Description

Canada’s opportunity to diversity food exports beyond the United States Friday, April 17, 2026. 10:00 am - 11:30am. Join us for a workshop with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) on exploring opportunities to look at the state of the food and beverage sector in Canada and to examine and create solutions to stay in business in an ever-changing environment.

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  Justin Shepherd

  Senior Economist·FCC

  Justin is a Senior Economist at FCC. He joined the team in 2021, specializing in monitoring agricultural production and analyzing global supply and demand trends. In addition to his speaking engagements on agriculture and economics, Justin is a regular contributor to the FCC Economics blog. He grew up on a mixed farm in Saskatchewan and remains active in the family operation. Justin holds a master of applied economics and management from Cornell University and a bachelor of agribusiness from the University of Saskatchewan.

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  Craig Klemmer

  Principal Economist·FCC

  Craig joined FCC in 2009 as an Agricultural Economist, specializing in monitoring and analyzing the macroeconomic environment, modelling industry health, and providing industry risk analysis. Prior to FCC, he worked in the livestock branch of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. Craig holds a Master of Agricultural Economics degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

State of the Canadian Food and Beverage Industry Justin Shepherd, Senior Economist at FCC, leads a team dedicated to analyzing trends within Canada's food and agriculture sector. Their research supports risk monitoring and opportunity identification. The recently published FCC Food and Beverage Report will serve as the foundation for this discussion. Justin will provide an overview of the current landscape of the food and beverage industry, reviewing last year's economic conditions and outlining key opportunities and risks facing Canadian food and beverage manufacturers as they look toward 2026. Variation in industry outlooks reflects differing cost structures and demand dynamics and Jeff will help clarify these complexities for the audience. Identifying Solutions and Opportunities for Canadian Food and Beverage Manufacturers.

Craig Klemmer, Manager of Thought Leadership, FCC, and co-author of The $12B Trade Shift: Canada’s Opportunity to diversity food exports. Craig’s insights guide corporate strategy and identify opportunities to influence change to help the food industry maximize its potential. Craig will expand on Justin’s synopsis by outlining lessons learned and proposing short- and medium-term productivity solutions. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the value in diversifying business practices and trade portfolios.

Trade, Disruption & Making the Shift Fri., April 17, 2026 10 a.m. – 11:30 (CST). Webinar Deadline to register: Monday, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Noon. Register with Food and Beverage and get a link.  For more information, or if you require accommodations to fully participate in this event contact 204 821-5322 or email MBAgriFood@gov.mb.ca..