-slide-list=\"\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\"><picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Daring Foods Inc. has raised US$40 million from investors \u2014 including entertainer Drake \u2014 after debuting its plant-based chicken last year.\" class=\"lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=192&strip=all&quality=80 2x,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/vw0518drake.jpg?h=288&strip=all&quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"><span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Rapper Drake invests in faux-chicken maker\u2019s $40-million round <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\"><picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"CEO and Founder of Novameat Giuseppe Scionti, 33, cuts a 3D printed vegan beef steak cooked for students to eat at the Culinary School of Barcelona, Spain February 25, 2020.\" class=\"lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=192&strip=all&quality=80 2x,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/steak.jpg?h=288&strip=all&quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"><span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Alternative meat industry moves beyond the burger in quest for products with texture of steak <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\"><picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Plant-based Beyond Meat burgers.\" class=\"lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=192&strip=all&quality=80 2x,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=288&strip=all&quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"><span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Why the mere mention of plant-based burgers is a trigger for many farmers <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\"><picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"None\" class=\"lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80&ssl=1\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=80,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=192&strip=all&quality=80 2x,\n                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/beyond-meat.jpg?h=288&strip=all&quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"><span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Fake meat is \u2018no laughing matter\u2019: Plant-based protein will be worth $85-billion by 2030 <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><button aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"more-topic__button-next\" data-carousel-next=\"\" tabindex=\"-1\" title=\"next\" type=\"button\"\/><\/section>\n<p>\u201cI could go off for about an hour on this one,\u201d he said, adding that regulations are so out of step with the United States that some Canadian producers have stopped supplying their products domestically to focus entirely on the American market.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-10\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"10\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-10\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIf we don\u2019t think about modernizing our regulatory system in Canada to support the growth and development of plant-based foods, we\u2019ll never be competitive on a global scale,\u201d Greuel said.<\/p>\n<p>Maple Leaf Foods Inc. \u2014 a Mississauga, Ont.-based packaged meats processor that has made major investments in plant-based alternatives \u2014 recently cited regulatory issues as one of the reasons it decided to build a US$310-million production facility in Indiana for its plant-based wing, Greenleaf Foods.<\/p>\n<p>Chief executive Michael McCain said the decision was \u201cnot because we prefer Indiana over a Canadian jurisdiction, but because 95 per cent of our business is in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Plant-based Lightlife burgers at a grocery store in Alberta.\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288,\n                https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vw0709lightlife.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=576 2x\" height=\"750\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\"> Plant-based Lightlife burgers at a grocery store in Alberta.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Vincent McDermott\/Fort McMurray Today\/Postmedia Network files<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Greenleaf makes plant-based products for consumers through its Lightlife and Field Roast brands, and they are heavier than powdered plant protein ingredients, so it makes more sense to both buy the ingredients from agricultural areas and make the products closer to the consumer to cut down on shipping costs \u2014 one of the business\u2019s main expenses.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Advertisement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-11\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"11\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-11\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>McCain said there are common hurdles in the way of both prospective ingredient and consumer goods manufacturers that are looking to set up a new operation in Canada.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s certainly no secret that the U.S. regional jurisdictions are much more aggressive in attracting investments per capita in the United States than in Canada,\u201d he said. \u201cU.S. governments roll out the red carpet to attract investment. They usually do it in the form of infrastructure support and that\u2019s usually not competitive in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Processors in Canada supply some ingredients to Greenleaf, though McCain said the Canadian ingredient manufacturing sector is not currently a major player in the global market.<\/p>\n<p>But that, he added, could change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are very significant investments being made.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Financial Post<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\"><em>\u2022 Email: jedmiston@postmedia.com | Twitter: <a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" data-evt=\"click\" data-evt-typ=\"User Interaction Click\" data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields=\"\" source=\"\" type=\"\" name=\"\" target=\"\" url=\"\" vertical=\"\" position=\"\" pixels=\"\" link=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jakeedmiston\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">jakeedmiston<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__share-group article-delimiter\" data-evt=\"beforeunload\" data-evt-typ=\"scroll-depth\" 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