Food manufacturers not able to keep up.Ottawa—Once the political dust settles after the federal election, the new government must act on the recommendations in a Senate agriculture committee report to boost food production, says Carla Ventin, senior vice-president of Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC).The report came out in mid-July when most of the attention was focused on preparing for the Oct. 21 election. Ventin said the report showed “there are lots of opportunities to increase our production and exports. We need to do more in Canada.”The entire agrifood sector will need to push the government for action on the report's recommendations, which are based on many months of committee hearings across the country, she said.Despite a concerted awareness-raising effort by many organizations, the agrifood sector has attracted scant attention during the election campaign despite being Canada's largest manufacturing employer.The Senate report offered nine comprehensive recommendations to boost the export of value-added food products and create more jobs in Canada. They included overhauling regulations to reduce internal trade barriers and boost export prospects, updating the Canada Food Inspection Agency and Canada Border Services Agency and supporting research and innovation to encourage food exporting businesses.“Currently, only about half of the food grown in Canada is processed here, demonstrating a gap the committee believes should be closed,” the report said.FCPC says nearly 300,000 workers rely on the sector, which is also the overall top employer in rural Canada. Yet, barriers to growth cost Canada 12 jobs in the sector every single day between 2012 and 2017.Ventin said the Senate report in combination with a recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on the need for regulatory reform demonstrate the obstacles that impede the growth of the food processing sector.As well, government needs to assist companies adapt to changing market demands and to come up with smarter ways of communicating nutritional information on packages rather than imposing rules that just make Canadian products uncompetitive, she said.In its pre-election message, FCPC said the federal government must “enable an environment that makes Canada a food powerhouse now and for the future.”To accomplish that, it needs to modernize many of “the 140,000 regulations at the federal level alone because Canada's red tape impedes innovation and competitiveness, hurting Canadian jobs and limiting the choices on grocery store shelves.”It also needs to support innovation to make Canada “a global leader in innovative food and packaging solutions that address our most pressing challenges. However, current policies are driving away opportunity, with four in five new products sold on Canadian shelves developed abroad.”As well Canada must negotiate and implement ambitious free trade agreements “that diversify access to consumers around the world, creating new demand for the high-quality goods Canadian workers produce.”The agrifood sector also wants a level playing field between manufacturers and retailers. “With five companies controlling more than 80 per cent of grocery stores, farmers, food manufacturers, grocers, and government must work together to find a balance that works for everyone.”The Senate report said the government should harmonize trucking regulations and improve transportation networks across the country and rectify the agrifood sector labour shortage by expediting the path of temporary foreign workers to permanent residency.“Canada's abundance of primary products provides a comparative advantage to the value-added sector: it has a ready supply of product to which it can add value,” the report said. “However, the sector must ensure that it adds value through a consumer-centric approach, including innovating to develop products that meet emerging consumer trends.“The government should work to develop a global marketing program that focuses explicitly on increasing the profile of the Canada Brand,” the report said. “By improving food processing capacity within our borders, supporting innovation, and strengthening our global image, Canada can increase its international exports.”Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.